FIRSTLY because of its status as a holiday resort and later because of the development of a high-rolling finance sector, Jersey has long had a claim to be a centre of culinary excellence.

From establishments offering the ultimate in fine dining to family-run restaurants with the very highest standards, the Island has food and styles of presentation to suit just about everyone.

Proximity to France, and exposure to its ancient tradition of seeing food as far more than bodily fuel, have no doubt influenced practices here. In addition, we are fortunate to be surrounded by some of the finest produce to be found anywhere in the world.

The Jersey Royal potato and Jersey milk products are internationally famous, but also of first quality are our other vegetable crops and the fish and shellfish to be found in Island waters.

It is therefore unsurprising that some of the world’s best chefs have been attracted to our shores. Two of those currently operating here, Mark Jordan at the Atlantic and Shaun Rankin of Bohemia, have won well-deserved Michelin stars, but others who have merely visited have been uniformly impressed by what they have discovered. Jamie Oliver, Cyris Todiwala and Rick Stein have all sung our praises and used our produce. Marco Pierre White, meanwhile, is in the process of opening no fewer than three new restaurants on the St Helier Waterfront.

Food critics, too, have found the Jersey offering to their liking, extending their praise to more modest outlets than the major restaurants – such as the Dicq Shack and its fine Thai food and the beach kiosks that do a roaring trade in bacon rolls and mugs of tea.

Islanders might be all too aware that traditional tourism is in decline. This however, does not mean that the sector has no future role to play in our economy. It remains one of the pillars on which our prosperity is founded.

With this in mind, publicity stemming from the recent Michelin star announcements, Marco Pierre White’s faith in this as a venue for new ventures, the liking of cookery’s stars for our produce and the opinions of the critics will do us nothing but a great deal of good.

The spin-off for those of us who live here throughout the year is that we can also make the most of the options available. From fish and chips to foie gras and truffles, it is all out there for the tasting.