Though the Mango Walk Café and Wine Bar has only been opened for a little over a month, its owners Fiona Benny-Higgins, and her husband Kieron Higgins have been treating their customers to a fusion of Caribbean, French and American cuisines.
Despite the ongoing pandemic, business has been “very good”, Fiona said, though they are hoping for it to pick up some more. Kieron, a Trinidadian, has over 23 years of experience as a chef, while Fiona has been a chef for more than 10 years now.
Fiona, who is originally from New Amsterdam, Berbice, met her husband in 2015 in Trinidad when they worked together as chefs at a restaurant there. They went from being colleagues to falling for each other and shared a mutual desire to one day open their own business. So much so that they often sat down together and made plans on how they would make it a reality.
Three years ago, Kieron secured a job in Guyana as head chef for Aurora Gold Mines, which saw him settling here. The couple eventually tied the knot and today they share a five-month-old daughter.
Following their marriage, they began working towards making their dream a reality. Fiona shared that they initially wanted to open the café and bar in November but owing to a lot of running around and some laid back construction workers, they subsequently opened on December 4.
“We needed an investor because it required a lot to start up such a business, so we had to put together a business proposal and ensure that the investor understood our vision for the place and how we intended to go about earning an income,” she said. “Going to the bank was another hassle, we didn’t have an account with them. They needed to see that proposal also and how much we projected to make annually. It was no walk in the park, but we stayed positive.”
The business is part of the Opus Hotel on Croal Street, Georgetown and as such they have been contracted by the hotel to provide for its guests, although the restaurant also caters for people who are not guests at the hotel. They have six employees.
In accordance with COVID guidelines, customers should make reservations so that the business can stick to having no more than ten people in a social gathering as laid out in the Official Gazette. Persons who arrive at the restaurant together dine together. Customers arriving at the restaurant must have their temperatures checked, their hands sanitized and must wear facemasks.
Why Mango Walk Café for the name? Fiona explained that she really likes eating mangoes and when it turned out that the area where the restaurant would be located was coincidentally called ‘Mango Walk’, they kept the name.
Detailing her background in the culinary arts, the chef explained that she lived in Trinidad during which time she did a Diploma at the Trinidad and Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute (TTHTI). Following this, Fiona had a one year internship in Oklahoma, USA at the WinStar World Casino. Meanwhile, Kieron pursued his culinary arts studies at the St Catherine Culinary School in Trinidad. They both worked under chefs from France, India, the Caribbean, the US, and the Philippines.
Fiona gained valuable experience while working in Trinidad at the Lighthouse Restaurant, Bootleggers (in the Trincity Mall), Drink Lounge and Bistro, Chaud Café and Wine Bar, and the WinStar World Casino Grill Fine Dining Restaurant. Kieron also worked at several restaurants in Trinidad, including Rendezvous French Fine Dining Restaurant at MovieTowne, the Lighthouse Restaurant, and Bootleggers.
Asked what makes their business distinct, Fiona credits it to “the fusion of our Trini and Guyanese flavours, the passion for the culinary arts and not forgetting the ambience and incomparable service and friendly staff. It’s all in the synergy of the team. I know it’s a cliché, but team work really makes the dream a reality.”
She is overwhelmed with pride when people enjoy her creations. She recalled seeing both her mother and grandmother in the kitchen as a girl and experimented with pastry and baking cakes alongside them. Aside from her mother and grandmother having a love for cooking, she shared that her father did also, and even her grandfather who was a first cook for the tug he worked on, back in his days.
While at the New Amsterdam Secondary School, she was in the Home Economics Stream. At the time she was also intrigued by interior designing but decided there was no scope for the art in Guyana at the time. She ended up pursuing a degree in International Relations at the University of Guyana and went on to work at the Ministry of Education as a Placement Officer, and at several other jobs. Finally she opened her own café in New Amsterdam but wanted to be trained in the culinary arts, she applied to the TTHTI where she was accepted.
Fiona noted that she was always creative. She would come up with an idea for a recipe and decide to give it a try. One of her recipes is the tamarind ketchup that fast became a favourite of her customers. The most popular dish is Sticky Pork Ribs, followed by wings which come in three different flavours: lemon pepper, honey buffalo, and ginger mango glazed. Fried whole snapper which is served with mango-infused salsa is also popular on the menu.
Fiona also did a wine course at Napa Valley, USA and the bar offers wine cocktails such as Red Woman, the Hook, Love Spell, and the Bishop Cocktail, among others. They use local wine produced by Pandama Winery and bottles of these locally made wines are also on sale.
“Our whole idea is to bring the restaurant experience at an affordable price for the average Guyanese,” Fiona related. “A lot of people want to go out and dine but think they have to find $10,000. A lot of people in Guyana don’t dine out because they think it’s so expensive and really and truly, a lot of places do rip you off in terms of the prices. Like when you go out, you have to spend about twenty grand to have a good experience. We’re hoping that Guyanese people can come in and enjoy a great dining experience with quality food and service at an affordable price.”
For reservations, Mango Walk Café and Wine Bar can be reached at mangowalk.gt@gmail.com or 608-1202.
Fiona Benny Higgins (Saved as name)
