Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're listening to Food for Thought with Billy and Jenny,
brought to you by the Box Center. For more than
fifteen years, this dining duo has been eating their way
through New England, mixing it up with top chefs, jumping
behind the line of the hottest restaurants and giving you
the inside scoop on where to wine, dine and spend
your time. So get ready, it's Food for Thought giving
(00:20):
you something to chew on.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Hey, everybody, welcome into Food for Thought, brought to you
by the Box Center. Today we're taking a trip. We're
going to the Caribbean. More specifically, we're going to Jamaica.
Certainly it's a place that all of you have heard of,
and maybe the first thing that comes to mind is
reggae culture Bob Marley obviously a thriving tourist destination. To
(00:44):
orient you in case you aren't familiar, we're Seuth of
Cuba or west of Haybe. This is a place that's
really rich in history, really rich in biodiversity. I personally
had never been until this past April when my little tribe,
my two girls, and my husband went for vacation and
we came back so in love with this special island.
(01:09):
I knew we had to dedicate a show to it,
and for listeners who haven't been there, haven't had it
on the raidar, haven't been there in a long time,
we wanted to give you a reason to think about
it now. So today we're going to talk to the
proprietors of Bluefield Bay Villas and Swee, which is this
oasis on part of the island over a little about
an hour from the airport and it's a luxurious, all
(01:32):
inclusive escape. Our guests are going to be Houston Monkkiir,
who was born in Montego Bay, went to Temple University
and he's been working as the chief operating Officer of
Bluefields Base since he graduated in two thousand and eight
and he oversees the properties day to day. And then
Kate Davinson, and she was actually born in Alexandria, Egypt.
(01:53):
This woman grew up all over the world with her
USAID parents and she's been in the hospitality into for
twenty years and now is a director over at blue Field.
So we're so excited to welcome you guys to the program. Houston,
I'm going to start with you because blue Field and
Jamaica has been a part of your life for your
entire life, So can you share a little bit of
(02:15):
background with us and how your parents came to find
this little slice of heaven.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Good morning. Hi, My name is Houston Moncure. Yes, my
mother went into labor with me in Mullion Cove, which
was the original villa that we had here. They found
blue Fields in the mid to early eighties. They had
both fallen in love independently with Jamaica and just decided
(02:46):
that it was just such a unique and wonderful place
that they wanted to set some roots down. So, after
a long search throughout the entire island, they came across
Blue Fields and thought it was the most beautiful place
they'd ever seen. And it was incredible remote, And at
(03:06):
the point where they were about to make the purchase,
my mother turned to my father and said, do you
think that it's way too remote here? And he turned
to her and said, we're probably going to think it's
not remote enough. Eventually. Wow, it literally was almost beyond
(03:27):
the map. We didn't have phones here until nineteen ninety.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Wow. And so your parents your parents were from the
United States and they both found Jamaica and this particular
part went prior to you guys having kids, is to
them having kids. Is that right correct?
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Yeah? My father is from Alexandria, Virginia, and my mother
is from Long Island. Wow.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
And obviously so much has transpired and changed since they
brought that. But you were born at Jamaican.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
I was born in Jamaican. I'm born here. You know.
When they got here, what they found they just thought
was so special. They wanted to keep it, you know,
as close to exactly the way it was that they could.
And part of that is instilling in your children that
(04:26):
there are some things that need to be kept. There
are some things traditions and traditions, the antique furniture that
you want to honor and respect.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Well, yeah, I definitely want to talk a little bit
more of what people can expect visually as they're hearing
about this, likely for the first time. But so they
had this home that they purchased, and you guys spent
a lot of time there kind of going back and forth,
as I imagine, and then and then the property expanded.
So tell me a little bit about your mom is
an architect and your father and how they're on both
(05:04):
their passions came to sort of expand what has become
this extraordinary and now expansive property.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
So yes, my mother is an architect to trained architects.
She went to pen architecture school over the years. Over
the years, they just had more and more houses along
the bay offered to them, and they just couldn't say no.
And then they also had land raw land offered to them.
(05:35):
So that's how we ended up with six villas just organically.
Over time. They bought three and heavily renovated them. They
built another three from the ground up, and then most
recently we added the four suites which made us Bluefield's
Bay Villas and Suites, which is more of a hotel
(05:57):
product that we've also done from the ground up just
a couple of years ago. All of the ground up
is my mother's brainchild. She has this method of building
where everything has a seaview. Every room. She turns the
buildings so that everything has a seaview. And then my
(06:21):
father is just a massive antique china and crystal stemware collector.
We're the largest holder of Jamaican antiques in the world.
And so he'll go to the ends of the earth
finding and repatriating Jamaican antiques back to Jamaica.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
I want to talk more about the antiques and I
want to talk more about the architecture, because we have
to give people an idea of just how unique these
properties are. You will never see your experience anything quite
like it, and it does. It shows sort of the
eccentricity of of both of your parents and kind of
the and just like the unique desires that they have
(07:06):
to sort of preserve this old world's feel in such
a beautiful setting. We are going to take a break
and we're going to be back with Houston to talk
a lot more about Bluefields and to talk a lot
more about Jamaica because as a person who's born up
there his entire life, he has a very unique perspective
and I think it's going to be worth adding to
everyone's vacation list in the upcoming futures. We'll take a break,
(07:27):
we'll be back with more Food for Thoughts in just
a minute.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
You're listening to Food for Thought brought to you by
the Box Center and Salem Waterfront Hotel and Sweet.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
Welcome back to Food for Thoughts brought to you by
the Box Center. We're taking you to Jamaica this week,
giving you a little vacation, or at least an idea
of the vacation you should be planning. Right now. We're
talking to the proprietors of Bluefields Bay Villas and Sweeps,
the place that I was lucky enough to stay in
this past April, talking to Houston and Kate. But Houston,
we were just talking about your parents and how they
(07:58):
happened upon this literal little slice of heaven. Can you
tell folks where Bluefield Bay is on the island?
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Actually, so, Bluefield's Bay is on the what's called the
unspoiled South Coast for those who are familiar with Jamaica Jamaica.
Kingston is the capital of Jamaica, but it actually doesn't
have the busiest airport on western Jamaica. Kingston's in the east,
(08:29):
Montigo Bay is in the west, and Mintiga in the
northwest corner of the island. And Mintigo Bay actually has
the busiest airport in the country. It's because it's near
all of the more tourist areas. But if you fly
into Mintigo Bay and go directly across the island to
the sleepy South Coast, that's where you find Bluefield's Bay.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Well, it's so true because it's it's preserved in such
a different way, and it really is such a different
experience and such a unique experience. Yes upon your mom
and dad and sort of both their unique passions and
the unique work that they've studied. Talk about the antiques
because it's unlike anything that you've seen, and then also
talk about how you connect with the Jamaican community in
(09:15):
some of the furniture that people can appreciate inside the villas.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
So the antiques are a sort of passion that my
father and my mother had before they even got here.
They were, you know, my dad being a Virginian at heart.
When you ask him where is he from, he says
he's a Virginian. His family for generations had collected old
(09:46):
Virginia antiques, and upon getting to Jamaica and seeing the
quality and the history behind so many of the pieces,
he was hooked. And with that he's gone around collecting pieces.
I mean, we had bedposts that are in one of
the bedrooms at Mullyan Cove where Sotheby's came to look
(10:09):
at them and said that we were absolutely crazy that
a full double helix bedpost is not even repairable anymore
because the skills to build that have have died out.
And uh, you know a lot putting that in a
rental property. But you know, the philosophy is, in many
(10:32):
ways these pieces don't deserve to sort of just go
into storage. They deserve to be seen and used by
people and appreciate and appreciate the the use case of
you know, a sideboard that has a specific rack just
for the coffee cups that that that that was thought
about in those days. So you know, it's been a
(10:57):
lifelong passion of going around and selecting nice old pieces
from any dealers here such as Waynezraala, who my father
probably talks to once a week. Also you know Jamaican
art that we have up on the wall as well.
(11:18):
There are really good old pieces.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
I'm sorry, Yeah, that's it's a really good point, Houston
that when you think of these antiques, you often think
of them in a way that they're they're behind some
kind of shell or the behind glass, like something that
you can't experience. And what is so unique about this
is it does it almost transform you, transforms you back
to a time when these pieces were being used and
yet you know, here you are in twenty twenty five
(11:42):
in this magical setting. So as opposed to being something
that shouldn't be touched, shouldn't be used, this is really
giving people an opportunity to appreciate the antiques that they are.
And you're about to make mention some Jamaicans. I know,
there's a lot of furniture that's there that's actually been
created from some local folks.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Correct. So the way that that started is we collected
some dining room chairs, but we didn't have enough of them,
and so we actually worked with local artisans to copy them,
and so many of the dining room chairs that we
have there is one original, but then the rest were
(12:24):
copies that have been locally made by local artisans, know
more than about five miles away from the resort. More recently,
even our outdoor furniture is all built in house. Will
go through, we'll look at designs, and then we've got
three full time carpenters that work here at the resort
(12:46):
that spend their days creating pieces where we need a piece,
repairing pieces, skillfully repairing old antique pieces, restoring them back
to it would have looked originally.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
And one of the reasons I knew we needed a
whole show for this is this is not the kind
of place that you can read a paragraph about online
and understand it. I mean, the unique nature of the
way that you have put these sort of compilation of
villas together and sweet stick out together is truly unique.
I mean, I've had the pleasure of traveling to a
lot of different places, and I really truly never seen
(13:22):
anything quite like this. Okay, so we've given this idea
of what you can experience inside some of these villas,
but talk about the landscapes because it's so striking and
really speaks to kind of the unique biodiversity that is
in Jamaica.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
So what's really important to us as a as a
resort is to make sure that people when they come
here see and get a feel for the biodiversity of Jamaica.
So when we're building a new house, we'll actually go
(13:58):
and we'll walk the proper and look for the trees
that are very nice trees, and my mother will actually
draw the house around the trees so that we keep
as much of the good trees as possible. Once we
go through with that, we sit down and we look
(14:20):
at the different spaces and we look at you know
what is the light that's there, What is the nutrients
that we can get? How much water is that bed
going to get? And we work with the landscape architect
in trying to show off as much of the different
types of unique plants that you don't get in North
(14:42):
America by and large because the climate is different and
Jamaica is the tropics, so that when people are even
just sitting here on a patio, they have a lot
to look at, just with the flora and fauna, you know,
looking at at different plants and that will flower in
(15:03):
different seasons, so there's always something to look at. Is
certainly something that we spend a lot of time thinking about.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
Well, tell me what people are looking at, because from
each of these spaces, not only are they looking at
some of these plants and trees that you just described,
but they're also looking at the water right correct.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
We are right on the water right along the Southern Caribbean.
One of the things that's wonderful about Bluefields is we're
on the leeward side of the island and so we've
got a mountain range next to us that blocks all
the wind. So when you look out every morning, it
looks like a lake, but it's actually you know, the
Caribbean Sea that you're looking at. We don't get big waves,
(15:45):
we don't need barrier reefs. I mean, we have reefs
for snorkeling close by, but what you're looking at is
just stunning and expansive and you know, you can see
all the way out to the horizon. It's just calm,
and it just leads to that sense of inner peace
that by and larger visitors got when they're here. Is
(16:09):
they're they're just they're hitting the pause button on their
life and just taking a moment to be in the
moment and recharge.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
We're going to talk to Kate and our next break,
but I want to also reference for folks who don't
only want to spend time in the ocean, that you
also made sure that there are pools accessible for the villas.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Absolutely every villa has its own pool in our four
suites share pool, and.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
So's there's so many different opportunities in the way that
you know, you the whole team that you've created, and
that's really what I'm going to talk to Kate about,
is everyone has like their specific role. You mentioned the
carpenter as you makes me mention the landscape artists, and
everyone's attention to detail is so clear as you sort
of meander through the properties over the core of your vacation.
(17:01):
And one of the things that I think is great
that I also want to touch upon is you've made
so many different changes to make things so kid accessible,
to make sure that there's plenty of families that are
able to come there. I think one of the great
I think adventures of parenting is trying to figure out
how you actually can enjoy a vacation while being a
parent to younger kids and not feeling like you kind
(17:23):
of just picked up your life and plopped it somewhere else.
And what you guys have created there is an opportunity
for both, of course, couples, groups of friends, but certainly
families to actually feel like you are having a true, relaxing,
unplugged vacation. We're going to take a break. We're going
to talk more with Houston, but we're going to meet
(17:43):
Kate to hear more about Bluefield's day out there in Jamaica.
Hope it feels like you guys are getting a little
vacation too. We'll be back with more food for thought
in just a minute.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
You're listening to Food for Thought, brought to you by
It's the Box Center and Saale on Waterfront Hotel in sweets.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
Welcome back to Food for Thought. We're talking about Jamaica.
We're trying to take you to a trip to Jamaica actually,
or suggest that this might be a place that you
want to add on to your radar. So Bluefields Bay
is a place that I had the chance to say
we just talked to Houston, whose family built this special oasis,
and Kate, I'm so excited to chat with you because
I think one of the great things about what you're
(18:18):
able to do is is digest this beautiful property and
create a way for people to really understand what the
opportunity is. So who is the person that's vacationing with
you at Bluefield's Bay.
Speaker 4 (18:33):
Bluefield's Bay is a year round destination for everyone, and
that's one of the things that I think is really
important to focus on. It's not just for families, it's
not just for young couples. We have people who first
came here forty years ago and have now come back
after their kids are all out of the house, and
they just come back as an older couple who want
to get away you know, people come as a young family,
(18:54):
and they come when the kids are little and they
can travel any time, and then they now the kids
are older, they come back for vacations when you know,
children are out of school. So we are somewhere that
everyone can find joy and happiness and you know, appreciate
the beauty around them. We offer something for every single
traveler at any time.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
Of the year.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
I know, just because I was there for one of them.
You do a lot of I mean, obviously those those
very special occasions like your you know, when you get
engaged or after you get married, or your honeymoon, so
those are also pieces, but that is also sort of
just a place that people repeat and come to the
year over year, Is that right, correct?
Speaker 4 (19:35):
I mean our team love special occasions, So if you
have a special occasion, absolutely come here. They you know,
send me requests for all sorts of decorations every few months.
It's like we get more of this, and can we
get more of this, and they will decorate everything and
just make your occasion momentous and incredible and unforgettable. But
(19:56):
you know, also every day is like that. On a
lesser level, it may not be as grand and over
the top of a special occasion. But every dinner you
have here will be candles and flowers and beautifully, you know,
decorated tables. So there's nothing, you know, every day here
is special.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
Yeah, it's so interesting that you said that. In our
next break, I really want to touch upon that. But
the idea of customization is something that I think is
so true to the experience that you offer to your guests.
You know, we all hear about you know, customizing your experience,
customizing your wedding, creating these special opportunities. I've never thought
(20:37):
of it in a way like I had after being
a Bluefield So the way that you really created something
special for each individual made it so unique and so
special and made it feel like a nice family. We're
going to take a break. We'll be back with more
with Kate and Houston in just a minute.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
You're listening to Food for Thought brought to you by
It's the Box Center and Sale and Waterfront Hotel and Sweets.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
Welcome back to Food for Thoughts brought to you by
the Box Center. We're taking you to Jamaica. We're talking
to Jamaica and Bluefield's Bay in particular this week. It's
okay we were talking about the customization that takes place.
Can you share some specific examples, maybe someone from a couple,
someone from a family. What are some of the things
that you offer when someone is spending the week or
(21:22):
more with you.
Speaker 4 (21:25):
Well, I think one of the most important things to
focus on is dietary customization because so often different parts
people in the family will have different dietary needs. Some
people may have, you know, gluten intolerance or dairy intolerance,
and it's hard to find somewhere which truly customizes for
those intolerances, while everyone else can still enjoy the food
that they want to eat. So for that, we are
(21:48):
one of the kind. If you come stay in our villas,
we will customize and then you completely based on what
everyone's looking for, what you like, what you enjoy, what
you don't like in any you know, allergies or restrictions
someone in the party may have, Which doesn't mean if
someone can't eat they're your gluten or soy. Everyone else
has to avoid those, but that one person will be
(22:11):
sure that they don't have to worry about the food
they eat. So dietary is a big one. The other
one is sort of you know, if you have kids,
the nanny and staff. Some people come here and they
want to be alone. They don't want people all around them,
even though they're in a villa that is fully staffed.
So you know, we can customize that. Do you want
a nanny to be around for eight hours a day,
do you want to add on more hours, or do
(22:32):
you want someone to just be there in case you
need them. We want to make sure that we cater
to everyone's needs with their family, with also elders. If
you come with elderly parents, you know, and the parents
can't get down this stairs very well, or they have
the mobility issues, we will have one of our staff
members be there in case they need someone to help
them along the way. Those are two really important things.
(22:54):
Those things are excursions. Some people want to come. They
just want to hang out. They don't want to do anything.
They want to sit by the pool. You want to
drink you know, frozen drinks, and you know, stay on property.
Other people want to see everything Jamaica has to offer,
and we will put together a package for them. We'll
set the excursions up, we will arrange the drivers, the entrance, everything,
(23:17):
so all you have to do is get here, bring
the proper footwear and you know, clothing and get in
the boss and go. We make sure that everything's tailored
to exactly what you want.
Speaker 2 (23:30):
Well, one of the things that I loved is in
talking to you in preparation from our trip. There was
questions like, Okay, so should we go here, should we
go there? Here's the excursions you offer. I think we'll
do this this day and that that day. And I
think by day two I remember calling you and saying
I don't want to leave, like I just I don't
want to leave. I want to stay here. I don't
want to go anywhere else. And you know, from the
(23:52):
onset that seems impossible to me and my husband. It
was like, how could we possibly stay in one place
for one week? We're just so used to moving around
so much. And there's something about the down shifting that
takes place, in the fact that everything, like you said,
is taken care of, that made it just you just
didn't want to leave. You reference the team. I want
(24:12):
to take some time to talk about the team, because
you know, in in you know now it's been a
couple months since we've been there. And then looking back,
I will say it was the It was the kind
of the warmth, the genuine hospitality, the commitment that every
single member of your team has that made this a
second to none vacation. Tell us a little bit about
(24:35):
what the team looks like.
Speaker 4 (24:39):
You know, our team is just phenomenal. You can start
with some of the team members who have been here
for as long as my husband's been alive, and probably
a little bit longer. Percy actually drove my mother in
law to the hospital to have Houston and Rachel, his sister.
He's still part of our team. In fact, he's at
(25:00):
my house right now picking up some friends to bring
them over to come stay for a few nights. And
he is just the knowledge this man has of Jamaica.
And he stops and shows you this and shows you
that he showed me how Pineapple grew their day because
I actually had no idea. You know, he's been here forever. Carmen,
she's been here since the late eighties. Miss Sharon, who
(25:21):
is a housekeeper at hermitage, you know, she's been here
since late eighties. These people are just an institution at Jamaica,
and they sort of they started out, they started a
trend really of people coming in and becoming family. So
you have the old timers who've been here forever, and
then you have the new people, the younger generation. Our
guest services team is made up by some just incredible,
(25:42):
incredible ladies, and you know they live, breathe, and eat
guest services. Someone will message at eleven PM and they
write them back before I even have a chance to.
They love what they do and they love making people happy,
and that's sort of what we're all trying to do here.
You know, every team member at Bluefields is so good
at reading people and understanding what they're looking for. So
(26:04):
when you come in and they'll all greet you as
soon as you arrive. The guest services will be there
with your entire villa team, and you know, the nannies
will be there and the housekeeper and the chef and
I mean they're just they work together and it's such
a beautiful thing to see because people people come from
who have been your ages and ages ago. We'll write
(26:26):
an email to my in laws and be like, oh,
I just talk to this team member or this team member.
It's like they stay in touch because they become family
with our guests as well.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
That's exactly what happens. I mean, my girls still ask
for kiky kk and like, you know, talk about everybody
and the experiences that they had with with everyone, and
it does. It becomes like this extended family because you know,
you're you're spending your days together. They're supporting you in
ways that don't feel like they're intrusive in the slightest.
(26:57):
You know, it just feels like they're there. It's you
need them to be and otherwise they're sort of taking
care of everything. I mean, just the culinary experience alone
is something we have to spend a lot of time
discussing because I know it's been a real focus for
you and your family as as things have evolved. We're
going to take a quick break. We'll be back with
(27:18):
more Food for Thoughts Rapsy by the Box Center.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
In just a minute, you're listening to Food for Thought.
Rough to you buying the Box Center and sale and
Waterfront Hotel and sweets.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Welcome back to Food but Thoughts Rassi by the Box Center, Houston.
I want to talk about the culinary experience that people
will have when they're staying with you, either in the
villas or the suits. Because listen, everyone knows in this
show I have dined at some of it. I've been
lucky to have the ining be my career and I've
dined at some of the greatest spots probably in the world,
(27:49):
and I will say that this was a world class
dining experience. And that's not something that happens by accidents, obviously,
that's something that you spent a lot of time curating.
So to heell people about the corner experience they'll have
with you.
Speaker 3 (28:04):
Well, first off, I'm going to take the win on that.
Thank you for the wonderful compliment. Our philosophy is this,
if you want to deliver really good food, you have
to start with your ingredients. And so what we do
is we work with as many local farmers as possible
(28:26):
to source as much as we can from as close
to the resort as possible. I mean, the eggs that
we serve come from just a few hundred yards away.
The way that we have developed our storeroom, it is
so that produce can literally just walk in and so
(28:48):
fish produce, eggs can just walk right into the storeroom.
We can look at it, we can decide if it's
at a high enough grade for what it is that
we want to serve. Next thing is when we look
at menu what we really try and do is offer
an elevated Jamaican concept with a twist, so that the
(29:13):
food is accessible and not too far from home base.
But at the same time you are getting a Jamaican
experience with at least some element that's there. So I'll
give you a for instance, the way that Jamaicans normally
do currg goat. They'll take a goat and sort of
(29:36):
hack it up with a cleaver, and the Jamaicans actually
enjoy sucking on the bones and getting to the marrow
and the cartilage and stuff like that, not exactly appetizing
to somebody from the US. So we actually we do
the same flavors and the same process using New Zealand lamp.
(30:00):
The lamb and the goat have a very similar texture
and you know, sort of presence, but you get the
same experience of flavor and a different flavor than what
you're used to from home. You know, another dish that's
(30:20):
quite popular and growing in popularity actually in the US
is oxtail. A brown stow oxtail is a very staple
dish in Jamaica. And you know, from the last time
I was up in the States, I saw Costco carrying
some beautiful oxtail, which really goes to show how much
(30:42):
how much popularity it's gained in the US. Uh. The
problem with oxtail is you have to pick up the
bones and and sort of suck on the tailbone that's intiale,
which can sometimes be neither elegant nor sort of familiar.
So we do the same thing with short rib same recipe,
(31:02):
but we use short ribs so that you have something
that looks familiar, has a familiar presence on the plate,
but you get that Jamaican flavor. But you know, full
stop what people love us for the fruits and the
vegetables because that just it's so fresh. You know, by
(31:24):
and large, Jamaica is an organic island, not because people
have made a conscious choice, but fertilizers are expensive and
so and so are pesticides and so so many of
the small plot farmers that we work with to get
so much of what we get end up not using
(31:44):
any of that, and so we get really nice fresh stuff.
And that's the forest of the food.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
Well, and it makes such a difference. You can tell
that a lot of that fruit was you know, pulled
from the ground just yesterday, and just the flavor of it.
I mean, I care so much about organically and sustainably
grown foods and that you could taste in every single bite,
and you made sure that so much of this was
also grown on property. Right, So a lot of the
(32:12):
herbs that are used and a lot of the sauces
are right from right there on your property.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
That's true. I actually I put a nerb garden right
next to our storeroom, so they literally just have to
walk outside with a pair of scissors and they can
cut the basil, both ty and genovesea. We've got parsley,
We've got time, coriander, cilantro, it's all right there. We're
(32:40):
working on processes for doing our own tomatoes and lettuce
and doing them hydroponically right here as well.
Speaker 2 (32:51):
And it's worth sort of setting the scene so for breakfast, lunch,
and dinner times that you are customizing for your family
for that particular is always discussed at the end of
every day, right Why because you may have a fisherman
that came in that day with a gorgeous piece of
fish that may be an opportunity for you to have
that night that's that fresh, or you or they may
(33:13):
be introducing some different things that come at them every day.
I mean, this is scratch kitchen at its finest. So
you're waking up in the morning, you're having multiple courses
for breakfast, you know, different things for lunch and dinner.
And as Kate mentioned, if one of you has a
restriction but the others don't, it doesn't mean that the
other person needs to follow that, which is pretty amazing.
Speaker 3 (33:34):
So yes, as Kate said, we will go through and
we will plan a menu. It doesn't mean that we
will stick to the menu. Because if we have incredibly
beautiful fish come walking in, we look at each other
and we go it's time to pivot. There's no better
time for that fish to taste than right then, and
so we want to use as much of it up
(33:57):
before we have to freeze it as possible. You'll never
get it better, You'll never taste better than right then.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
Yeah, it's so unbelievably fresh. And I also loved being
able to talk with the chefs. They're very talented chefs
who have had pretty incredible training that I know. You've
also helped facilitate some connections between chefs and the States
to make sure that the program is constantly evolving. Is
that right.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
Yeah, So I think we're incredibly unique in that we've
got an executive chef who's actually based out of South Carolina.
He'll come down three or four times a year and
we'll do a sort of knowledge exchange. At this point,
before it was a lot of classes, but now it's
sort of a knowledge exchange, and that's where the fusion
(34:44):
happens between them and he and going through everything. But
as you might have noticed, some of your chefs for
summer season will go and then't work in the nice
the restaurants up in New England, work in resorts up there,
and then they'll come back to us for winter season.
(35:05):
We actually we have no issues with that whatsoever. We're
sort of happy to make sure that our people get
some really great experiences within their life as well.
Speaker 2 (35:19):
M that's true, and and I think that's how the
blend of the flavors comes together. And and and you
can tell how passionate they are for the food that
is native to them, but also what they're learning from
other foods. That's that's important. You also have a great
wine list. I want to let folks know, Oh, thank you.
Speaker 3 (35:37):
I spent a lot of time well Kate and I
collectively have spent a lot of time tasting every wine
to make sure that it uh, it's good enough to.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
Go on our wine list, and and and and so
obviously you can pair certain wines with your meals, and
and and and and and and just making sure that
every detail is is met. And I want to ask
Kate a little bit about some of the excursions that
you guys offer on property, because you're so connected to
Jamaica and because you ever so connected to the community.
(36:12):
There was one excursion that we did, even though I
said we didn't do many, which because there was no
reason to leave. There was one called Whyas Falls that
I enjoyed so much. Tell the folks about it.
Speaker 4 (36:22):
Whyis Falls is just the most beautiful setting. So you
pull up and it's like this little building and you
sort of where am I going? And then you get
on a little jitney and you travel through the Jamaican
countryside and it's actually a thoroughbred farm, so you see
all these horses everywhere and cows as well, and you're
sort of winding through here and there, and there's rivers,
and the closer you get, you just like you're going
(36:44):
deeper into the Jamaican Jungle, and you come to this
just phenomenal spot where it's got a waterfall that's so
tall and so many tiers it leads in it leads
to a couple of different little extremes and everything. But
they also have a freshwater pool that you can go
in right at the bottom of the waterfalls, so you
can go in the falls themselves, or sometimes it's rainy season,
(37:07):
you know you don't want to go in that water,
so you can fill in one of those pools. And
they also have an area to the side where like
there's two more pools which have you know, shallow areas
for kids to play in and all of that right,
so it's every experience they have met with the drinks there.
Speaker 2 (37:24):
So picturesque, and you guys created the perfect picnic day
and we were able to have food from chef that
day and jump in the falls and jump off of
this swinging rope and it just really felt like an adventure,
like you were part of this special island and the
culture of this special island. We're going to take a
break and we'll be back with more Food for Thought
in just a minute.
Speaker 1 (37:41):
You're listening to Food for Thought brought to you buy
the box center and sale in Waterfront Hotel in sweet
I knew I.
Speaker 2 (37:47):
Needed a whole show for this conversation, and we could
probably do so many more.
Speaker 4 (37:52):
Kate.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
We mentioned whys Falls, this great day trip that we
took when we were there visiting you. But there's a
lot of things that you offer right there on property.
Tell me about some of them.
Speaker 4 (38:02):
I would say my favorite thing is a sunset cruise.
You go down to the beach and you go out
on our awesome boat and the you know, they pick
coconut so you can drink fresh coconut jelly water on
the boat. We'll have your butler go down with you,
so there's you know, you're cooler with all your favorite
beverages in it. They'll bring appetizers if you're going before dinner.
If you have an early dinner and want to go afterwards,
(38:22):
we'll bring you know, your desserts with you. And it's
just amazing. I mean, you can't get any better than
being out on the water while the sun is setting.
You know, all the lights are glittering on the on
the hillside and you can see your villa, and I
mean it's breathtaking. It really is.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
And then of course there's kayaks and paddle boards and
you took us snorkeling for one day, and just to
be able to see the beautiful part of the island
from the water is such a unique opportunity. You have
those great like I don't know what are they like bike,
you know, like ride your bike and your bikes yeah,
side drop bikes. You have so many different activities down
(39:00):
there for the kids obviously, all the shovels and tails
that they want to be able to enjoy.
Speaker 4 (39:05):
Well Kaenga experience.
Speaker 2 (39:08):
Yes, Tanzenga. You made it such a memorable experience. I
loved being able to be there and now be able
to tell people about it. I want to ask Houston,
one thing that I know that you've really committed to
is making sure that this can be something that's accessible.
When I tell people about this, I think it sounds like,
oh God, this has only got to be for a
very exclusive few and it's really not, so tell me
(39:30):
about that.
Speaker 3 (39:32):
So I think the first thing that was very important
to us when we sat out to offer this was
transparency and giving people a price that was the price.
So you know, for instance, there's been all this you know,
talk in the hotel industry about resort fees stuff like that.
(39:54):
What's been very important to us is that when people
come to our website bluefieldsvillos dot com and they look
at what the price is, that is an all inclusive price,
that is an all inclusive price for a premium luxury vacation.
And when you look at it, because we have included
so much in there, the club mobay that meets you
(40:15):
and takes you through the airport, the this, the that,
all the food, the beverage, the nannies, it's all in
the one price. It means that people feel like they're
being dealt with fairly, they're being dealt with openly, They're
being dealt with honestly. When you look at that price,
it compares very favorably to when you look at going
(40:37):
on vacation and you have to swipe your credit card
for breakfast, and you go to swipe it for lunch.
Anything you want to do is another slip. We've tried to.
Speaker 2 (40:46):
It's so true and you have done exactly that. And
the best part about it is there is no swipe,
there is no considering of that during your week there
you are there in this unbelievably unique setence wedding. You
are being cared for in a way I truly have
not experienced ever. And you're right, it's it's comparable with
(41:08):
the vacation you're taking when you're swiping all day long
and trying to figure out things to do, you know,
And the truth is all of that has been thought
of for you and curated in such a unique way.
I still think about those meals, I still think about
that table setting. I still think about all of the antiques,
and I can picture my husband picking up the little
you know, the little milk spoons for the beautiful coffee cups,
(41:31):
and you guys have done such an extraordinary job of
creating something very special. Houston, please give the website one
more time.
Speaker 3 (41:38):
The website is Bluefields Vows dot com and we're in
SLH property here in Jamaica.
Speaker 2 (41:43):
Well, Houston, Kate, I adore you both. It was such
a memorable experience. We can't wait to get back to you.
I hope everybody listening goes online to check it out
and books an awesome vacation.
Speaker 4 (41:52):
Thank you, guys, Thank you so much, Thank you so much,
and we'll see you next week.
Speaker 2 (41:57):
Now it's time for sixty minutes
You're listening to Food for Thought with Billy and Jenny,
brought to you by the Box Center. For more than
fifteen years, this dining duo has been eating their way
through New England, mixing it up with top chefs, jumping
behind the line of the hottest restaurants and giving you
the inside scoop on where to wine, dine and spend
your time. So get ready, it's Food for Thought giving
(00:20):
you something to chew on.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Hey, everybody, welcome into Food for Thought, brought to you
by the Box Center. Today we're taking a trip. We're
going to the Caribbean. More specifically, we're going to Jamaica.
Certainly it's a place that all of you have heard of,
and maybe the first thing that comes to mind is
reggae culture Bob Marley obviously a thriving tourist destination. To
(00:44):
orient you in case you aren't familiar, we're Seuth of
Cuba or west of Haybe. This is a place that's
really rich in history, really rich in biodiversity. I personally
had never been until this past April when my little tribe,
my two girls, and my husband went for vacation and
we came back so in love with this special island.
(01:09):
I knew we had to dedicate a show to it,
and for listeners who haven't been there, haven't had it
on the raidar, haven't been there in a long time,
we wanted to give you a reason to think about
it now. So today we're going to talk to the
proprietors of Bluefield Bay Villas and Swee, which is this
oasis on part of the island over a little about
an hour from the airport and it's a luxurious, all
(01:32):
inclusive escape. Our guests are going to be Houston Monkkiir,
who was born in Montego Bay, went to Temple University
and he's been working as the chief operating Officer of
Bluefields Base since he graduated in two thousand and eight
and he oversees the properties day to day. And then
Kate Davinson, and she was actually born in Alexandria, Egypt.
(01:53):
This woman grew up all over the world with her
USAID parents and she's been in the hospitality into for
twenty years and now is a director over at blue Field.
So we're so excited to welcome you guys to the program. Houston,
I'm going to start with you because blue Field and
Jamaica has been a part of your life for your
entire life, So can you share a little bit of
(02:15):
background with us and how your parents came to find
this little slice of heaven.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Good morning. Hi, My name is Houston Moncure. Yes, my
mother went into labor with me in Mullion Cove, which
was the original villa that we had here. They found
blue Fields in the mid to early eighties. They had
both fallen in love independently with Jamaica and just decided
(02:46):
that it was just such a unique and wonderful place
that they wanted to set some roots down. So, after
a long search throughout the entire island, they came across
Blue Fields and thought it was the most beautiful place
they'd ever seen. And it was incredible remote, And at
(03:06):
the point where they were about to make the purchase,
my mother turned to my father and said, do you
think that it's way too remote here? And he turned
to her and said, we're probably going to think it's
not remote enough. Eventually. Wow, it literally was almost beyond
(03:27):
the map. We didn't have phones here until nineteen ninety.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Wow. And so your parents your parents were from the
United States and they both found Jamaica and this particular
part went prior to you guys having kids, is to
them having kids. Is that right correct?
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Yeah? My father is from Alexandria, Virginia, and my mother
is from Long Island. Wow.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
And obviously so much has transpired and changed since they
brought that. But you were born at Jamaican.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
I was born in Jamaican. I'm born here. You know.
When they got here, what they found they just thought
was so special. They wanted to keep it, you know,
as close to exactly the way it was that they could.
And part of that is instilling in your children that
(04:26):
there are some things that need to be kept. There
are some things traditions and traditions, the antique furniture that
you want to honor and respect.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Well, yeah, I definitely want to talk a little bit
more of what people can expect visually as they're hearing
about this, likely for the first time. But so they
had this home that they purchased, and you guys spent
a lot of time there kind of going back and forth,
as I imagine, and then and then the property expanded.
So tell me a little bit about your mom is
an architect and your father and how they're on both
(05:04):
their passions came to sort of expand what has become
this extraordinary and now expansive property.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
So yes, my mother is an architect to trained architects.
She went to pen architecture school over the years. Over
the years, they just had more and more houses along
the bay offered to them, and they just couldn't say no.
And then they also had land raw land offered to them.
(05:35):
So that's how we ended up with six villas just organically.
Over time. They bought three and heavily renovated them. They
built another three from the ground up, and then most
recently we added the four suites which made us Bluefield's
Bay Villas and Suites, which is more of a hotel
(05:57):
product that we've also done from the ground up just
a couple of years ago. All of the ground up
is my mother's brainchild. She has this method of building
where everything has a seaview. Every room. She turns the
buildings so that everything has a seaview. And then my
(06:21):
father is just a massive antique china and crystal stemware collector.
We're the largest holder of Jamaican antiques in the world.
And so he'll go to the ends of the earth
finding and repatriating Jamaican antiques back to Jamaica.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
I want to talk more about the antiques and I
want to talk more about the architecture, because we have
to give people an idea of just how unique these
properties are. You will never see your experience anything quite
like it, and it does. It shows sort of the
eccentricity of of both of your parents and kind of
the and just like the unique desires that they have
(07:06):
to sort of preserve this old world's feel in such
a beautiful setting. We are going to take a break
and we're going to be back with Houston to talk
a lot more about Bluefields and to talk a lot
more about Jamaica because as a person who's born up
there his entire life, he has a very unique perspective
and I think it's going to be worth adding to
everyone's vacation list in the upcoming futures. We'll take a break,
(07:27):
we'll be back with more Food for Thoughts in just
a minute.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
You're listening to Food for Thought brought to you by
the Box Center and Salem Waterfront Hotel and Sweet.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
Welcome back to Food for Thoughts brought to you by
the Box Center. We're taking you to Jamaica this week,
giving you a little vacation, or at least an idea
of the vacation you should be planning. Right now. We're
talking to the proprietors of Bluefields Bay Villas and Sweeps,
the place that I was lucky enough to stay in
this past April, talking to Houston and Kate. But Houston,
we were just talking about your parents and how they
(07:58):
happened upon this literal little slice of heaven. Can you
tell folks where Bluefield Bay is on the island?
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Actually, so, Bluefield's Bay is on the what's called the
unspoiled South Coast for those who are familiar with Jamaica Jamaica.
Kingston is the capital of Jamaica, but it actually doesn't
have the busiest airport on western Jamaica. Kingston's in the east,
(08:29):
Montigo Bay is in the west, and Mintiga in the
northwest corner of the island. And Mintigo Bay actually has
the busiest airport in the country. It's because it's near
all of the more tourist areas. But if you fly
into Mintigo Bay and go directly across the island to
the sleepy South Coast, that's where you find Bluefield's Bay.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Well, it's so true because it's it's preserved in such
a different way, and it really is such a different
experience and such a unique experience. Yes upon your mom
and dad and sort of both their unique passions and
the unique work that they've studied. Talk about the antiques
because it's unlike anything that you've seen, and then also
talk about how you connect with the Jamaican community in
(09:15):
some of the furniture that people can appreciate inside the villas.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
So the antiques are a sort of passion that my
father and my mother had before they even got here.
They were, you know, my dad being a Virginian at heart.
When you ask him where is he from, he says
he's a Virginian. His family for generations had collected old
(09:46):
Virginia antiques, and upon getting to Jamaica and seeing the
quality and the history behind so many of the pieces,
he was hooked. And with that he's gone around collecting pieces.
I mean, we had bedposts that are in one of
the bedrooms at Mullyan Cove where Sotheby's came to look
(10:09):
at them and said that we were absolutely crazy that
a full double helix bedpost is not even repairable anymore
because the skills to build that have have died out.
And uh, you know a lot putting that in a
rental property. But you know, the philosophy is, in many
(10:32):
ways these pieces don't deserve to sort of just go
into storage. They deserve to be seen and used by
people and appreciate and appreciate the the use case of
you know, a sideboard that has a specific rack just
for the coffee cups that that that that was thought
about in those days. So you know, it's been a
(10:57):
lifelong passion of going around and selecting nice old pieces
from any dealers here such as Waynezraala, who my father
probably talks to once a week. Also you know Jamaican
art that we have up on the wall as well.
(11:18):
There are really good old pieces.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
I'm sorry, Yeah, that's it's a really good point, Houston
that when you think of these antiques, you often think
of them in a way that they're they're behind some
kind of shell or the behind glass, like something that
you can't experience. And what is so unique about this
is it does it almost transform you, transforms you back
to a time when these pieces were being used and
yet you know, here you are in twenty twenty five
(11:42):
in this magical setting. So as opposed to being something
that shouldn't be touched, shouldn't be used, this is really
giving people an opportunity to appreciate the antiques that they are.
And you're about to make mention some Jamaicans. I know,
there's a lot of furniture that's there that's actually been
created from some local folks.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Correct. So the way that that started is we collected
some dining room chairs, but we didn't have enough of them,
and so we actually worked with local artisans to copy them,
and so many of the dining room chairs that we
have there is one original, but then the rest were
(12:24):
copies that have been locally made by local artisans, know
more than about five miles away from the resort. More recently,
even our outdoor furniture is all built in house. Will
go through, we'll look at designs, and then we've got
three full time carpenters that work here at the resort
(12:46):
that spend their days creating pieces where we need a piece,
repairing pieces, skillfully repairing old antique pieces, restoring them back
to it would have looked originally.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
And one of the reasons I knew we needed a
whole show for this is this is not the kind
of place that you can read a paragraph about online
and understand it. I mean, the unique nature of the
way that you have put these sort of compilation of
villas together and sweet stick out together is truly unique.
I mean, I've had the pleasure of traveling to a
lot of different places, and I really truly never seen
(13:22):
anything quite like this. Okay, so we've given this idea
of what you can experience inside some of these villas,
but talk about the landscapes because it's so striking and
really speaks to kind of the unique biodiversity that is
in Jamaica.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
So what's really important to us as a as a
resort is to make sure that people when they come
here see and get a feel for the biodiversity of Jamaica.
So when we're building a new house, we'll actually go
(13:58):
and we'll walk the proper and look for the trees
that are very nice trees, and my mother will actually
draw the house around the trees so that we keep
as much of the good trees as possible. Once we
go through with that, we sit down and we look
(14:20):
at the different spaces and we look at you know
what is the light that's there, What is the nutrients
that we can get? How much water is that bed
going to get? And we work with the landscape architect
in trying to show off as much of the different
types of unique plants that you don't get in North
(14:42):
America by and large because the climate is different and
Jamaica is the tropics, so that when people are even
just sitting here on a patio, they have a lot
to look at, just with the flora and fauna, you know,
looking at at different plants and that will flower in
(15:03):
different seasons, so there's always something to look at. Is
certainly something that we spend a lot of time thinking about.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
Well, tell me what people are looking at, because from
each of these spaces, not only are they looking at
some of these plants and trees that you just described,
but they're also looking at the water right correct.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
We are right on the water right along the Southern Caribbean.
One of the things that's wonderful about Bluefields is we're
on the leeward side of the island and so we've
got a mountain range next to us that blocks all
the wind. So when you look out every morning, it
looks like a lake, but it's actually you know, the
Caribbean Sea that you're looking at. We don't get big waves,
(15:45):
we don't need barrier reefs. I mean, we have reefs
for snorkeling close by, but what you're looking at is
just stunning and expansive and you know, you can see
all the way out to the horizon. It's just calm,
and it just leads to that sense of inner peace
that by and larger visitors got when they're here. Is
(16:09):
they're they're just they're hitting the pause button on their
life and just taking a moment to be in the
moment and recharge.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
We're going to talk to Kate and our next break,
but I want to also reference for folks who don't
only want to spend time in the ocean, that you
also made sure that there are pools accessible for the villas.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Absolutely every villa has its own pool in our four
suites share pool, and.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
So's there's so many different opportunities in the way that
you know, you the whole team that you've created, and
that's really what I'm going to talk to Kate about,
is everyone has like their specific role. You mentioned the
carpenter as you makes me mention the landscape artists, and
everyone's attention to detail is so clear as you sort
of meander through the properties over the core of your vacation.
(17:01):
And one of the things that I think is great
that I also want to touch upon is you've made
so many different changes to make things so kid accessible,
to make sure that there's plenty of families that are
able to come there. I think one of the great
I think adventures of parenting is trying to figure out
how you actually can enjoy a vacation while being a
parent to younger kids and not feeling like you kind
(17:23):
of just picked up your life and plopped it somewhere else.
And what you guys have created there is an opportunity
for both, of course, couples, groups of friends, but certainly
families to actually feel like you are having a true, relaxing,
unplugged vacation. We're going to take a break. We're going
to talk more with Houston, but we're going to meet
(17:43):
Kate to hear more about Bluefield's day out there in Jamaica.
Hope it feels like you guys are getting a little
vacation too. We'll be back with more food for thought
in just a minute.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
You're listening to Food for Thought, brought to you by
It's the Box Center and Saale on Waterfront Hotel in sweets.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
Welcome back to Food for Thought. We're talking about Jamaica.
We're trying to take you to a trip to Jamaica actually,
or suggest that this might be a place that you
want to add on to your radar. So Bluefields Bay
is a place that I had the chance to say
we just talked to Houston, whose family built this special oasis,
and Kate, I'm so excited to chat with you because
I think one of the great things about what you're
(18:18):
able to do is is digest this beautiful property and
create a way for people to really understand what the
opportunity is. So who is the person that's vacationing with
you at Bluefield's Bay.
Speaker 4 (18:33):
Bluefield's Bay is a year round destination for everyone, and
that's one of the things that I think is really
important to focus on. It's not just for families, it's
not just for young couples. We have people who first
came here forty years ago and have now come back
after their kids are all out of the house, and
they just come back as an older couple who want
to get away you know, people come as a young family,
(18:54):
and they come when the kids are little and they
can travel any time, and then they now the kids
are older, they come back for vacations when you know,
children are out of school. So we are somewhere that
everyone can find joy and happiness and you know, appreciate
the beauty around them. We offer something for every single
traveler at any time.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
Of the year.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
I know, just because I was there for one of them.
You do a lot of I mean, obviously those those
very special occasions like your you know, when you get
engaged or after you get married, or your honeymoon, so
those are also pieces, but that is also sort of
just a place that people repeat and come to the
year over year, Is that right, correct?
Speaker 4 (19:35):
I mean our team love special occasions, So if you
have a special occasion, absolutely come here. They you know,
send me requests for all sorts of decorations every few months.
It's like we get more of this, and can we
get more of this, and they will decorate everything and
just make your occasion momentous and incredible and unforgettable. But
(19:56):
you know, also every day is like that. On a
lesser level, it may not be as grand and over
the top of a special occasion. But every dinner you
have here will be candles and flowers and beautifully, you know,
decorated tables. So there's nothing, you know, every day here
is special.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
Yeah, it's so interesting that you said that. In our
next break, I really want to touch upon that. But
the idea of customization is something that I think is
so true to the experience that you offer to your guests.
You know, we all hear about you know, customizing your experience,
customizing your wedding, creating these special opportunities. I've never thought
(20:37):
of it in a way like I had after being
a Bluefield So the way that you really created something
special for each individual made it so unique and so
special and made it feel like a nice family. We're
going to take a break. We'll be back with more
with Kate and Houston in just a minute.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
You're listening to Food for Thought brought to you by
It's the Box Center and Sale and Waterfront Hotel and Sweets.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
Welcome back to Food for Thoughts brought to you by
the Box Center. We're taking you to Jamaica. We're talking
to Jamaica and Bluefield's Bay in particular this week. It's
okay we were talking about the customization that takes place.
Can you share some specific examples, maybe someone from a couple,
someone from a family. What are some of the things
that you offer when someone is spending the week or
(21:22):
more with you.
Speaker 4 (21:25):
Well, I think one of the most important things to
focus on is dietary customization because so often different parts
people in the family will have different dietary needs. Some
people may have, you know, gluten intolerance or dairy intolerance,
and it's hard to find somewhere which truly customizes for
those intolerances, while everyone else can still enjoy the food
that they want to eat. So for that, we are
(21:48):
one of the kind. If you come stay in our villas,
we will customize and then you completely based on what
everyone's looking for, what you like, what you enjoy, what
you don't like in any you know, allergies or restrictions
someone in the party may have, Which doesn't mean if
someone can't eat they're your gluten or soy. Everyone else
has to avoid those, but that one person will be
(22:11):
sure that they don't have to worry about the food
they eat. So dietary is a big one. The other
one is sort of you know, if you have kids,
the nanny and staff. Some people come here and they
want to be alone. They don't want people all around them,
even though they're in a villa that is fully staffed.
So you know, we can customize that. Do you want
a nanny to be around for eight hours a day,
do you want to add on more hours, or do
(22:32):
you want someone to just be there in case you
need them. We want to make sure that we cater
to everyone's needs with their family, with also elders. If
you come with elderly parents, you know, and the parents
can't get down this stairs very well, or they have
the mobility issues, we will have one of our staff
members be there in case they need someone to help
them along the way. Those are two really important things.
(22:54):
Those things are excursions. Some people want to come. They
just want to hang out. They don't want to do anything.
They want to sit by the pool. You want to
drink you know, frozen drinks, and you know, stay on property.
Other people want to see everything Jamaica has to offer,
and we will put together a package for them. We'll
set the excursions up, we will arrange the drivers, the entrance, everything,
(23:17):
so all you have to do is get here, bring
the proper footwear and you know, clothing and get in
the boss and go. We make sure that everything's tailored
to exactly what you want.
Speaker 2 (23:30):
Well, one of the things that I loved is in
talking to you in preparation from our trip. There was
questions like, Okay, so should we go here, should we
go there? Here's the excursions you offer. I think we'll
do this this day and that that day. And I
think by day two I remember calling you and saying
I don't want to leave, like I just I don't
want to leave. I want to stay here. I don't
want to go anywhere else. And you know, from the
(23:52):
onset that seems impossible to me and my husband. It
was like, how could we possibly stay in one place
for one week? We're just so used to moving around
so much. And there's something about the down shifting that
takes place, in the fact that everything, like you said,
is taken care of, that made it just you just
didn't want to leave. You reference the team. I want
(24:12):
to take some time to talk about the team, because
you know, in in you know now it's been a
couple months since we've been there. And then looking back,
I will say it was the It was the kind
of the warmth, the genuine hospitality, the commitment that every
single member of your team has that made this a
second to none vacation. Tell us a little bit about
(24:35):
what the team looks like.
Speaker 4 (24:39):
You know, our team is just phenomenal. You can start
with some of the team members who have been here
for as long as my husband's been alive, and probably
a little bit longer. Percy actually drove my mother in
law to the hospital to have Houston and Rachel, his sister.
He's still part of our team. In fact, he's at
(25:00):
my house right now picking up some friends to bring
them over to come stay for a few nights. And
he is just the knowledge this man has of Jamaica.
And he stops and shows you this and shows you
that he showed me how Pineapple grew their day because
I actually had no idea. You know, he's been here forever. Carmen,
she's been here since the late eighties. Miss Sharon, who
(25:21):
is a housekeeper at hermitage, you know, she's been here
since late eighties. These people are just an institution at Jamaica,
and they sort of they started out, they started a
trend really of people coming in and becoming family. So
you have the old timers who've been here forever, and
then you have the new people, the younger generation. Our
guest services team is made up by some just incredible,
(25:42):
incredible ladies, and you know they live, breathe, and eat
guest services. Someone will message at eleven PM and they
write them back before I even have a chance to.
They love what they do and they love making people happy,
and that's sort of what we're all trying to do here.
You know, every team member at Bluefields is so good
at reading people and understanding what they're looking for. So
(26:04):
when you come in and they'll all greet you as
soon as you arrive. The guest services will be there
with your entire villa team, and you know, the nannies
will be there and the housekeeper and the chef and
I mean they're just they work together and it's such
a beautiful thing to see because people people come from
who have been your ages and ages ago. We'll write
(26:26):
an email to my in laws and be like, oh,
I just talk to this team member or this team member.
It's like they stay in touch because they become family
with our guests as well.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
That's exactly what happens. I mean, my girls still ask
for kiky kk and like, you know, talk about everybody
and the experiences that they had with with everyone, and
it does. It becomes like this extended family because you know,
you're you're spending your days together. They're supporting you in
ways that don't feel like they're intrusive in the slightest.
(26:57):
You know, it just feels like they're there. It's you
need them to be and otherwise they're sort of taking
care of everything. I mean, just the culinary experience alone
is something we have to spend a lot of time
discussing because I know it's been a real focus for
you and your family as as things have evolved. We're
going to take a quick break. We'll be back with
(27:18):
more Food for Thoughts Rapsy by the Box Center.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
In just a minute, you're listening to Food for Thought.
Rough to you buying the Box Center and sale and
Waterfront Hotel and sweets.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Welcome back to Food but Thoughts Rassi by the Box Center, Houston.
I want to talk about the culinary experience that people
will have when they're staying with you, either in the
villas or the suits. Because listen, everyone knows in this
show I have dined at some of it. I've been
lucky to have the ining be my career and I've
dined at some of the greatest spots probably in the world,
(27:49):
and I will say that this was a world class
dining experience. And that's not something that happens by accidents, obviously,
that's something that you spent a lot of time curating.
So to heell people about the corner experience they'll have
with you.
Speaker 3 (28:04):
Well, first off, I'm going to take the win on that.
Thank you for the wonderful compliment. Our philosophy is this,
if you want to deliver really good food, you have
to start with your ingredients. And so what we do
is we work with as many local farmers as possible
(28:26):
to source as much as we can from as close
to the resort as possible. I mean, the eggs that
we serve come from just a few hundred yards away.
The way that we have developed our storeroom, it is
so that produce can literally just walk in and so
(28:48):
fish produce, eggs can just walk right into the storeroom.
We can look at it, we can decide if it's
at a high enough grade for what it is that
we want to serve. Next thing is when we look
at menu what we really try and do is offer
an elevated Jamaican concept with a twist, so that the
(29:13):
food is accessible and not too far from home base.
But at the same time you are getting a Jamaican
experience with at least some element that's there. So I'll
give you a for instance, the way that Jamaicans normally
do currg goat. They'll take a goat and sort of
(29:36):
hack it up with a cleaver, and the Jamaicans actually
enjoy sucking on the bones and getting to the marrow
and the cartilage and stuff like that, not exactly appetizing
to somebody from the US. So we actually we do
the same flavors and the same process using New Zealand lamp.
(30:00):
The lamb and the goat have a very similar texture
and you know, sort of presence, but you get the
same experience of flavor and a different flavor than what
you're used to from home. You know, another dish that's
(30:20):
quite popular and growing in popularity actually in the US
is oxtail. A brown stow oxtail is a very staple
dish in Jamaica. And you know, from the last time
I was up in the States, I saw Costco carrying
some beautiful oxtail, which really goes to show how much
(30:42):
how much popularity it's gained in the US. Uh. The
problem with oxtail is you have to pick up the
bones and and sort of suck on the tailbone that's intiale,
which can sometimes be neither elegant nor sort of familiar.
So we do the same thing with short rib same recipe,
(31:02):
but we use short ribs so that you have something
that looks familiar, has a familiar presence on the plate,
but you get that Jamaican flavor. But you know, full
stop what people love us for the fruits and the
vegetables because that just it's so fresh. You know, by
(31:24):
and large, Jamaica is an organic island, not because people
have made a conscious choice, but fertilizers are expensive and
so and so are pesticides and so so many of
the small plot farmers that we work with to get
so much of what we get end up not using
(31:44):
any of that, and so we get really nice fresh stuff.
And that's the forest of the food.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
Well, and it makes such a difference. You can tell
that a lot of that fruit was you know, pulled
from the ground just yesterday, and just the flavor of it.
I mean, I care so much about organically and sustainably
grown foods and that you could taste in every single bite,
and you made sure that so much of this was
also grown on property. Right, So a lot of the
(32:12):
herbs that are used and a lot of the sauces
are right from right there on your property.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
That's true. I actually I put a nerb garden right
next to our storeroom, so they literally just have to
walk outside with a pair of scissors and they can
cut the basil, both ty and genovesea. We've got parsley,
We've got time, coriander, cilantro, it's all right there. We're
(32:40):
working on processes for doing our own tomatoes and lettuce
and doing them hydroponically right here as well.
Speaker 2 (32:51):
And it's worth sort of setting the scene so for breakfast, lunch,
and dinner times that you are customizing for your family
for that particular is always discussed at the end of
every day, right Why because you may have a fisherman
that came in that day with a gorgeous piece of
fish that may be an opportunity for you to have
that night that's that fresh, or you or they may
(33:13):
be introducing some different things that come at them every day.
I mean, this is scratch kitchen at its finest. So
you're waking up in the morning, you're having multiple courses
for breakfast, you know, different things for lunch and dinner.
And as Kate mentioned, if one of you has a
restriction but the others don't, it doesn't mean that the
other person needs to follow that, which is pretty amazing.
Speaker 3 (33:34):
So yes, as Kate said, we will go through and
we will plan a menu. It doesn't mean that we
will stick to the menu. Because if we have incredibly
beautiful fish come walking in, we look at each other
and we go it's time to pivot. There's no better
time for that fish to taste than right then, and
so we want to use as much of it up
(33:57):
before we have to freeze it as possible. You'll never
get it better, You'll never taste better than right then.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
Yeah, it's so unbelievably fresh. And I also loved being
able to talk with the chefs. They're very talented chefs
who have had pretty incredible training that I know. You've
also helped facilitate some connections between chefs and the States
to make sure that the program is constantly evolving. Is
that right.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
Yeah, So I think we're incredibly unique in that we've
got an executive chef who's actually based out of South Carolina.
He'll come down three or four times a year and
we'll do a sort of knowledge exchange. At this point,
before it was a lot of classes, but now it's
sort of a knowledge exchange, and that's where the fusion
(34:44):
happens between them and he and going through everything. But
as you might have noticed, some of your chefs for
summer season will go and then't work in the nice
the restaurants up in New England, work in resorts up there,
and then they'll come back to us for winter season.
(35:05):
We actually we have no issues with that whatsoever. We're
sort of happy to make sure that our people get
some really great experiences within their life as well.
Speaker 2 (35:19):
M that's true, and and I think that's how the
blend of the flavors comes together. And and and you
can tell how passionate they are for the food that
is native to them, but also what they're learning from
other foods. That's that's important. You also have a great
wine list. I want to let folks know, Oh, thank you.
Speaker 3 (35:37):
I spent a lot of time well Kate and I
collectively have spent a lot of time tasting every wine
to make sure that it uh, it's good enough to.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
Go on our wine list, and and and and so
obviously you can pair certain wines with your meals, and
and and and and and and just making sure that
every detail is is met. And I want to ask
Kate a little bit about some of the excursions that
you guys offer on property, because you're so connected to
Jamaica and because you ever so connected to the community.
(36:12):
There was one excursion that we did, even though I
said we didn't do many, which because there was no
reason to leave. There was one called Whyas Falls that
I enjoyed so much. Tell the folks about it.
Speaker 4 (36:22):
Whyis Falls is just the most beautiful setting. So you
pull up and it's like this little building and you
sort of where am I going? And then you get
on a little jitney and you travel through the Jamaican
countryside and it's actually a thoroughbred farm, so you see
all these horses everywhere and cows as well, and you're
sort of winding through here and there, and there's rivers,
and the closer you get, you just like you're going
(36:44):
deeper into the Jamaican Jungle, and you come to this
just phenomenal spot where it's got a waterfall that's so
tall and so many tiers it leads in it leads
to a couple of different little extremes and everything. But
they also have a freshwater pool that you can go
in right at the bottom of the waterfalls, so you
can go in the falls themselves, or sometimes it's rainy season,
(37:07):
you know you don't want to go in that water,
so you can fill in one of those pools. And
they also have an area to the side where like
there's two more pools which have you know, shallow areas
for kids to play in and all of that right,
so it's every experience they have met with the drinks there.
Speaker 2 (37:24):
So picturesque, and you guys created the perfect picnic day
and we were able to have food from chef that
day and jump in the falls and jump off of
this swinging rope and it just really felt like an adventure,
like you were part of this special island and the
culture of this special island. We're going to take a
break and we'll be back with more Food for Thought
in just a minute.
Speaker 1 (37:41):
You're listening to Food for Thought brought to you buy
the box center and sale in Waterfront Hotel in sweet
I knew I.
Speaker 2 (37:47):
Needed a whole show for this conversation, and we could
probably do so many more.
Speaker 4 (37:52):
Kate.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
We mentioned whys Falls, this great day trip that we
took when we were there visiting you. But there's a
lot of things that you offer right there on property.
Tell me about some of them.
Speaker 4 (38:02):
I would say my favorite thing is a sunset cruise.
You go down to the beach and you go out
on our awesome boat and the you know, they pick
coconut so you can drink fresh coconut jelly water on
the boat. We'll have your butler go down with you,
so there's you know, you're cooler with all your favorite
beverages in it. They'll bring appetizers if you're going before dinner.
If you have an early dinner and want to go afterwards,
(38:22):
we'll bring you know, your desserts with you. And it's
just amazing. I mean, you can't get any better than
being out on the water while the sun is setting.
You know, all the lights are glittering on the on
the hillside and you can see your villa, and I
mean it's breathtaking. It really is.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
And then of course there's kayaks and paddle boards and
you took us snorkeling for one day, and just to
be able to see the beautiful part of the island
from the water is such a unique opportunity. You have
those great like I don't know what are they like bike,
you know, like ride your bike and your bikes yeah,
side drop bikes. You have so many different activities down
(39:00):
there for the kids obviously, all the shovels and tails
that they want to be able to enjoy.
Speaker 4 (39:05):
Well Kaenga experience.
Speaker 2 (39:08):
Yes, Tanzenga. You made it such a memorable experience. I
loved being able to be there and now be able
to tell people about it. I want to ask Houston,
one thing that I know that you've really committed to
is making sure that this can be something that's accessible.
When I tell people about this, I think it sounds like,
oh God, this has only got to be for a
very exclusive few and it's really not, so tell me
(39:30):
about that.
Speaker 3 (39:32):
So I think the first thing that was very important
to us when we sat out to offer this was
transparency and giving people a price that was the price.
So you know, for instance, there's been all this you know,
talk in the hotel industry about resort fees stuff like that.
(39:54):
What's been very important to us is that when people
come to our website bluefieldsvillos dot com and they look
at what the price is, that is an all inclusive price,
that is an all inclusive price for a premium luxury vacation.
And when you look at it, because we have included
so much in there, the club mobay that meets you
(40:15):
and takes you through the airport, the this, the that,
all the food, the beverage, the nannies, it's all in
the one price. It means that people feel like they're
being dealt with fairly, they're being dealt with openly, They're
being dealt with honestly. When you look at that price,
it compares very favorably to when you look at going
(40:37):
on vacation and you have to swipe your credit card
for breakfast, and you go to swipe it for lunch.
Anything you want to do is another slip. We've tried to.
Speaker 2 (40:46):
It's so true and you have done exactly that. And
the best part about it is there is no swipe,
there is no considering of that during your week there
you are there in this unbelievably unique setence wedding. You
are being cared for in a way I truly have
not experienced ever. And you're right, it's it's comparable with
(41:08):
the vacation you're taking when you're swiping all day long
and trying to figure out things to do, you know,
And the truth is all of that has been thought
of for you and curated in such a unique way.
I still think about those meals, I still think about
that table setting. I still think about all of the antiques,
and I can picture my husband picking up the little
you know, the little milk spoons for the beautiful coffee cups,
(41:31):
and you guys have done such an extraordinary job of
creating something very special. Houston, please give the website one
more time.
Speaker 3 (41:38):
The website is Bluefields Vows dot com and we're in
SLH property here in Jamaica.
Speaker 2 (41:43):
Well, Houston, Kate, I adore you both. It was such
a memorable experience. We can't wait to get back to you.
I hope everybody listening goes online to check it out
and books an awesome vacation.
Speaker 4 (41:52):
Thank you, guys, Thank you so much, Thank you so much,
and we'll see you next week.
Speaker 2 (41:57):
Now it's time for sixty minutes
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.