Meet the Chefs
They say knowledge is power. Menu International is a believer. That’s why we are a trusted resource for travellers interested in getting the most out of their visit to Barbados. Over the past seventeen years, each Menu International issue has provided the sort of insights and tips that make a real difference on a vacation. We explore both the latest global culinary trends and the unique cultural traditions of Bajan cuisine. In our 2017 issue we are introducing the island’s great chefs, putting faces onto the incomparable dining experiences you will enjoy. With Menu International as an informative and innovative resource, you will know more; and, the more you know, the more you will enjoy the magic of Barbados.
— By Timothy Dugdale and Amie Watson
— Photography: Kenneth Theysen
Larry Rogers
Executive Chef / Director
Cin Cin by the Sea
Primo Bar & Bistro
Larry Rogers has built a solid reputation over his twenty-eight years in the Barbadian restaurant business. The chef/restaurateur’s culinary journey started in New Zealand, during his teenage years. As most chefs, he then travelled to Europe and the United States, eventually coming full circle, back to Barbados, the island of his birth. After a memorable six-year spell at The Sandpiper, Rogers went on to establish a few of the island’s most exciting and innovative restaurants: Olives, La Terra, Cin Cin by the Sea and Primo Bar & Bistro. He believes that the heart of a successful restaurant rests in its soul, partnering great food with good service and a warm atmosphere.
Birthplace: Bridgetown, Barbados.
Favourite fruit: Mango, ripe and juicy.
Favourite vegetable: The leek, with onion close behind, because they make everything taste better.
Favourite spice: Nutmeg - what is a great rum punch without it?
Favourite dish: Fish, fresh, straight out of the water.
Favourite wine: It depends on the moment, but a good Burgundy comes to mind.
Favourite food city: New York, because it is ever-evolving and fearless.
Favourite vacation destination: Anywhere where there are snowy mountains, golf courses and good food.
An inspiring chef: Food is like fashion, you don’t wear just one label. Thomas Keller, Alice Waters, David Chang, to name a few.
Chef Glen Bent was born and raised in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, to Jamaican parents. His first cooking experience was in his home kitchen, where his mother cooked Caribbean and British staples. After completing formal training at Huddersfield Technical College he moved to London to work at the Marriott hotel. Bent then pursued his career working in five-star hotels across three continents, in Belgium, Japan, Switzerland, Saint Lucia and Barbados, where he currently resides.
Bent opened his own restaurant, Cariba Restaurant & Bar, in 2007, offering an exquisite and original mix of Caribbean cuisine and Asian influences, gaining a loyal following with both locals and tourists.
Birthplace: Huddersfield, England.
Favourite fruit: Mango.
Favourite vegetable: Zucchini.
Favourite spice: Cinnamon.
Favourite dish: Jamaican stew chicken with coconut rice, peas and fried plantain.
Favourite wine: Schloss Lieser Riesling.
Favourite food city: Las Vegas.
Favourite vacation destination: Florida.
An inspiring chef: Anton Mosimann, ex-maître chef des cuisines at The Dorchester hotel, London, England.
Born and raised in Barbados, Chef Pedro Newton was always fascinated by what was happening in the kitchen: at an early age, he assisted his mother in preparing meals and developed a passion for food and cooking.
Chef Newton now manages Champers Wine Bar & Restaurant’s staff of around thirty chefs and other kitchen personnel and adds a five-star quality touch to every dish that leaves his kitchen.
Prior to joining Champers Wine Bar & Restaurant, Newton worked as junior chef, pastry assistant, junior sous chef and sous chef at several top restaurants on the West Coast: Brown Sugar Restaurant, Pisces Restaurant and the Fairmont Royal Pavilion, amongst others.
In his quest to fuel his passion and broaden his expertise, Chef Newton continues to attend professional development courses at reputable culinary institutes across the Americas, as well as food and beverage trade shows and festivals.
Birthplace: Bridgetown, Barbados
Favourite fruit: Banana
Favourite vegetable: Asparagus
Favourite spice: Cumin
Favourite dish: Cajun salmon with grilled vegetables and tropical fruit salsa
Favourite wine: Prosecco
Favourite food city: Chicago
Favourite vacation destination: Miami
An inspiring chef: Locally, Graham Licorish and internationally, Marcus Wareing
Jérémy Dupire
Head Chef
The Cliff Beach Club
French-born Jérémy Dupire has worked in several four-star hotel restaurants in France and owned his own restaurant in Avignon. His passion for international cuisine led him to travel the world, to great culinary destinations such as Thailand, Indonesia and the Caribbean. During his visit to Barbados, in 2014, he fell in love with the island and decided to pursue his career there. He has since teamed up with The Cliff to run the kitchen of their new Beach Club restaurant, specialising in classic French cuisine with a Caribbean twist.
Birthplace: Clermont-Ferrand, France
Favourite fruit: Passion fruit
Favourite vegetable: Purple carrot
Favourite spice: Ras el hanout
Favourite dish: Pad Thai
Favourite wine: Saint-Joseph
Favourite food city: Barcelona
Favourite vacation destination: Bali
An inspiring chef: Bernard Loiseau
