Respecting Jersey's Culture & Environment
When exploring Jersey’s beautiful natural environment, make sure you dispose of any waste properly. Take all rubbish home with you to recycle, or dispose of it correctly using bins provided. Disposable BBQs should be allowed to fully cool before being thrown away, and any dog waste should be thrown into the correct bins.
Try to choose low-carbon activities where you can. When exploring the Island’s natural environment, leave any wildlife, plants, or flowers where they are. If playing outside or on the beach, return any rocks, logs, or other natural items to their original position before you leave: these may be an important habitat for local wildlife.
Jersey has a unique blend of different cultures, including linguistic influences from both France and England, as well as the Island’s own unique language, Jèrriais (sometimes called ‘Jersey French’).
Although the Island’s main official language is English, many Jersey road names are written in French or sometimes in Jèrriais, and there is a strong French influence in certain aspects of the culture and heritage.
Jersey has lots of traditions and cultural celebrations, including the annual Jersey Battle of Flowers celebration, and Liberation Day, which is celebrated every year on 9th May. There’s often exciting events to get involved in, but beware that some shops, attractions, offices, and restaurants may close or operate different hours during such special celebrations. There may also be delays or diversions to traffic, temporary road closures, or changes to the public bus timetable during special days and events.
These celebrations, particularly Liberation Day, are an important part of Island culture and a recognition of Jersey freedom. Although closures or changes can be a mild inconvenience, it’s important that visitors recognise the significance of such days for the local people.
Jersey’s unofficial national dish is called Jersey Bean Crock. It’s similar to a French cassoulet, and is a stew traditionally made from pork stock, vegetables, and different varieties of beans. Most traditional Jersey families have their own family Bean Crock recipe, and some local restaurants and cafés make it, too, particularly over the summer months when more visitors are around. We often serve it at Café Ubé, or at Jersey Crab Shack with local sausage and crusty bread.
Other local treats include Jersey Wonders: a deep-fried sweet snack, that’s a bit like a cake-y doughnut. They’re best eaten fresh from the fryer, as they can become quite dry if left for too long after cooking. Try them from one of the local bakeries in the central market, or at one of the Island’s regular fetes or farmers’ markets.
Jersey Royal potatoes, which are served all over the Island during the spring and summer seasons, are another of our best-known Island highlights, as well as Jersey Dairy produce from our famous Jersey cows. We use Jersey Dairy milk, cream, yoghurt, and ice cream across all of our sites, and you can also buy it from most grocery stores around the Island. Over the summer, don’t miss the Jersey ice cream vans around the Island’s beaches and tourist spots: Jersey Dairy make lots of tasty flavours, as well as traditional “Mr Whippy” soft-serve.
Locally-grown foods also include Jersey oysters, local crab, and Jersey lobster. We serve up crab and oysters all year round at Oyster Box in St Brelade’s Bay, as well as lobster when it’s in season. You can also sample local seafood from the Jersey Fish Market in St Helier, but make sure to check what’s been caught locally as a lot of seafood is also imported into the Island.
There’s lots of ways to explore and understand Jersey’s history, such as visiting local heritage attractions. Jersey Heritage cares for the Island’s medieval castles and some of its historic properties, with most available to visit for a ticket price that helps to support each site’s maintenance and protection.
Some elements of local history, such as some of the Island’s neolithic dolmens, Second World War bunkers, memorials, and other sites are free and open for all to access, but should still be treated with respect. Dolmens, for example, are very old, and while they may appear to be a pile of stones that make a great climbing frame for kids, they are actually irreplaceable historic artifacts from thousands of years ago. Such historic sites are there to be appreciated and enjoyed by all, but try to ensure you are respectful – be mindful of others when exploring historic sites, leave no damage, and make sure the site remains as you found it, so that others can enjoy it for years to come.
A great way to support and give back to the local community when visiting a destination is to make a donation to a local charity or community initiative.
We’re committed to supporting our local community, and in recent years, we’ve supported the RNLI, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust (Jersey Zoo), Mind Jersey, Brighter Futures, the Salvation Army, Acorn Enterprises, Les Amis, and the National Trust for Jersey.
We don’t directly ask our customers for donations, or add a charity donation to bills or invoices, as an important part of our tip-free and service-charge-free approach. We’re committed to having a clear and transparent pricing structure for our guests, where the price on the menu is the price you pay – with no tip, service charge, or discretionary donation added at the end. If you’d like to donate instead of leaving a tip, please just ask our team: we have collection points at our tills for our chosen local charity – currently Les Amis, which supports islanders with learning disabilities.
If you would like to make a donation by card, or donate to any other local charity, we really encourage you to visit each charity’s website, where you’ll find details of how to donate. You can also support these charities in other ways, for example, visiting Jersey Zoo or Durrell’s Charity Shop, visiting the Salvation Army Cafe, or visiting the Acorn Reuse Centre.
