Donna Le Marrec, The National Trust for Jersey.
Jersey born with family roots from both Normandy and Brittany, I am currently the Marketing and Events Manager at The National Trust having spent many years working for the public sector in HR for several years before moving to Jersey Tourism as its Product Development Manager. This involved creating reasons for people to visit and identifying what made Jersey ‘special’. Food and local customs were an important component and we created food festivals, produced food guides, and staged many al fresco markets selling local products. I was a Trustee and board member of Genuine Jersey and a member of the local Slow Food movement.
Q – Where would be ‘your spot’ in the Park to enjoy a Classic Jersey picnic?
My favourite part of the National Park, despite living out west in rural St Peter, is the north coast, particularly Vicard Point in Trinity – (Le Don Averty) and White Rock above Rozel (Le Don Foot) both are National Trust sites with spectacular views of the nearby Normandy coast and Les Écréhous.
Q – Can you share what would be in your Classic Jersey picnic basket?
My Classic Jersey picnic would be contained in a lovely old picnic hamper that belonged to my father, a wool rug (bought from the Georgian House in 16 New Street!) and would include:
– Jon Hackett (Me and the Farmer) Scotch eggs or some of his amazing pies and pasties
– Fresh tomatoes and chillies (I love hot chillies and eat them daily!) from La Chasse Nurseries
– Crusty wholemeal bread from Vienna Bakery for sandwiches and/or a homemade cheese and onion quiche
– Cupcakes from FLOUR in the Central Market or strawberry tartlets from Bruno’s Bakery – La Baguette Chaude.
– A flask of tea and a bottle of Prosecco!
Q – Tell us, how does the National Trust’s work preserve the cultural heritage?
The National Trust for Jersey’s vision is to protect Jersey’s natural beauty, preserve its rich wildlife and safeguard its historic buildings permanently for everyone to enjoy and experience. However, we also try and protect our ‘intangible’ cultural heritage – such as the Island’s social practices, festive events, and traditional crafts. One way we do this for example is to stage events such as the annual Black Butter Festival – Lé Nièr Beurre so that the ancient art of creating this wonderful apple preserve is kept alive. The National Trust also has three orchards where we grow traditional cider apple varieties.
Having a picnic is a lovely way of experiencing Jersey at its best at this time of year within the protected area of the National Park and discovering new places to visit and enjoy.
Islanders can help the Trust look after sites such as Vicard Point and White Rock on the North Coast and help us permanently protect other sites by becoming members of the Trust.
Becoming a Member contributes towards the protection of Jersey’s natural beauty and historic places forever and for everyone. Your membership also allows you free access to over 300 National Trust properties in the UK and selected properties worldwide as well as a diverse range of events and activities. Black Butter is taking place at The Elms on 5th – 7th October.