STANDING SIX FEET, two inches and appearing somewhat authoritative, Hal Haynes could probably fit comfortably into the police force.
That is, had he decided to join when he was younger and had the chance to do so back in 1971. Then a teenager, many people thought policing was the obvious choice since at that time Haynes lived with his uncle who was a policeman.
He was also a skilful cricketer, so it was a toss-up between the two. And there came a time when Haynes pondered over this decision, one day taking a journey a short distance away from his Bush Hall, St Michael home to the District “A” Police Station in Station Hill to take an entrance examination.
However, when the now 63-year-old got there, there was an issue with the exam – it was postponed and he never returned. Instead, he took a bus down to the West Coast to do an interview for a job at a hotel. A couple of days later on December 8, 1971, he began his career at the former Swiss Chalet. Forty-five years later, the youthful-looking father of one maintains he has never regretted that decision.
In an interview with the DAILY NATION at the Steakhouse Grill in St Lawrence Gap, Christ Church, where he has been employed for 30-odd years, Haynes laughed as he reminisced about his baptism into the sector.
It might have been a turn-off for some, but not him. His initial training at Eastry House was in the bar and restaurant, but on his first day he was tested in the kitchen.
“The first day when I was offered the job, the man put me in the kitchen and I had 100 heads of lettuce to shed and a sack of 50 pounds of potatoes to peel. It was labour-intensive work . . . [but] I can’t say I felt it much because I was so fascinated with the whole ambience, I thought I would spend the whole day. The chandeliers, being right on the beach, I was so fascinated with that,” he said with a chuckle.
Luckily, this was the only day Haynes spent in the kitchen as since he worked so well, he was moved to the area he wanted to be in from the outset – the bar and restaurant.
Haynes went on to be known as a very diligent worker, so much so that in addition to bartending, he acted as waiter and assisted in any possible way with the running of the 23-room property.
Entertainment strip
Originally from Westmoreland, St James, Haynes remained at Swiss Chalet for two years before a short stint at Hotel Royal. In 1973 he began his working relationship with current employer Robin Worme, then at a restaurant in Sunset Crest where he spent a successful 11 years. This was until Worme established the Steakhouse and invited Haynes to make the move with him.
Moving to the South Coast was quite a change, in terms of the clientele, but as usual, Haynes made it work. The Gap was bustling with life and it gave him the chance to further explore his love for bartending and show off his mixing skills. This, he proudly noted, granted people the privilege of sipping on what he deemed the “best rum punch in all Barbados” – his personalised recipe.
But in recent years much of the buoyancy that once reverberated throughout St Lawrence Gap has worryingly dissipated. To the extent that Haynes is suggesting that the area be earmarked as an entertainment strip and certain days be dedicated for specific activities to breathe new life into it.
“I think by now St Lawrence Gap should have been the mecca in the Caribbean, similar to New Orleans. Marketing The Gap as such isn’t strictly about music but entertainment and not just nightly. You have sportspeople like Suki [Ronald King] who, along with schoolchildren, could come up here on certain days and demonstrate [how to play] draughts. There can be a cricket day, road tennis day . . . . Every year we send chefs overseas and they do well, but nobody sees them afterwards or remembers who did well three or four years ago. I may know because I am in the industry, but a visitor comes here and does not know about the award-winning [pieces] they created. These are things we can push,” he said.
Haynes said the benefits of such an initiative could create a positive chain reaction.
“Then the shops in The Gap can benefit from new and more business, thereby employing more people. The restaurants will see more people especially when it is cruise season because there are days when 20 000 people are in Barbados on six ships and we don’t get no people up here. I think that is one of the few places in the world that happens. I spent 13 years in Sunset Crest and we would have entertainment every night. I feel disappointed when visitors from over the years come to me and they want to go someplace and there is no entertainment, when we have an abundance of entertainers in Barbados.”
Nonetheless, Haynes still declared that he loves St Lawrence Gap. That’s because through it he has met many wonderful people he now calls friends and was given several opportunities to travel the world.
“There are so many people who come back because they know us. As soon as they put down their suitcase, they come to the bar. Fortunately for me, I still enjoy it – the people – trying to make people feel at home when they are here. I just like being around food and drinks. I enjoy the good company. It gave me a chance to meet a lot of interesting people. I am involved with cricket and I love football so when we [he and visitors] start talking cricket, we get carried away,” Haynes said.
His current role of restaurant supervisor entails another level of responsibility such as hiring and training staff, but there are days when he still feels the urge to execute his first love and get behind the bar.
“People leave all over the world to come for this rum punch; come at happy hour and you will see. You can’t get no better than this. I make the best rum punch in Barbados – one sour, two sweet, three strong, four weak,” Haynes boasted as he and guests of the restaurant laughed loudly. (SDB Media)
