Young chef shares his rollercoaster ‘covid year’

Wednesday 10 March 2021

It’s been one year since the corona virus first appeared on our shores, and as we pass this unwanted milestone, Express took the opportunity to revisit a past story.

The first case of corona virus was recorded in Guernsey on 9 March 2020, since then the island has endured a rollercoaster of freedoms, lockdowns and restrictions.

Last year, Express met with a number of people in the community, to discuss the impact of the pandemic on their lives and future plans; we met with a couple who had planned to marry and a grandmother who missed her family. We also met with a chef called Billy.

Billy Etheridge moved to the UK at the beginning of 2020 to develop a career as a Chef and pursue his passion at a prestigious restaurant. He was offered a position in Oxford, in a Raymond Blanc restaurant called Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, but no sooner did this happen corona virus hit and Guernsey locked down for the first time.

Pictured: Billy has worked in a number of local restaurants including the Hook.

Billy had to make a number of hard calls, unable to see his family for half the year then being forced into self isolation for nearly a month. When we spoke to him last it was unclear what the future held; and the UK, where he works, has since entered a third national lockdown.

“When I went back to the UK we were open for a month, it was great to get back to work,” he said.

“I did Christmas and then it was announced we were going back into another lockdown. The numbers at the restaurant completely diminished.

“We closed on the Boxing Day, I stayed in the UK for 10 days then came back to Guernsey to wait until the UK opens up again.” 

Pictured: “Everyone is so eager to get back to work,” said Billy.

Billy has kept his place at the restaurant, but has found the latest restrictions tough. “The lockdown has been different to the last one, the last one was in Summer and there have been days this time where it has been tough, I just want to go back to my life. I want to crack on and keep learning,” he said.

For a budding talent, it hasn’t been the year he wanted.

“It’s been sad, it was the start of my life in a sense, the start of my career and the pathway towards getting my own restaurant.”

Despite this, Billy remains positive that the tide is turning, and the future is starting to look bright again.

“I think we’ll be going back to work on 17 May, everyone is so eager to get back to work.”

He finished on a light note, musing that lockdown hasn’t all been wasted time… “I’ve been digging up potatoes with my Dad.”