Husband and wife team Alexandra (41) and Piers Ostroumoff (42) are in the process of revamping the beach café to expand their Jersey Woodfired Pizza Company, which offers a mobile pizza service using special ovens for events and functions.
They bought the run-down building from developers Dandara and are hoping to offer Islanders a beachside service later this year.
Work has already begun on the project and because the building once operated as a café, no planning permission was needed to give it a new lease of life.
Mrs Ostroumoff, who grew up in Jersey, said that the building was in a beautiful location, but that a huge amount of work was needed.
‘It’s got no electricity or water there so we’ve got to reinstate all of that, which is what we are doing at the moment,’ she said.
‘We’ve also been mending the roof and all of our glass has arrived so we can put new windows back in.
‘Right across the board everybody has been amazingly supportive. The Economic Development Minister Lyndon Farnham has given his support and everyone has been thrilled that something is being done with the café.
Mrs Ostroumoff, who returned to Jersey with her husband in 2013 after living in Somerset for 14 years, said that they had had to carry every roof tile and piece of scaffolding down to the café.
She described the scenic spot as a double-edged sword – beautiful but tricky to access – but said there was nothing that could be done about the trek down to the beach from the Portelet headland.
Originally the pair, who have a steel fabrication business in the UK and have built restaurants before, had hoped to develop a site at La Pulente, but began to consider Portelet when the earlier project went to a different business.
As well as serving pizza, refreshments and ice-cream and bringing much-needed toilets to the area, Mrs Ostroumoff, who is an art teacher, said she also hoped to run workshops at the site.
‘The thing about Portelet Bay is that it is beautiful and lovely, but not overly touristy and commercial,’ she added.
‘So we are very cautious about keeping the project low impact. I think it will bring more people to the area. We also want to add a fresh-water shower as well. And potentially we’re also going to make some lockers that people can rent where people can keep their paddle boards.
‘I hope we can bring families down here and that the project will be good for tourism too.’
- Run by husband and wife team Alexandra (41) and Piers Ostroumoff (42), Jersey Woodfired Pizza Company were the first business to bring mobile wood fired pizza ovens to Jersey.
- Their ovens are mounted onto trailers, allowing them to set up wherever they are required.
- Pizzas are cooked in the traditional Italian way, directly on the stone floor of the wood fired ovens, producing a hint of smokiness.
- This traditional cooking method eliminates the need for excess oils, and ensures that the pizza have an extra crunch.
- During 2014 they took their ovens to a local functions, including a number of Jersey Race Club events, and the St Lawrence horse show. [/breakout]
FOR too long the former café on Portelet Beach has been an ugly reminder of the decline of Jersey’s tourist industry. It is great news, therefore, that it is to be transformed into a pizza café.
It has being taken on by a family with a vision in tune with how the Island should promote its unique natural assets – by adding a taste of mystery, adventure and water sports. The new owners, Alexandra and Piers Ostroumoff, want to encourage customers to come by sea, in kayaks, on paddle boards, yachts and ribs. The thought of another Jersey summer just got even more delicious.
From Alan Le Rossignol, Monday 28 April 2014
