A DJ who is one of the Island’s best-known figures in the licensed trade is to leave the hospitality industry.
Chris Tanguy, who has been active in Jersey’s nightlife scene for 45 years, running Tanguy’s in St Helier since 2009, confirmed that he plans to retire at the start of July after an application to transfer the licence for the Mulcaster Street venue was granted by the Royal Court this week.
Tanguy’s bar and nightclub is set to close on 2 July, with the site – which is owned by the Liberation Group – being taken on by Joao Silvestre, who currently runs another town venue, St James Wine Bar.
Advocate Natalie Jenner, representing Mr Silvestre’s company JKOLI, told the quarterly meeting of the Licensing Assembly that her client would spend July carrying out work on the venue before reopening in early August, by which point it will have been renamed the Mary Rose.
St Helier Constable Simon Crowcroft told the court that the parish was supportive of the application to transfer the licence, with no objections being raised by the government or States police.
The forthcoming closure of Tanguy’s will mark the end of an era. Mr Tanguy first worked as a DJ in 1978 and subsequently featured at many of the Island’s leading venues including Madisons, Thackeray’s and Lords.
Having initially come close to selling his business in early 2020, his retirement plans were then scuppered as the deal for Tanguy’s fell through as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said: ‘There’ll be mixed emotions when we finally close, but retirement’s been on the cards for a while and I’m pleased the licence transfer has gone through and people know where they stand.’
