Keisha Shakespeare, Staff Reporter
Chef Garfield Victor preparing Seafood Ravioli at The Palm Court Restaurant in the Hilton Kingston hotel. - KEISHA SHAKESPEARE/STAFF REPORTER
HIS COOKING quest has taken him across the Caribbean and also in the United Kingdom. He has cooked for personalities such as Tony Blair, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. And currently he is a head chef at the Hilton Kingston hotel where he prepares scrumptious dishes for people from all
walks of life.
Now 25, Garfield Victor moved from his home country Barbados three months ago to work and live in Jamaica. Before coming to Jamaica, he was a chef at the Jalousie Hilton Hotel in St. Lucia. However, the facility closed and he had the option of remaining in that island or taking job at another branch. He chose the latter and at the time the only opening was in Jamaica.
EARLY YEARS
Chef Victor's love affair with food began when he was 13 years old. Before that, he wanted to be a dietician but had a change of heart while attending Dighton Griffith Secondary School in Kingsland, Barbados. A mischievous and playful young man, in fourth form, in 1995, he was being just that as he chewed on a stick of gum, when his teacher noticed. But before she could catch him in the act he had placed the gum on a girl's chair. "My teacher gave me a fine beating and she told me that I was not interested in doing anything with my life. I told her she was wrong and that I wanted to become a dietician to look after fat people like myself," said Chef Victor.
A few days later, he went to a career showcase and met a chef who advised him to get training in cooking. "I went for training at Turtle Beach Resort in Barbados where the chef was working. I found a love for the kitchen and I enjoyed it."
In 1997, after high school, he attended Barbados Community College where he did an associate degree in culinary arts.
LONDON CALLING
Shortly after, he got a job at Turtle Beach Resort Hotel where he worked for three years. Next came a job at Villa Nova Country House and Hotel in St. John's Barbados. He started out as a demi-chefdeparti then moved up the ladder and got certified in food and beverage management. In 2003 he went off to London, England, to do an internship. He got to work at All Rich Hotel and Maribell Restaurant as well as the opportunity to work with world-renowned chef Marco Pierre Whyte.
And that was when he cooked for Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife.
While at Villa Nova, Blair and his wife were visiting Barbados. She fell in love with his cooking especially his roasted potatoes and sweet cumin. They sought him out, gave him their contact details and told him that if he were ever in England he should be in touch. While in England, he did just that.
By end of 2003 he was back in Barbados working at Villa Nova, and by April 1, 2005 he left to work at the Jalousie Hilton Hotel as a sous chef. He stayed for eight months before coming to Jamaica.
