Last week, the Guernsey Chamber of Commerce hosted a successful trade delegation to St Malo, focused on strengthening links with regional food distributors and exploring new supply opportunities for the island’s hospitality sector.
Guernsey-based restaurateurs, café owners, fast-food operators and wholesalers joined the trip, meeting suppliers of fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and seafood. The delegation also examined the practical side of importing – including deliveries, warehousing, shipping, and customs documentation – to make cross-Channel trade as seamless as possible.
The enthusiasm from our French counterparts was clear. The St Malo Chamber and local suppliers are eager to support Guernsey businesses and simplify the process of importing fresh produce from France. One seafood and vegetable supplier can even take orders as late as 10pm and have them on the morning ferry – arriving in Guernsey by 9am. Needless to say, the chefs on the trip were thrilled by both the quality and the convenience.
With freight capacity available on the daily passenger service, as well as dedicated freight sailings twice a week, there are real opportunities to make this route work for our island.
Brittany Ferries, the States of Guernsey’s Committee for Economic Development, and the Chamber are all committed to helping businesses take advantage of this connection.
If you’re interested but not sure where to begin – get in touch, we’re here to help: hello@guernseychamber.com
A special thank you to the St Malo Chamber of Commerce, Morvan Fils Transit SAS, Groupe Ame Haslé, and the Committee for Economic Development for their collaboration and support.
