Pêtchi
July saw the opening of Jersey’s newest restaurant and bar, Pêtchi. With a design concept that reflects the menu’s connections to the sea, Pêtchi is a celebration of the island’s history and way of life. The restaurant’s name even translates from Jersey’s traditional dialect, Jèrriais, as ‘to try and catch a fish’.
Great British Menu finalist, island-raised chef, and Director of Pêtchi, Joe Baker has designed the menu, utilising his culinary experience and love for local, responsibly sourced produce to make dining at Pêtchi a true island wonder.
Before sampling Pêtchi’s menu, guests will be impressed by the restaurant’s design. Making itself at home in the Grade II listed structure, Liberty Wharf, the island eatery can be found on the top floor of what used to be the habourmaster’s office. Working with listed buildings is always a delicate process; Main Contractors Hacquoil & Cook worked closely with Jersey Heritage, the Fire Department and Building Control to make sure that the building met all current standards whilst retaining the history and beauty of the site.
Stepping inside Petchi, the high ceilings and scale of the dining area are immediately apparent, as is the strong presence of the sea. Archive island photography decorates the walls, communicating a rich sense of island pride as guests approach the reception. Floor-to-ceiling dry-ageing fridges for meat and fish allude to Pêtchi’s culinary foundation, preparing guests for the delicious meal they are about to enjoy.
Speaking to PREMIER HOSPITALITY, Joe Baker said, “The whole inspiration for the restaurant is to showcase Jersey through a modern lens.” His passions for Jersey and food came together in a project where “the idea is to celebrate where we are, rather than pretend we’re somewhere else.”
Large windows fill the open plan restaurant with natural light, perfectly illuminating the cooking process for guests to spectate. A polished concrete pass with flecks of Jersey seas shells and local stone characterises the room’s rear, framing the open kitchen and grill. Countertop seating gives guests a front row seat to enjoy the fire and heat up close, and another bar exclusively serves drinks and small plates, allowing guests to enjoy Pêtchi’s atmosphere no matter the duration of their stay.
Joe elaborated that the concept behind the design was to remain minimalist. “The idea was inspired by some restaurants in London that show really good materials and carpentry while remaining minimalist, and are therefore great canvases for what’s important, which is the food!”
Working with a Grade II listed building presented its challenges. New ventilation systems needed to be installed to bring the building up to date with modern standards, and this required careful consideration of how changes could be made without compromising the protected structure.
Taking their seat and surveying the menu, guests will notice a love of seafood and shellfish radiating from Pêtchi’s menu. Dishes such as Jersey Oysters, Chancre Crab, and Wood-Roasted Lobster Rice express Joe’s passion for local food that has been selected and cooked with care. Key decisions also go on behind the scenes to ensure guests have the best experience possible, one example being the utilization of ex-dairy beef. Joe is an advocate for using older, retired cattle as their flavour cannot be matched.
The openness of Pêtchi’s kitchen means guests can watch as the majority of the menu’s dishes are prepared over the fire of the bespoke grill, designed by Rhys Allen. Flatbreads, smoked butter, and signature desserts are prepared in a wood-fired oven, powered by Holm Oak wood.
Enjoying a drink at Pêtchi is equally exciting thanks to the restaurant’s fantastic cocktail list. House drinks are made from local ingredients and prepared with modern twists. Delectable examples include the English Rose – Champagne mixed with local strawberries and foraged elderflower – and the Sweety Dilly – homemade lemon verbena kombucha fused with dill and gin.
Pêtchi is truly a family-focused enterprise, with Joe’s hard work and dedication being matched by that of his wife, Charlotte Baker, as co-owner. The restaurant is a wonderful blend of fine dining and honest, homegrown cooking.
Joe expressed that completing the project was a happy and relieving experience for Charlotte and himself: “We got ourselves through the ringer, and I’m very pleased that we got it over the line. We had a great team of contractors, and a lot of people really got behind the project and invested themselves in it. I think people like it when someone goes out and tries to do something different, and the people we worked with helped us do that!”
Sean Kevany, Contracts Manager at Hacquoil & Cook said: “All of our projects are treated with equal importance, however, as this property plays an important part in Jersey History, we all felt extremely privileged to be a part of this project.
The post Pêtchi Jersey appeared first on Premier Construction News.