About

SANDS est. 2019

by Natalie & Joe Davies

The building at Discovery Bay has some incredible history. Starting out life as a roadhouse and dance hall named ‘High Tower’, to a bar called ‘Tropicana’ and then a Nightclub called ‘Sands’. After Sands came a beach café called ‘Big Vern’s’ run by Paul McBride and a little Surf Shop called ‘Sands, Surf & Sail’ run by John Halliwell. Big Verns slowly grew into a beach diner and restaurant and then Discovery Bay apartments were built above in the mid 2000’s. In 2009 I was fortunate enough to purchase the surf shop off of John and started up the surf school Little Joe’s. I have always loved this building- having tea after a surf with Uncle Tim, playing Chinese chess with Jeremy Longarms, enjoying meals with my family on a Wednesday night after school (my Dad had a theory waves were always bigger on a Wednesday). I will never forget my Nan and Grandad calling Paul ‘Big Vern’ every time they saw him. We have fond memories linked with this great building - but my wife Nat and I wanted to make more.

It took a little while to get there but we took the restaurant and apartments on in January 2019. We opened Sands on January 7th and the apartments were ready for the season not long after. The focus on the cafe is to be a neighbourhood spot in the middle of St Ouen’s Bay. Where you always feel welcome and the food is good, tasty and honest. We work hard everyday to do that and maintain our ethos. The menu is small and everything is made to order, using the freshest and best quality produce available. We understand how lucky our position on the beach is and we will never take that for granted.

I suppose when many people have a website about their business they tell you how amazing everything is and how you must come visit. As I said above we are an honest family with a great team around us that love this building and our island, we are going to have a great time- it’s up to you if you want to come and join us.

At the root of everything we do is a promise - that we will always do the best we possibly can.