A LEAP OF faith is how some people would probably describe chef Neil Pickering’s decision to open a restaurant.
After working in the kitchens of upscale hotels such as Hilton Barbados, Sandy Lane, and Lone Star over the years, he decided it was time to branch out on his own and open Neil’s Bistro which he described as a grab-and-go.
Scheduled to open in a “few months” in a busy St Michael commercial district, his aim is to offer health conscious foodies another option for lunch and eventually breakfast.
And it will not stop with one restaurant. The owner of Les Délices Catering Service told BARBADOS BUSINESS AUTHORITY during this year’s BMEX the move to open a restaurant was a decision based on the fact that more people were opting for healthy meals and he was ready to move on after working with other people.
“I left the restaurant behind and decided to branch out on my own because I got tired of everything. You did everything for everyone and then the owners and chefs get all the credit, not the people underneath them working.
“I was at a private villa where I worked and managed it. I left them to do a project with someone that didn’t come through and then I decided to go back to what I know and I do well. So, I started doing that and that’s where I am today,” Pickering said.
For the last two years, he has been operating Les Délices steadily. After starting the business, he stopped to work with other chefs including at The Mews.
Why cooking?
“I’ve always loved cooking and its always been something I’ve been relatively good at, so I decided to continue with it after leaving Roebuck/Louis Lynch Secondary school. I’ve always loved Barbadian flavours,” he said.
“At school I did Home Economics, because I had to. When I left school, I studied Management at BCC, then I started liking cooking and got an internship at Sandy Lane. Then, I started to work at Sandy Lane. when it closed, I went to Grand Barbados for a couple months, then I studied at Florida Culinary in Palm Beach.
“My father pushed it because he was always into the food service industry and he always said if he wasn’t doing that he would cook. I always had my great grandfather and uncles who were chefs on boats, so it’s in my veins.”
You will taste Barbadian flavours a lot in his sweet and savoury dishes.
“At Les Delicies, we do a lot of catering, desserts, and pastries. We have sorrel, soursop, banana, guava, pineapple, and passion fruit flavoured cheesecake as well. The flavours that we have people just seem to like them. For instance, our peppermint cheesecake; people like chocolate and they seem to like peppermint and I know they go well together, so I combined them in the cheesecake.
“I do a lot of experimenting with them to get the recipes correct because trying not to overpower different flavours is the hardest thing, because I believe that everything has a flavour and you’re supposed to be able to taste every single flavour that you are eating. I use real fruits but the cakes might have a natural concentrate if I cannot get certain fruit,” Pickering said.
The first-time exhibitor at BMEX said his decision to participate was not only to let consumers know about the range of cheesecakes with the Barbadian flavours but to give the restaurant exposure.
“At Neil’s Bistro, we will be doing healthy foods, certified by a nutritionist so that when you come for a meal you will know exactly how much calories are in your meal. We’re trying to keep it price-friendly also so that you can get a meal for under $20 that will fill you and be healthy for you.
“We’re trying to get away from all the fried foods, so a lot of the meats and fish will be grilled. You will also be getting sweet potato and breadfruit, healthier pastas. we’re trying to get vegan options, diabetic options and other illnesses that people might have we’re taking into account.”
The restaurant will “show people the healthy side of eating”, Pickering said.
“I want to open more than one . . . . It is my dream to open restaurants and we’ve already scouted a place on the west coast where we’ll be serving dinner. I want to open several,” he said with a smile. (GBM)