Rich pickings.

Words / Photography Andrew Guilfoyle

Little Bites

Words Thea Fauvel

Ice Ice Baby

You can’t beat an ice cream out West on a hot day, right? If you agree, you’ll be glad to know that one of our favourite out-west cafes has stepped into the ice cream game. Since opening, Sands has continued to impress punters with their homemade wonders- Ginger beer, cola, and of course, all the food they serve up. Now, Sands’s own, sands supply co has added another homemade treat to their offering, whipping up their own #dippedanddelicious ice creams on a stick.

Each ice cream name comes with a story. They’re all named after some of Jersey’s surf industry legends, such as the ‘Silva Rover’, a vanilla ice cream, dipped in chocolate, topped with Sands ‘crumb & comb’ and drizzled with salted caramel sauce. It’s aptly named after Silva Yates, one of Jersey's first surfboard shapers in the 60s.

Vegans, they haven’t forgotten about you! Try the vegan option - frozen banana with coconut and very berry sauce. Yes, please. Do yourself a favour and head down on a sunny Saturday for a Sands-made ice cream.

Sands, Five Mile Road, St Ouen

Open daily 8.30-3.45

New on the block: The Merchants

Across from the Central Market on Beresford street, you may have seen some big refurbishments happening - new windows, a fresh lick of paint, awesome recycled materials and a stand-out neon sign.

With a focus on art, coffee and music, The Merchants are the newest on the block of the St. Helier cafe scene, though they’re not your usual graband-go cafe. The collaborative style cafe stands not only as a great coffee house but as a place to exhibit (and sell) wicked art by talented local and international artists.

They’ve got a healthy stack of records for you to flick through while you wait for your coffee and an impressive array of art on display. They’ve also created a “students hall”, a space dedicated to local art students to exhibit their work. It’s great to see a space open to community and community involvement within the art and music scene. Big up and good luck to The Merchants!

The Merchants, 4 Beresford Street, St Helier. Mon-Fri 7.30-3.00, Sat 8.00-3.00.

I recently had the pleasure of eating at The Lookout Beach Cafe. Totally unplanned but this wasn’t any hinderance to the team on duty. The menu offering was lovely with lots of delicious offerings to suit all kinds of tastes.

I was very much drawn to the Cosmin crumpets which came with various toppings. I opted for Cosmin coastal which included local Jersey crab. As someone who works in the industry, I understand the pricing of each dish and know that the cost of crab is quite high at the moment. However I found the costing of this dish to be very fair and I appreciate the effort that has gone into catching this produce and the effort to prepare and serve this dish. I know there is an ongoing debate at the moment with regards to costing of crab and I know not everyone is happy, however for me, I am happy to pay and happy to support local businesses. My willingness to pay that little bit more resulted in pleasing myself with amazing dish with lovely flavours and textures”.

@thelookoutbeachcafe