Everything happens for a reason, whether we know it or not.
For Rictoria Forde, that’s definitely the case. At age 27, she never once imagined she would be receiving awards for her cooking, especially after it was not necessarily the career path she wanted to go down.
But after a job opened up in the field, she grasped the opportunity with both hands and for her hard work, diligence and expert cooking at the Sea Ya Beach Bar in Dover, Christ Church, she was awarded a prize for the Best Flying Fish, Chicken and Soup in the food category of the Nation Publishing Co Ltd’s Independence competition Bim’s Best.
Forde told EASY magazine it was a very overwhelming feeling and the award came as a surprise.
“I’m very ecstatic. I feel really proud to know that people could like my work so much, and receive an award for it. I’m honoured that they chose me to be Bim’s Best. I was very multitalented when I was younger. I like cooking and fashion designing . . . . Anything like that I’m interested in. It just so happened that cooking is what opened up for me, and I don’t regret the decision one bit, “she said.
Forde said she believed people came back constantly specifically for their flying fish.
“They love the food, and everyone has their preference; but the flying fish is really popular. Most, if not everyone, who come here always ask for flying fish as part of their order,” she added.
The down-to-earth cook said no two days were alike, but because she loved what she was doing, she never complained.
“I love to cook and I love seeing the satisfaction on the faces of our customers. On any given day, I come in at 11:30 a.m., prep and as the people come in, I do the food to order. Nothing is prepared beforehand because we pride ourselves in providing the best quality food always,” she explained.
Owner of the Sea Ya Beach Bar, Ivan Nurse, said he was very happy for Forde and was glad her good work was awarded.
“We are elated and very happy for Rictoria and for Sea Ya. She’s a very good cook. We have repeat guests all the time who can’t get enough of her cooking. Some couples have been here probably ten times on their one trip,” he said.
Nurse said the restaurant was in existence at its current location for just short of two years and they tried their best on a daily basis to maintain their Triple A Four Diamond standard, even though they were now a beachside bar.
“We are just trying to build the business up. We are actually in keeping with the Triple A Four Diamond standard because we came from the Four Diamond environment at Crane. We were based there for a while, but it was time to move on,” he added.
Swedish couple Peter and Katarina Almquist, who were present for the interview with EASY, also praised Forde for her cooking, saying she was a big part of the reason they frequented the restaurant.
“The restaurant is lovely. We’ve been here for three months and its very pleasant coming here. It’s more than just eating; it’s a good social time. Plus there’s a prize-winning chef here. So you can’t go wrong. She’s great,” Peter said on behalf of his wife. (DB)
