The sixth edition of BBC1′s The Apprentice is on this evening. Some of the island’s French residents speculate on tonight’s challenge. Tom Bradshaw reports FRENCH cuisine is a big hit in Guernsey and much of the UK.

The Victor Hugo boulangeries, French Accents and Le Petit Bistro restaurant are all popular, to name just a few local exponents of the country’s culture.

But does the same apply in reverse?

Tonight’s episode of The Apprentice will follow the candidates as they travel to France and attempt to flog what they consider to be the finer points of British cuisine to the public.

Le Petit Bistro manageress Delphine Auder said Britain had some great dishes to export, but the candidates might find some French people stuck in their ways and hard to convert.

But good quality fish and chips traditionally wrapped in paper could prove a hit.

‘Fish and chips, shepherd’s pie and roast dinners are very popular. They are not necessarily my favourite food but I do like them from time to time and they have mass appeal,’ said Miss Auder, originally from St Malo.

Melissa Ay, 27, originally from the south of France, thought English tea and biscuits would have the most success.

But Miss Auder said the candidates might find the French patriotic and loyal to their own cuisine and reluctant to try something new.

‘I find it ridiculous that a lot of French visitors to the island will more readily come to my restaurant than indulging in the local cuisine,’ she said.

‘I can’t complain because it is good for business but they should really make the effort to try something new. When I go abroad I always try to be adventurous and sample the local delicacies.’

Miss Ay, a pensions and allowances administrator at Social Security, has lived in Guernsey for almost seven years. She hails from Perpignan, near the Mediterranean coast and Spanish border.

Having been brought up in the country she has an extensive knowledge of French cuisine, but can also appreciate certain British delicacies.

‘My favourites are warm hearty meals like the good old Sunday roast dinner, meat stews and the plethora of fresh seafood on offer here in Guernsey,’ she said.

‘Seafood would be a sensible avenue to follow for tonight’s task, as the French, renowned for eating well, appreciate a wide variety of fish and shellfish. They are also known for turning their noses up at British meats.’

Le Petit Bistro is capitalising on islanders’ love for French cuisine.

The Lower Pollet restaurant has been kept very busy since opening two years ago. It has recently acquired the neighbouring property and, pending planning permission, intends to open it as a French caf’ by the summer.

Miss Auder and her partner Mickael Pesrin, the restaurant’s head chef, have just bought a 20% stake in the business.