En Voyage_Issue#11_Flickbook

DELPHINE PUTS THE SUCCESS OF THEIR
BUSINESSES DOWN TO A MIX OF GREAT
QUALITY PRODUCE, ESPECIALLY SEAFOOD,
THAT IS READILY AVAILABLE ON THE
ISLAND, AND PEOPLE’S LOVE OF FOOD.
It is the people in Guernsey
who have been key to her and
husband Mickael’s staying
power. ‘The people are so kind
and caring,’ she said. ‘Guernsey
is a beautiful and safe place to
live.’ With two daughters, aged
nine and six, safety is important
to the mother of two. ‘It’s the
best place to raise children.’
It’s only a short commute
from home to the restaurants
and Delphine’s daughters
are able to walk to school.
As the co-owner of three
busy restaurants, for Delphine,
downtime with her family is
precious. And, as you might
expect, they love to eat out
together. ‘We go to Red and
China Red most frequently. We
tend to, once a week, go out with
the kids; we love eating and my
husband doesn’t feel like cooking
after a week in the kitchen. I
barely know how to fry an egg,
so everyone in the family prefers
when we eat out,’ she said.
Octopus, located on the south
side of Havelet Bay, will celebrate
its second anniversary this
summer. It was the octopus in the
novel Toilers of the Sea, by French
author Victor Hugo, who spent
15 years in exile in Guernsey, that
inspired the name of Delphine and
Mickael’s most recent venture.
Victor Hugo, too, was very fond of
Guernsey’s bathing pools, which
are located in Havelet Bay. In fact,
he visited the area frequently,
living only a stone’s throw away in
‘WE WANT TO OFFER
THE BEST EXPERIENCE
TO PEOPLE IN GUERNSEY,
ESPECIALLY NOW
THAT THEY HAVE SO
MANY CHOICES.’
Rue Hauteville, St Peter Port.
Delphine and Mickael opened
Octopus on the anniversary of the
release of Toilers of the Sea in an
ode to the author.
As you might expect, the
restaurant serves local seafood
daily, but that’s not all. ‘As much
as 80% of our menu is sourced
locally,’ said Delphine, who is
a proponent of sea-to-table
food. ‘People want to know
where their food has come
from and in Guernsey we have
beautiful products that are the
envy of Michelin-star chefs on
the mainland.’ She feels very
strongly that her businesses
should give back to the island
that has treated her family so well
through purchasing local produce
and treating it with respect.
The food scene in Guernsey
continues to thrive. ‘Lately
there are more and more
restaurants so we have to
make sure, as a business, to
always keep on our toes,’ said
Delphine. ‘We want to offer the
best experience to people in
Guernsey, especially now that
they have so many choices.’
Delphine also sees growth as
an opportunity for restaurateurs
in the islands to hold one
another to a higher standard.
‘We try to meet with a few
restaurants every month. There’s
no competition in the way that
we respect each other; it’s very
good and I don’t think there
are many places like that.’
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