Sip before you regulate
IT WASN'T the most dramatic of stories – but it was one guaranteed to cheer up islanders in this rain-soaked 'summer'.
IT WASN'T the most dramatic of stories – but it was one guaranteed to cheer up islanders in this rain-soaked 'summer'.
Cider maker James Meller is desperately short of the one thing he shouldn't be – apples. Yet demand for his Rocquette Cider is such that he has to find extra supplies or else let down thousands of thirsty islanders looking for their favourite tipple.
Given the number of signs that appear around the island at this time of year offering things such as 'windfall cookers' and the gardeners who either have to clear their lawn or simply mow them up, his appeal for help should be well supported, especially at 20p per kilo or on a barter basis for the cider itself.
The real point, however, is that the Guernsey Cider Company is another local example of someone having a vision and the drive to turn it into reality. When the Mellers announced their intentions, many thought it was a forlorn hope.
Yet over the years they have steadily increased production of their premium bottled cider and now also supply a slightly less strong version on draught in island pubs.
And it is a business that taps into Guernsey's history, for the island was highly regarded by the French cider makers of old as producing the champagne of fermented apple drinks.
By a coincidence, Guernsey's Clematis King was also being celebrated over the weekend, this time by the Independent on Sunday. That newspaper paid homage to Raymond Evison for growing his Guernsey-based business to becoming the most successful breeder of new clematis varieties in the world and winning an OBE in the process.
Again, it is an illustration of the drive and determination that get so many local entrepreneurs and business people to the pinnacle of success. In Mr Evison's case, the Independent marvels that his idea of a holiday is to go off and look for new species in the wild.
Individuals aside, however, this island has traditionally created a climate favourable to success: a supportive tax regime, an adaptable workforce and a light touch when it came to regulation.
That gentle approach, alas, is all but gone and the cost and complexity of running a business are now approaching the prohibitive.
The island's regulators should sip on a glass of Rocquette before they stifle any more business flair.
