When Bernice Chase decided to become an entrepreneur she had already accumulated a wealth of knowledge to help her along this path.
She has a human resource and management background, having held one of those positions at Walker’s World and Best of Barbados. She was also HR officer at Julie ‘N supermarket and HR manager at Cherish Boutique.
“I also went and learnt calligraphy so I could teach it. Then I decided, ‘Let me start my own business’. I went and became qualified as an interior decorator and got contracts doing private homes and hotels.”
Bernice recalls teaching herself how to make garments and back in the day she used to supply Woolworth with handmade baby bags and soft furnishings.
She also is proficient in screen printing.
“I found that I was good at doing creative things with my hands. And when the job market started to get crowded I took a break and went to New York to stay with my mum.”
Bernice said in 2009 her husband, who is a farmer, asked for her help running his farming business. He grew produce for retail so she would help with the books and with some of the reaping of the crops.
Bernice is a multiple NIFCA award winner in culinary arts, and it all started in 2012 when she saw how much wastage occurred with leftover and excess fruits and vegetables on her farm.
“I started doing stuff with them in my kitchen, creating my own recipes and dishes and making preserves and sauces,” said the former student of Christ Church High.
Bernice used her husband Peter Chase and son Andwele as guinea pigs, and as her experiments were good enough so she thought NIFCA was next step.
That same year she bravely entered, receiving three gold, five silvers and five bronze.
“I was excited and pleased because a lot was trial and errors and some of those trials won gold at first go,” she explained, calling names such as Potato Bran Muffin Delight, Mango BBQ Sauce and Breadfruit Challah as winning dishes.
In 2012, one of the dishes that won bronze was a purslane multigrain loaf.
A fascinating story revolves around the purslane and, as Bernice recalls, in 2010 she was doing some weeding for her husband in the garden and cleaning the beds. As she was pulling up the fast-growing, invasive pusley (known scientifically as purslane) she heard a voice saying, “Don’t pull that up”. Bernice said she was in shock because she was alone in the garden.
Pondering on the voice she later spoke to a friend in Trinidad who told her they actually ate the weed.
“I went on Google and read as much material as I could on it. I saw a blog that said ‘eat it, not weed it’ and I saw that international restaurants used it in their dishes.
Bernice was an avid baker, so purslane was then mixed into her recipes.
“I started using it in my doughs and batters as a major ingredient. It is full of health benefits, high in vitamins, omega 3 and so on. I also use it in soups.”
Bernice has used NIFCA as a tasting board of sorts since entering and last year won ten silvers, 13 bronze and two golds (Rabbit Roti and Fruit Medley)
“I wanted professional feedback on the Rabbit Roti, so I entered it in NIFCA and it won gold,” she said proudly.
Bernice’s dishes are 100 per cent Bajan and she sources products which she doesn’t grow from neighbours.
“A lot of neighbours grow mangoes and golden apples and so much other stuff. They open their gates to me and let me take what I want. Tony Marshall and Dr James Boyce are top of that list”, she said chuckling.
This year Bernice’s persistence and flair have paid off with 21 medals at NIFCA and as such she was the recipient of the Mildene Massiah Award for creativity and innovation in culinary arts.
“This was the first time I have won such a prestigious award. You have to tally 1 000 or more points. Actually I was at the culinary expo at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex working towards winning a booth display award. I did win a booth display but was told then I won the NIFCA award also.
Bernice is a December baby, celebrating on the 16th so Christmas is a double celebration for her.
“My mum was into Christmas big time with all the preparations and gifts. I have the same mindset, but since I have become a Christian it has also taken on new meaning.”
Bernice has already planned out her menu: ham glazed with mango and pineapple turkey with bread crumbs stuffing, breadfruit lasagna, rice and peas, baked fish stuffed with onion, sweet pepper, tomatoes and wrapped in spinach or cabbage. She has home-made sorrel soaking for a week.
“My family and friends enjoy the laden table. But for me the time isn’t just for eating and having fun.”
Bernice didn’t enter the Best Bajan Cook competition but she was part of the taping for the Caribbean Cuisine show recently at the Dining Club with chef Peter Edey.
She made jug-jug and stuffing with breadcrumbs.
“I like to do recipes different and I will take one recipe and make four to five dishes out of it.”
Bernice and her husband live on Neils Plantation in St Michael and looking to the future, Bernice is ready to do an international cooking course to brush up on her skills and turn the farm into a bistro type restaurant – our model of a farmers market”.
BERNICE’S JUG-JUG
Ingredients
4 chicken livers
2 gizzards finely chopped
1 pk bread crumbs
1 onion
1tsp marjoram minced
1 tsp thyme
4 tbsp ketchup
1/2 Scotch bonnet
1tsp white pepper
salt to taste
2 tbsp Glow Spread margarine
Cooking stock or water if needed.
Method
Finely chop liver, gizzards, onion, Scotch bonnet. Sautee onions, add liver, gizzards and seasonings. Stir until cooked. Stir in bread crumbs, add ketchup stirring continuously to moisten breadcrumbs. (At this point, the mixture can be stuffed into the cavity of Turkey or chicken to be baked)
For stove top only, lower heat and allow to cook, stirring constantly for another 5 minutes.
For the oven, place in a slightly greased dish and placed in a moderate oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Stuffing should be moist but of a loose consistency.
Serves 6-8