Acclaimed Chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph and his partners of the Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group arrived in Guyana on Tuesday night and began sampling local culinary fare. During a meet and greet with the media and tourism organisations on Wednesday morning, they shared their excitement over hitting the streets of Georgetown and savouring its foods.
The culinary adventure is a prelude to the opening of the group’s sixth restaurant, Canje, in September. Named for Guyana’s national bird, the Canje Pheasant, it will be Emmer & Rye’s first Caribbean restaurant in Austin, Texas, USA. The visit to Guyana will inspire its flavours. Their other restaurants are Emmer & Rye, Hestia, Henbit, TLV and Kalimotxo.
Accompanying Tavel, who was born here, were Kevin Fink, Albert Victor, Randall Egbert, and Alicynn Fink. Alicynn shared that she was looking forward to the fresh fruits Tavel always boasted about. Kevin said Tavel taught him to make roti, which was now his favourite and he intended to try it here. Overall, they were just looking to enjoy the experience of a new and vibrant culture. “All of these people, we are really good friends. Our relationship has spanned 13 years,” Tavel said of his partners.
Present at the press conference were Director of Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) Carla James-Vantull and Visit Guyana duo Stacey and Chris Rahaman. Both organisations welcomed the team and promised that the food they tasted would be as diverse as the people who inhabit Guyana.
“Guyana is a melting pot of culture and you can surely see that in the local cuisine which is certainly unlike any other,” Carla said. The GTA also put together packages which were presented to the members of the group.
Asked about the possibility of opening a restaurant in Guyana, Tavel said that was not on the agenda at the moment; they all reside in Austin and hope to introduce Guyana’s food there. He added that in the future, he does foresee putting down one of his restaurants here. He sees himself doing more social and community work here.
“The idea for this trip is to definitely get a grasp of the food here and the blends of the cuisines…,” he said adding that their time here was also to understand Guyanese culture, socialise and have an experience.
He agreed that the opening of the restaurant will provide the opportunity for some Guyanese products to be exported as needed.
The group’s tours were coordinated by Ride Along GY.
Tavel was named one of Food & Wine Magazine’s Best New Chefs of 2020. Of the ten chefs recognised for their outstanding skills, he is the first of two pastry chefs in the country to have the honour.
