One of the ideas I think a lot about when writing is what is it that makes a particular pub good and well worth recommending. Why am I writing about one place and not another? I am subjective. I am not a critic. In fact, all I am trying to do is share the love and, in my own small way to encourage more people to go to pubs. Let’s start with some basics. A clean pub is always good. Attentive, polite, and knowledgeable staff likewise.
Now, as you might expect, high on my list will be the beer, maybe some wine, and perhaps food. You may ask whether it is dog-friendly. Is it picturesque with beams or a thatched roof? Does it show sports on TV? We are all different, and we all like different things. All of which brings me in a very roundabout way to the Lamplighter, tucked away at the side of the Royal Yacht hotel in Jersey.
The Lamplight ticks a lot of good pub boxes; it is a proper pub packed full of character, and characters. But you don’t just have to take my word for it. If you visit, you will see how popular it is with both locals and visitors to the island. With perhaps Jersey’s best selection of beers, including a well-kept selection of real ales and cider, and the island’s largest collection of whiskies, this is a haven for the discerning drinker. The pub doesn’t do food but does offer some rather superior bar snacks, including locally made pork pies and Scotch eggs. There is a regular quiz, live music and screens showing top sporting events, especially rugby at this time of year.
The Lamplighter is an Architectural Curio
Yesterday was the Calcutta Cup, and the Lamplighter was heaving. If you had managed to squeeze in for a pint, you would not have been able to see all the classic pub ephemera, the horse brasses, pump clips, old pictures, bar back mirrors, and tankards throughout the interior. But before you went in, did you take a moment and look at the fabulous exterior? The exterior was recently restored and repainted over a period of four months with vibrant colours picking out the elaborate details.
The statue of Britannia and decorative garlands and carvings are the work of Jean Philippe ‘Turnkey’ Giffard, a nineteenth-century Jersey resident and chief warden at the island’s prison. Born in 1826, Giffard was a captain in the merchant marine engaged in the Newfoundland cod trade. It is believed he taught himself wood carving during the long sea voyages. In later life, he moved onto carving stone, and there are examples of his work, including statues and gravestones, across the island, including a carving made from a figurehead recovered from a shipwreck that was placed at one of Jersey’s iconic natural landmarks. During the island’s occupation during the Second World War, the Britannia statue and decorations were the one place a Union flag was left visible by the invading German army.
The Lamplighter Real Ale Pedigree
In 2021, the Campaign for Real Ale celebrated its 50th anniversary with a series of golden awards celebrating the contribution of a few select individuals, breweries and pubs for their contribution to supporting real ale. The Lamplighter was one of only thirty-two pubs to gain one of the awards across the British Isles. Today, under the watchful eye of landlord Sean Murphy, the pub offers a constantly changing selection of cask ale for the island’s beer fans.
Beers from breweries featured at the Lamplighter, including Timothy Taylors Landlord, Burning Sky’s Aurora, Titanic’s Plum Porter, Hook Norton’s Old Hooky, and Gale’s HSB (Fullers), to name but a few, have recently been pulled through the handpumps.
The Lamplighter Landlord
While many of the things about a pub are fixed, such as the size of the building, its location and ownership. The Lamplighter has gone from family ownership to being part of Randalls, one of Jersey’s biggest hospitality companies and is operated as a tenancy. The one thing that can change a pub pretty much overnight is the landlord or manager. They make a myriad of daily decisions that can set the tone and atmosphere of the venue. The landlord of the Lamplighter is nearly as much an institution as his pub, and researching this piece, I caught up with Sean and asked him a few questions.
Thank you, Shaun, for doing this. Can you please tell me a little about your background before you started running the Lamplighter?
I was born in Jersey, and my first job in hospitality was at La Cappanina as a chef. I then worked in the kitchens of the Grand Hotel, the Lobster Pot, the Shakespeare Hotel, Mauros, the Mont St Clair and Lido Bay hotels. I then moved to Guernsey, working in the White Hart pub before managing the Golden Monkey Nightclub next door. Returning to Jersey in 1997, I opened the newly refurbished Original Wine Bar in Bath Street and ran it for seven years before taking over the Lamplighter in 2003. This brings me to my forty-eighth year in the hospitality industry.
What is your favourite drink / what is your favourite beer?
My favourite drink is Cider (even though we sell some of the best beers in Jersey). On the ale front, it would probably be Bass at the moment as our offer is always changing.
What is the best thing about running the Lamplighter and the worst?
The best thing about running The Lamplighter is the clientele. We’re fortunate to get a good mix of regulars and visitors, with a lot have been returning year on year. The worst part has to be COSTS!!
Do you have a favourite story or fact you would like to share about the Lamplighter?
My favourite story would have to be meeting HRH King Charles in July 2024. We shook hands and had a short conversation about the pub and the significance of the Britannia on the top of the building, specifically her shield, which was the only Union Flag to be publicly seen during the Occupation.
If you had to be torn away from the Lamplighter, where would I find you eating and drinking?
If I weren’t at The Lamplighter, you might find me sitting outside the Drift Bar in The Royal Yacht Hotel, enjoying the sun and a pint, and my favourite restaurant would be La Taverne.
Finishing up
Time to admit I’m not a big sports fan, and I don’t drink whisky, but I love the Lamplighters’ quirky layout, the good company and the great selection of beer. So, if I want a more than decent pint and, most probably, a pork pie, I find a nice corner of the Lamplighter and sit down with a book and enjoy this rather excellent pub.
The Caskaway 
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