This Is Guernsey

By Cheryl Latter

The Mermaid Tavern is preparing for a busy summer. (Picture by Brian Green)

WITH another potentially busy summer approaching, the Mermaid Tavern is continuing its commitment to using local produce and combating rising costs.

‘Our suppliers have been warning us of price increases regarding raw ingredients,’ said manager Tom Jones, ‘but it’s important to us to keep costs down for our visitors. We’ve created new menus with families in mind and to make it as cheap as possible for people to come here.’

The children’s menu will cost the same as it did last year, with the same guarantee of 100% quality.

‘We want parents to bring children of all ages, as we have a strong family ethos. Parents can be confident that the chicken and fish goujons are home-made and we will be continuing the Pots for Tots, which was very popular with small children last year.’

After the overwhelming success of the Black Rock Grill in its first summer, it will be continuing with a similar style for the coming season. The number of booking requests being received proves that interest in the restaurant is still very high.

‘We have created a new range of dishes cooked from scratch, using fresh, local ingredients. This includes our own Herm-reared beef. Not only does that help to keep prices down, but using local produce also reduces our carbon footprint.’

This environmental awareness also extends to the changes being made in the bar area. There have been a few minor renovations and changes in the tavern itself during the winter, which should aid speed of service, and great thought has gone into the products being sold.

‘We no longer are selling bottled cider,’ said Tom.

‘We have had Rocquette installed on draught, which not only helps solve our recycling problems but enforces our belief in supporting local products and companies.’

The tavern’s popularity means the amount of recycling that has to be done is immense.

‘Just by getting rid of bottled cider, we are saving ourselves in excess of 3,000 glass bottles per season.’

To promote its family friendly environment, the Mermaid will be hosting a Family Fun Day on Saturday 5 April to raise money for Help a Guernsey Child. The event will include a barbecue, refreshments, children’s entertainers, a cake stall, a bouncy castle and a bucking bronco. More details will be announced in this column closer to the date.