Never judge a book by its cover is a well used cliche. And Damian Leach is a book whose cover portrays something completely different from what’s inside.
At first glance you see a huge beard, a tattooed sleeve and a funky haircut. But don’t let all that throw you off. Damian is a passionate foodie who is more comfortable in the kitchen than giving this interview.
“I am actually very shy but I think competition has made me a little less shy,” the 31-year old pastry and cuisine chef told EASY magazine.
Damian is a member of the 2016 team heading to Miami, Florida, from June 6-10 for this year’s instalment of the Taste Of The Caribbean
Taste Of The Caribbean is the region’s premier culinary competition and cultural showcase. Once a year the best chefs and culinary teams unite to learn, demonstrate their skills and provide the general public with a scintillating exhibition of the most savoury and delectable treats of their islands.
Over ten teams from the Caribbean throw their culinary hats into the ring to compete for the honour of being named the best chef, culinary team, bartender and pastry chef in the Caribbean at this competition. Each participating team represents a Caribbean island and the team is composed of two senior chefs, one junior chef, one bartender, one pastry chef and one manager.
This year, Damian is hoping to make Barbados proud.
His foray into cooking started unconventionally – after being kicked out of an art class at The St Michael School, his year head told him to try food and nutrition.
“I wasn’t very focused at school. I figured I would go in the food and nutrition class and do what I always did, as in play around, but instead I fell in love with cooking from there,” he said.
After that, Damian did his associate’s degree at PomMarine, the Barbados Community College’s hospitality institute, before going on to Canada, where he completed his grand diploma at Le Cordon Bleu.
“I worked in Ottawa for a year after I finished studying, returned to Barbados and worked at the Cliff for a year before going to Tapas,” he told EASY magazine from his picturesque beachfront office in the dining room at Tapas restaurant on the South Coast of the island.
And though he is a pastry and cuisine chef, he does not dabble in pastry any more, but rather expresses his creativity through food.
“Cooking has been great over the years. I would say my career picked up after I came to Tapa’s because I was given the opportunity to create stuff and be diverse.”
Sadly, Damian has now cooked his last meals for Tapas’ diners as he is bidding adieu to his Tapas family after six years, as last week was his last with them. The husband and dad to two girls is embarking on a new project that he will be running in St Lawrence Gap.
“We haven’t decided on a name yet, but we’re hoping to launch in May. We will be opposite Primo, where the original Café Sol was. I want the project to be successful. It’s a restaurant and bar, so by midnight we should be closing off. Having spent a lot of time in the Gap recently, it has picked up a lot. There is a lot going on in there now.
“I actually like the fact that there are more restaurants in the Gap now. In fact I wish there were more restaurants along the boardwalk because there is a lot more activity and it’s better for the whole place.
Describing Tapas as the best place he has worked so far, he said he was given the freedom to do as he liked when creating dishes.
“A lot of people ask what my favourite dish is but here’s the thing, I’ve never really had one, or a particular style of cooking, for that matter. I would create something today and think, “Yeah, this is fantastic”. Next week I would look back at it and think that I could improve here or there.”
This is Damian’s first time representing Barbados in the culinary competition and to say he is excited is an understatement.
“I’ve been trying to make the team for a few years actually and was elated when I was selected to join the team heading to Miami later this year,” he said.
“Everybody always says they are not interested in competition. I am actually very shy but I think competition has made me a little less shy. I remember when I did my first competition and I went up there, people were watching me and stuff and I refused to look up. So I just kept doing the competitions each year. I’m still nervous but I’ve gotten better and it has definitely helped me along the way,” he said.
When asked what his most memorable experience in a competition was, he said this year because he “finally won”.
Chefs have to cook against each other and the top two are chosen to for the team.
Damian explained that there were two rounds, a signature dish round and a mystery basket round. He said he dazzled the judges with his Bajan marinated lamb loin in signature dish with a minted pumpkin puree, cumin and coriander chickpea croquettet, pickled beets and a smoked pepper emulsion in the signature dish round.
His Bajan marinated lamb loin, ginger and chive seafood sausage, coconut and golden apple ceviche, roasted pepper emulsion, smoked plantains with a scotch bonnet lime salt and a pickle was made from the ingredients in the mystery basket that included dolphin, lamb, scallops and golden apple chutney.
That dish secured his victory.
Damian tells aspiring chefs: “Just be passionate about what you do. Even looking for staff, it’s hard to find someone with that passion. I mean anybody can be taught how to cook, but if they don’t have the passion then they’re wasting their time.” (RA)
