Guernsey is "going to be home for the foreseeable future"

Chef Nathan Davies begins island life and says that local produce, like crabs and Guernsey milk, are not just good, they are world class.

Michelin star chef Nathan Davies is just days into his new adventure in Guernsey where he will set up and run a restaurant at Chouet called Vraic, the patois for seaweed.

Already he is raving about the quality of the local produce that he will use, along with foraged greens, like samphire and seaweed, on his menu.

"Everything seems a little bit heightened. The crab is world class. I've been fortunate to eat lots of amazing shellfish and fish dishes all over the world but the crab here is world class. We've also tried the bream, bass and mackerel and they're all incredible.

"And the chancres, the size is unbelievable. We don't get crabs like that back home, and if you do, you get one in a lifetime, here they are consistently excellent.

"I'm a little bit addicted to the crab sandwiches that you get in all the beach cafes."

Nathan describes Guernsey milk too, as world class, and he says his first purchase was a Guernsey jumper:

"I'm still breaking it in, but stuff like that is amazing.

"Guernsey has a massive identity and we are going to use that with our food, and we want to expose the team and my family too to Guernsey's amazing produce and culture, and then we will have something unique."

He says this mix will define the restaurant:

"Not just for food, but the way we will fit the restaurant out. As newcomers to the island, we need to immerse ourselves in it. We need to work harmoniously with the fishermen and producers.

"We've already met with amazing farmers who are producing some really special ingredients."

He and his family know the Channel Islands and have visited several times, but they only moved to Guernsey at the end of March, and their belongings are in transit.  

Nathan believes he has found a niche and gives us a little more insight into the concept of Vraic:

"We're going to have guests travel to us, destination diners, foodies. But ultimately, as it was in west Wales, it is very important to us that islanders come to us and enjoy what we are doing.

"The need for it is here. There's nothing like we're going to try to do here, so why not? We'll either find there's a reason no one is doing it, which would be a shame, or we'll hit a sweet spot.

"There are lots of nice restaurants here but there's a market for us to do something different.

"It is going to be slightly more upmarket potentially and a different price point, but we have to appeal to the locals, that's very important."

The dress code will be informal, and down to the diner:

"If you feel comfortable in shorts and flip flops, or a tuxedo, you're going to feel comfortable. It's about being welcomed by the team and having a fantastic evening. It should feel like a mini holiday."

But the food, and the mission, are serious:

"We're not here for short term goals. I've relocated the family, this is going to be home for the foreseeable future."

He says that he wants to provide an outlet for people genuinely interested in food to work with the team at Vraic:

"We'll have fanatics in food working for us. What we would love to do is speak to the College and take on apprentices so we can grow that next chef from within."

When not working Nathan enjoys fishing but has yet to catch a Guernsey one.

Vraic will open in the summer of 2025.