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The Local & Co. – An interview with Sophie Michell
Something special has opened in Speightstown. That something, of course, is the brand new Restaurant, Marketplace and Drinkery, The Local & Co. Their goal: To bring the farm to your table, having changed the menu to make positive food changes simple for you. Here we interview Chef Patron and British TV Personality Sophie Michell. Hi […]
Something special has opened in Speightstown. That something, of course, is the brand new Restaurant, Marketplace and Drinkery, The Local & Co.
Their goal: To bring the farm to your table, having changed the menu to make positive food changes simple for you.
Here we interview Chef Patron and British TV Personality Sophie Michell.
Hi Sophie. How did the local start?
Well, it all began with Ian and Julie McNeel who created Slow Food Barbados 11 years ago. They are also behind Walkers Institute for Regenerative, Research, Education, and Design (WIRRED) and Walkers Reserve Apiary Programme (WRAP), and have worked towards opening The Local for the last 6 years. We have been friends for a while and eventually, I came on board as a consultant 2 years ago to help open a restaurant promoting the importance of food choices and sustainability in Barbados. Essentially a three-week holiday here resulted in moving to Barbados for good!
Are you glad it was in Barbados that this opportunity presented itself?
Well, yes. I’ve had a lifelong dream of having a beachfront restaurant and I lived in Indonesia and Australia when I was younger. Safe and stable cooking is my passion. But I love scuba diving while my husband loves surfing and fishing. Really it’s the type of environment we want to raise our son in so it just felt like the right thing.
How has it been opening a restaurant during Covid?
Well, it has been a labour of love, but I think everything happens for a reason. So even though our opening date was pushed back, everything was given time to come together. We had it all, volcanic ash, freak storms, on our soft opening night we even had a tsunami warning!
How did Covid affect you personally?
It made us reevaluate which has been a good thing. I think all the hard work has gone into making The Local what it is now. It’s very much based on the concept of impacting the
environment. Everything we do has sustainability. We are trying to use over 90 percent local produce.
So tell us more about the importance of sustainability
Essentially, everything has to be sustainable. So what we’re doing is setting up this concept. You can come in to support the local economy and the farmers. You know the money’s going back into the economy. We’re using recycled, biodegradable, and compostable items everywhere from labels
to menus. Barbados needs better food security as an island. It’s about impacting the environment in a positive way and supporting a local economy.
What do you think about tourism and it’s part to play with sustainability?
Well, you’ve got to look at the history of importing ingredients being desired by tourists, and also by a lack of prestige being attached to it. Actually, you just need to change your mindset and realise there’s nothing more prestigious than locally sourced food. That prestige is a luxury in itself.
How has a social media presence helped educate people?
So much of this concept is not just about serving food. It’s about the suppliers. It’s about the farmers. It’s about the background work that goes into making that burger or curry or salad. I think it’s something we have to constantly evolve. We’re still experimenting and discovering things all the time, so that’s definitely going to continue.
How did you set about writing the menus?
I spent my first few months here in lockdown experimenting. I used some really classic, amazing local cookbooks
as well as inspiration from Mexico and South East Asia. I really wanted tacos on the menu for that amazing smoke and barbecue flavour, but we had to find an alternative to wheat flour. So we came up with using cassava flour instead which we also use for all our pastries too.
And the team? How did you go about getting the right people?
We’ve got some great team members. I could not be more overwhelmed by how brilliant, engaged and hardworking
they have been so far. Although it’s a phrase that’s often bandied around, we’re like a family.
What can we expect from the local marketplace?
It’s a market-based grocery store. People can come and buy ready-made meals, and take home locally made jams, extra virgin coconut oil, honey, and locally made arts & crafts. It’s a one-stop shop where you can pop in for a coffee and find something for anyone.
So what does the future hold?
We plan to use the upstairs space for private dining, events, and cooking demos with guest chefs. It’s definitely just the start. I think there’s much we can still do to localise food and build this economy’s food security. It’s definitely for the long term. We love Barbados.
