The Guernsey. Breed. Brand. Briny… in a class of its own

Mess. Ray Watts dauve ieune de ses buones vacques guernesiaises [Mr Ray Watts with one of his lovely Guernsey cows]

There is no doubt in my mind that we own something very valuable in the name Guernsey. I want to examine a few examples. Take the Guernsey breed - cattle I mean, I know there are Golden Guernsey Goats too. What more could or perhaps should we be doing to maximise the rich and loyal reputation that the Guernsey cow holds?

My family have a long history in farming, yet my father (who turned to tomato and flower cultivation to make a living in the second half of his life) told me in my mid teens “I don’t mind what you do, but if you want my advice, don’t become a farmer or a grower!” So I didn’t. But his rather tongue-in-cheek advice came as a result of experiencing the inability to compete with the efficiencies of factory-style mass production in either agriculture or horticulture when compared to Big Brother EU and its subsidised member states. The service industries - predominantly financial services - became (and remain) our fiscal and economic saviour, but in a Covid and Brexit plagued brave new world are there new opportunities opening up for old industries re-imagined for a perhaps niche, higher value, tastier, fresher, greener, organic, purer market? I believe so. And I believe Guernsey is well placed to make the most of them if we have the courage to invest wisely.

Don’t misunderstand me, I am not envisioning a mass return to an agrarian culture, but rather a change in emphasis from a highly protectionist policy focused almost entirely on maintaining the Guernsey herd and milk production locally, subsidising farmland as countryside, and doing very little to encourage the next generation, towards a more creative, innovative outlook, majoring on the unique selling points of the Guernsey breed, looking to export markets for high end branded products, making the most of our existing agricultural land and countryside without losing our historic small-scale farming techniques, helping them become a positive reason to ‘Buy Guernsey’ and stimulating the visitor economy to come see how we do it. Having resolved that the old Dairy is no longer fit for purpose before we go and build an identical one which is just a tad brighter and shinier than the former, we should see first whether our commercial and operating models should be adapted for such future transformation. To do so will require a new STSB as well as a P&R who have the courage to invest in such things.

A visit to Meadow Court Farm. With Ray Watts (Centre) and Fenella Maddison

We have seen small examples of these types of innovation recently in the small-scale production of high quality natural yoghurts, greek yoghurt, ice-creams, speciality cheeses etc. To investigate further the potential we possess I recently visited two people who have also imagined that Guernsey could “do dairy differently'“ – Ray Watts of Meadow Court Farm and Fenella Maddison of Torteval Cheese. Sadly space and time do not allow for me to recount the wide-ranging and very encouraging discussions we had on how government, the dairy industry, local food producers, land owners and farmers in general - micro, small and medium scale - could all play a significant part in turning the Guernsey ‘brand’ in agriculture into an economic turn-around, something worthy of investment, career and life-style choice, enhancing other Guernsey ‘offers’. We identified some of the obstacles, pitfalls of the past we need to avoid. Conflicting regulation and over-regulation being paramount. For example Ray and his family at one time sought to establish a farm-based visitor centre where groups of tourists to see a traditional working farm, the Guernsey cattle being milked, taste products and enjoy cream teas in an on-site café but were prevented ironically by planning regulations limiting the conversion of old farm buildings, which still sadly sit unused! Speciality cheese producers like Fenella are limited by access to dairy products because of the counterproductive quota systems in force to ensure milk is not over-produced. Yet often milk still goes to waste. We looked at the ways in which land use, crop rotation, local organic fertilisers, healthy soil and biodiversity all are symbiotic and could be exemplary of the historic Guernsey brand. A small amount of butter is sold to Waitrose for the UK market, but this is only a token start. We talked of how through innovation a new generation could aspire to work the land again in more productive ways, Guernsey could be more self-sufficient even if never fully so, and healthier lifestyles which we saw a glimpse of during lockdown could possibly be embraced again more economically. I left hopeful.

Fenella Maddison of award winning Torteval Cheese

But it’s not just about the Guernsey breed, it’s our briny too - our fisheries industry is artisanal, very different to the large scale high volume factory industries of the big boys around us - small boats, traditional catching techniques, historic rich waters yielding high quality products, world class. We should be making more of this. And, ironically perhaps, Brexit may just enable us to do so, deal or no deal. Many of us don’t want us to lose our fishermen - the threat is that Brexit will cause them to lose tariff free access to the French markets where 80% of their catch goes. But who knows what we might be able to transform our 12 nm territorial seas into over the next few decades - a marine park? A blue energy showcase? A world centre for marine aquacultural sustainability?

The Norman brand which includes Camembert, Le Président butter, d’Isigny, cider, Calvados, but also Mont Saint Michel, the DDay Landing beaches, William the Conqueror etc. all demonstrate the benefits of making the most of ones USPs. Siginficantly when Président Hervé Morin launched ‘La Marque Normande’ a couple of years ago he invited us Anglo-Normans to join in! We still could, but that’s for another day.

Rather than either trying to copy the big players around us – who, to be honest are often producing the culturally bland, samey, homogenised products which come with mass production techniques – or simply trying sometimes half-heartedly to maintain the status quo (often at great expense too), why shouldn’t we seek to offer something a little different, which stands out from the crowd? Perhaps we’re sitting and walking right on top of it! We’ve been achieving unique status with financial services such as protected cell companies, blockchain dealing, green finance, and to a certain degree in the goods market already with clematis, cider, gin, and more recently butter and now speciality cheeses. These issues touch at the heart of our current ecological, social and economic challenges.

In the coming years I would like to see fresh ideas and a new generation take on these challenges, so I shall be seeking to develop and promote policies to further these proposals.

Fort Grey from www.tortevalcheese.co.uk

Le Chemin Guernesiais

Speaking up for Guernsey, Jersey and the CI at an event for EU institutions in Brussels

I have a love-hate relationship with an oft used phrase. I heard it said a few times today, once from a fellow candidate, whom I met whilst we were both canvassing. I tend to wince visibly when it's used as I fear what may follow. 

It's the phrase "The Guernsey way".

I think one of the main problems is that it's often used in a negative context of "that's not the Guernsey way" when defensively assessing a potential solution or set of options. Sometimes it is used in the more proactive sense of "we must find a Guernsey way" in which case I tend not to wince!

Why do I, a full-blooded, Guernesiais speaking, Cobo born and bred proud native Sarnian find the phrase problematic? It is because we have often used it as an excuse for second-best, reactionary methodology that has been ill-thought through, or sometimes for outmoded ways which seem attractive simply because of a sentimental attachment, or even just as an excuse for lazy thinking, or a stubborn reason for defending a system or idea which is no longer fit for purpose or best practice. 

But there is a "Guernsey Way" that I believe is worth protecting and worth fighting for. So for, clarity I'm going to use the French form "Le Chemin Guernesiais" to distinguish it! What I am referring to is positive, proactive, and can give our profile the unique attraction which it deserves. This Chemin is not so much about reaction or defensiveness but rather promoting Guernsey in an intentional, positive manner, especially to the outside world

Let me explain what I mean. Too often we get either ignored in the international arena or we get pressure put upon us to conform to what larger nations and jurisdictions are doing. Often this is both costly and inappropriate for us, and comes as a result of a "one size fits all" attitude from those who do not understand how smaller countries like Guernsey operate. This has been a real and present danger in all the Brexit UK-EU negotiations we have been having in the last few months. We have a long noble history of self-rule. 800 years of our own legislation - island government, by islanders, for islanders, which in turn sits on top of 300 years of Norman culture and heritage. This of course has been nuanced in unique ways by our connection to the English Crown on the one hand and our proximity to France on the other. Only our sister bailiwick of Jersey comes close to sharing these very rare qualities. 

Guernsey has for centuries needed to do business beyond its shores to survive and thrive - the wine trade required relating to businesses in Bordeaux and further afield, a dependency on shipping and free trade, horticulture required access to the UK markets, quarrying to imported labour and skills from the UK and Ireland too, our fisheries currently has need of access to land 80% of its catch in Normandy, tourism by nature needs to reach out in order to flourish. That’s before we mention financial services. Whether we look backwards or forwards - most of our trade requires cross-border and international standards and agreements in order for our Guernsey based workers in these industries to maintain and grow their business. So today our ever-morphing finance industries, including asset management, fiduciaries, captive insurance, as well as intellectual property firms, image rights management, cyber security, digital and media companies all do business on an increasingly global scale. So it is inevitable that we will need to have relationships and regular interface with other governments and international bodies in order to facilitate such business.

This is where the tricky issues can occur. In other larger countries often layers of bureaucracy have emerged to manage and regulate such businesses. There may be expectations that we should have separate independent bodies and agencies to monitor and report on various activities involved. This would be inordinately expensive if we just ‘cut and paste’ the models from elsewhere as some do. Plus, it would not be efficient, because it is unlikely we would have the volume to justify running such institutions.

So we need to find “un chemin” through all this, fit for Guernsey. Often what we can do, is that we can agree with the desired outcomes or objectives of the regulatory of legal issues which are at stake. In other words we can first agree the destination we all want to get to. Then we need to explain to those from larger jurisdictions - through patient negotiation - that there are alternative routes and alternate modes of transport which can still bring us to that destination. I can take fly from London to Paris, or I could take the train, or I could take the train and the ferry, or I could go via car and train or boat. Or I could possibly walk and swim! All of those methods get me to Paris, and whilst I may not want the cheapest option of walking and swimming, I do have multiple options which all achieve the same goal. The main difference will be timing and cost. But that’s what we often need to make clear in international negotiations: we can achieve the same objectives but it may take us a little longer and our vehicle(s) and ports of call may differ.

This always requires creativity and I have been privileged to work with some excellent officials in my team who can really help us think outside the box. Le Chemin Guernesiais - the Guernsey Way - need not be seen as a stubborn defensive resistance to change - but rather a creative means of achieving an objective which others may not think of (or be able to include in their options); a way for for Guernsey to showcase that it can come up with smart new solutions, fit for purpose, overcoming problems which bigger jurisdictions that ours often struggle to solve.

So I want to redeem this phrase, and whether you choose to express it in English or French or Guernesiais, let’s let our uniqueness shine in the way we approach the challenges before us.

Contending for ‘le Chemin Guernesiais’ at the OECD Global Forum in Paris