The Big Eat Guernsey website has launched for the States-organised festival taking place for the first time in April, and again in October, to boost tourism during the shoulder months, with festival menus and long weekend themed immersive food events.
It has already been picked up by Wanderlust magazine and the Telegraph newspaper.
The themes for April are meet the locals, the great outdoors, foraging, fine dining and French connections.
For the first time, the Breton markets will come to Guernsey over Easter Weekend on the first weekend of April, following the success of the return of the Normandy markets last year, and a ‘Grande Fromage’ tour is being launched over multiple St Peter Port venues.
‘We’re delighted to welcome the Breton markets as part of the Big Eat initiative, bringing a flavour of France right to the heart of St Peter Port,’ said Economic Development tourism lead Lee Van Katwyk.
‘Not only is this great for visitors, but it is also something we know locals enjoy and town retailers also see the benefits of the central location.’
The Guernsey Retail Group said that it noted significant increase in footfall in town when the Normandy markets came to the island in October last year.
Visit Guernsey will promote the Big Eat Guernsey food festival as part of its marketing and PR plan for 2026, and said it hoped to bring more food-focused journalists and influencers to the island.
‘The global food tourism market is currently worth billions, and more travellers than ever are seeking food experiences that connect them to the destination they’re visiting,’ said Visit Guernsey lead marketing officer Zoe Gosling.
‘It’s widely acknowledged that the quality and choice of our food and drink offering here in the Islands is exceptional.’
‘By drawing on the experience of industry, and offering support and working collaboratively to coordinate events, we have all the ingredients of a first-class product, offering an authentic experience to an off-Island audience.’
Visit Guernsey is working with a Big Eat industry working group which has been formed with event organisers and representatives of several establishments.
Rauls Silts from Randalls said the festival was ‘a fantastic opportunity to showcase the depth and quality of Guernsey’s food scene’.
‘Our local food scene is definitely on the rise, reaching new heights, and this festival is a wonderful way to celebrate the incredible venues and produce we have to offer,’ said Sam Jarrold from Fukku.
All events in the festival can be found at: www.thebigeatguernsey.com.
You need to be logged in to comment. If you had an account on our previous site, you can migrate your old account and comment profile to this site by visiting this page and entering the email address for your old account. We'll then send you an email with a link to follow to complete the process.