Following the success of last year’s inaugural Zest Festival, the Jersey Hospitality Association (JHA) has big plans for the event’s second year.
The organisation’s schedule for the March event includes education focused activities as well as those to support members of the trade. CEO Simon Soar explains what they are hoping to achieve.
‘This year’s event differs slightly from last year’s as we’ve taken the lessons we learned from the first festival and tried to ensure we’ve created something that suits as many people as possible. This event is a real opportunity for both students to experience the hospitality sector and for those working in the industry to learn and develop their skills.’
The Zest Festival will mainly take place on Thursday 26, Friday 27, Monday 30 and Tuesday 31 March, with a few events over the weekend of 28 and 29 March to coincide with the Jersey Big Weekend.
“The Thursday and Friday will be very much focused on education. We have got various activities organised with the students at Highlands College, including some events with a visiting chef director from a Bulgarian university who should be amazing. At the same time, we wanted to make sure we reached out to other schools who are not participating in the Highlands programme so we have borrowed a food truck. The plan is to take that to various island schools and put on demonstrations for their students. We’re hoping that by making it a bit more fun and creative we’ll show how accessible a career in hospitality can be.”
For those already involved in the industry, the Monday and Tuesday will be focused on the trade and providing training and learning opportunities.
“On the Monday we are delighted that Luke Wheadon and Mark Taft are hosting us at their Channel Islands distillery. Myles Cunliffe visited last year and was absolutely superb so we’re delighted to welcome him back again this year. He will do a day of drinks school introducing new ideas and concepts. This can be anything from sustainable drinks and how to reduce waste to how to perfectly balance a drink. Then we’re very fittingly finishing the day with a cocktail competition, supported by the Channel Island Liquor Company.”
While the Monday of the event is focused on drink, the Tuesday is all about food. The JHA has surveyed the industry to know where there is demand for training, which they will be reflecting in the courses they offer.
“We’re going to utilise a variety of specialised chefs who are going to teach one to two hour short courses. These will be focused on upskilling local hospitality workers in areas where there is a demand. This will be anything from basic butchery skills to baking classes. We’re taking these classes out to various locations around the island which will hopefully encourage more people to come along and learn something new.”
The short courses have been specifically designed to suit those working within the industry, as they are timed to suit hospitality shifts.
Alongside the four weekdays, the JHA will also have some events happening over the Jersey Big Weekend including pop up kitchens in St Helier in association with Jersey Field Squadron, and a ticketed event on the Saturday night for a wine and cheese pairing session following by a local version of Ready Steady Cook. Altogether, it’s hoped the events will reach out to a wide sector of the community and show how varied and fulfilling the hospitality industry is in the island.
