When Jo O’Brien took over the lease on the Victoria Pier Café in 1982 it was a basic kiosk at the end of the pier.
Three years later her landlord, Jersey Harbours, replaced it with the current portable building which, after a couple of moves, ended up in its current location next to the Fresh Fish Company.
Now she is relaxing while the new owner, Adrian Bichard – formerly of the beach kiosk at La Mare slip – is working alongside existing staff members Gillian Drummond and Sophie Mears, and getting to know the customers.
Mrs O’Brien has witnessed many changes over the years as the Island’s economy has changed and businesses have come and gone.
‘Thirty-odd years ago we used to get custom from all the potato and cauliflower lorries that used to queue down the road, past Norman’s waiting to load their produce onto the ships.
‘We used to stay open until seven or eight at night,’ she recalled.
More recently, with the demise of shipping firm Huelin-Renouf, which ceased trading last year, and the huge decline in the Island’s fulfilment industry following the loss of a UK tax relief, which were both based nearby, she has lost their custom, along with dockers, but the business has survived thanks to fishermen and builders.
As she says, there is always building going on.
‘The business has not changed one bit because it doesn’t matter if you have £1 million in the bank or nothing, everyone seems to like having a bacon roll in a little café at the harbour,’ she said.
During her time at the café, in spite of working mornings from 6 am, six days a week, she and her husband, Bob, have raised two daughters, Holly and Amy.
She intends to fill her time now playing golf, reading, indulging her interest in interior design and just relaxing – but not making bacon rolls, which she says she has rarely served at home over the past 33 years.
Victoria Pier was home to a controversial Planning sgag this year, when develpers were forced to shelve plans to build luxury flats in the area.
1996 – the Sea Cadets are granted £600,000 by the States as seed money for a new headquarters.
2000 – although planning permission has been granted for scheme to rehouse the Sea Cadets funding cannot be secured and the project is abandoned.
2013 – rumours of a new harbour-side community development begin to emerge.
early 2014 – talks are held with groups and stakeholders based near the Victoria Pier about a major development
November 2014 – plans for the Port Galots project are unveiled, but a major campaign against the scheme is launched.
December 2014 – the Planning Department reveals that the Port Galots application is the most commented on application in the department’s history. Many of the comments are objections being registered through a petition, which eventually gains around 5,000 signatures.
