Kokos, Jersey Royals and the pound note: Things you’ll only know if you’re from Jersey

Everyone knows everyone


People will think you’re American

We all tell people “I’m from Jersey, in the Channel Islands”, to avoid people asking us why we don’t have an American accent. A mystery really seeing as we are British. We all think “where did you think New Jersey got the name?” as people stare at us confused when we mention our hometown.

Not many people speak Jèrriais

We commonly get asked whether we speak French or whether there is a Jersey accent. Of course both of these things exist but hardly anyone actually speaks either of them. I don’t know anyone that speaks Jèrriais (Jersey-French) and the only people with the typical Jersey accent anymore are elderly people. Now, we all just sound like posh southerners.

Everyone knows everyone

People think we exaggerate when you say “everyone knows everyone”, but let’s be real it’s pretty accurate. You cannot walk down King Street without seeing at least one person you know. Factoring in extra time to account for bumping into people might seem insane, but if I’m on campus and see someone from Jersey, I recognise them.

Kokos and Kas Bar

Jersey night’s out may not be anything compared to a UK clubbing experience, but at least we get free entry. We all have to settle for the small-scale clubbing experience because there isn’t another option, but lets be honest, once you start drinking, it doesn’t matter too much how great the club is.

Jersey Milk and Jersey Royals

We embrace the stereotypes of our island. When people ask “what local foods are on Jersey?” we proudly talk about Jersey cows and their milk, Jersey Royals, bean crock and other local delicacies. We can’t promise that we’ve actually tried all the local foods, but we live off Jersey Milk and are outraged when we have to drink other kinds of milk when abroad. We embrace the typical stereotypes of us being farmers and talk about our island’s foods with pride.

The (only) High Street

We only have King’s Street for a shopping experience so there isn’t much option as far as shopping goes. We swear by internet shopping, not because we are lazy, but because there is not much option otherwise. We head to London with our 20kg cases to stock up for the next year to make sure we have acceptable clothing.

And that’s just clothes shopping. We come to the UK and walk into ASDA, Aldi or Sainsbury’s and are amazed over the cheap food prices, the Cooperative is our go-to cheap supermarket. We only just got a tiny Tesco (which sparked a debate about not letting more chains onto the island: support local!)

Costa and Lib are the places to hang out 

The social scene on Jersey may not be much and any young teenager will know that Costa and Lib are the places to hang out. Who needs fancy things to do when you can sit in a bus station right? As a local teenager, you either embrace the tiny island and find new things to do, or get increasingly angry at the lack of things to do.

East vs. West debate goes on 

The most famous debate on our island: East or West? We argue over which side of the island has better cafes, better beaches and a better vibe. I will defend the West of the island until the day I die: the surf is better and the beaches are beautiful. I have got into too many debates about this over the years… haven’t we all?

…and the Guernsey debate

Yet another debate that will never get tired. As Jersey locals, we get very defensive over our status among other Channel Islands, specifically Guernsey. We all insist that Jersey is bigger and better than Guernsey, with more to do and more beauty to look at. I will defend my island to anyone who questions my judgement… Jersey for the win.

 

Fast Food

Imagine you’ve just been on a night out and you want to go and get some fatty food to cure that deep hunger inside your stomach. Well, McDonalds, KFC and Burger King all shut early so those options are out the window. Thank God for Turkish Delight (one local popular late night takeaway). We are all thankful for our amazing beach cafes like El Tico, Le Braye and the Hungry Man.

The Pound Note

A common flaw of Jersey locals is forgetting that when you go to the UK, although we are British and have this currency, nobody will actually accept Jersey money. You frequently arrive in the UK laden with Jersey money and realise that you have to and change it in a bank. Although, it’s completely worth it to watch UK citizens look confused when you mention the Jersey pound note.