Islanders celebrating annual ‘Beaujolais Breakfast’ call for People's Vote on Brexit

Sophie shares this latest news. Ed

Guests of the annual ‘Beaujolais Breakfast’ on the Isle of Wight – which marks the release of a new Beaujolais Nouveau wine – have used the opportunity to express their dismay at the UK’s move towards Brexit – in a timely message written in the sand.

30 year old tradition
The Island’s famous ‘Beaujolais Breakfast’, which has been hosted by the Spyglass Inn for the past 30 years, follows the French tradition of throwing a party to celebrate the first wine of the season – with guests dressing up for the occasion in Breton jumpers and berets and singing the Marseillaise, before washing down a bottle of Beaujolais with their full English breakfasts.

^{Pictured (left to right) Sarah Wren, Sophie Jeffrey, Zoë Dibb and Lauren Addison}

This year however, one group, sporting veils across their berets and t-shirts emblazoned with pro-EU messages, brought a serious message to the proceeding concerning the potential loss to the UK if Brexit goes ahead as planned.

Lives enriched by exchange of culture and produce
One guest, Ventnor resident Sophie Jeffery, said:

“The 30 year history of Ventnor’s Beaujolais Breakfast – which celebrates the arrival of French wine on English shores – is an excellent example of the way that our lives are enriched by the exchange of culture and produce with our friends across the Channel, including here in Ventnor.

“The Isle of Wight is famous for being the biggest supplier of garlic in the UK – even supplying it to the French market – so the benefits of that exchange cut both ways.”

Celebrating UK’s ‘entente cordiale’ with France
Sophie went on to say,

“Some of our largest employers on the Island are also European companies, and we all have friends and family members from other EU countries. Brexit creates uncertainty over their futures here and over the thriving of our economy.
“We are here today to celebrate the UK’s long-standing ‘entente cordiale’ with France and to mourn the potential loss of our joint-membership of the European Union.”

^{Pictured (left to right) Sophie Jeffrey, Zoë Dibb, Lauren Addison and Sarah Wren}