Culinary Artists

CULINARY ARTISTS Bootleg Chocolates

Mother and Daughter Duo Bringing an Adventurous Flair to Chocolate Making

By Nikia Wells Photographs Courtesy Of Nikia Wells and Bootleg Chocolates

Daphne and Amanda Ormerod are the mother-daughter duo behind Bootleg Chocolates. Amanda noted that the company was named in honour of her Granny, who was originally from Inagua but lived in West End, Grand Bahama during the prohibition era. Granny would often share her childhood adventures from that time where bootleggers and rum runners would traverse The Bahamas. The pair drew inspiration from her stories to create the branding behind their unique chocolate company and has infused a bit of that adventurous spirit into their confections.

Daphne, who has been a chocolatier for over 15 years, studied at Callebaut’s Chocolate Academy in Canada after enjoying a high-flying stint as a Bahamasair flight attendant. She also enjoys drawing inspiration from Bahamian culture, flavours and ingredients for the company’s decadent chocolates, caramels and ice cream sandwiches.

The ice cream sandwiches at Bootleg Chocolates are infused with decadent chocolate ganache Mother and daughter chocolate duo Daphne and Amanda Ormerod

Daphne and Amanda are dedicated to making all of their chocolates by hand with quality local ingredients

“I always loved chocolate. I’ve done a lot of traveling and it’s always something that people would gravitate to,” she said.

Amanda, who handles the company’s marketing and branding efforts, has a background in advertising. She has worked with several companies around the world and was introduced to the science of chocolate at UC, Davis. In recent years, she has worked with her mother to expand the Bootleg brand into hotels and retail stores around the country.

Bootleg Chocolates features many Bahamian-inspired flavours like Gully Wash, Guava Duff, Honey Rock Salt and Goat Pepper (to name a few). But despite their growth, Daphne and Amanda are still dedicated to making everything by hand with local, quality ingredients. The ice cream is infused with house made chocolate ganache. The caramel is handmade, and the chocolates are all tempered, flavoured, shaped and designed at their Port Lucaya location. UA

Bootleg Chocolates features many Bahamian inspired flavors, like Gully Wash, Guava Duff, Honey Rock Salt, and Goat Pepper Bootleg Chocolates are now available on several islands around The Bahamas Chocolatier Daphne uses her artistic background to add unique designs to each chocolate and caramel that they create

Pastry Artists Ivana Moncur

Ivana Moncur is an accomplished pastry chef who initially developed her culinary skills at The College of The Bahamas (now University of The Bahamas) and Johnson & Wales University in North Miami, before joining the Atlantis resort. But it took several years for this talented cake artist to take the plunge into entrepreneurship.

“My grandparents baked,” said Chef Ivana. “They had me in the kitchen with them from a very young age. It was a Sunday tradition and it just grew on me. I didn’t even really know that I wanted to be a chef at first; I just knew that I loved to bake. And when I started my career, I knew that I wanted to open my own pastry shop.”

After a series of pop-up events, Chef Ivana officially opened Bake House—her very own bakery that specializes in donuts, cookies and other pastries—which married her passion for baking with international food trends.

“I’m inspired by my home. Being from The Bahamas, I love using tropical flavours and I often get new ideas from pastry trends from around the world. I love learning about new ingredients. I also love being authentic to the things that make me happy. There is no better feeling than being in the kitchen, creating something and feeling so proud about the end result.”

Since Bake House officially opened its doors at its permanent location in the Old Fort Town Center, Chef Ivana said that she has received an outpouring of support.

“We share a space with Mudda Freeze, which is my husband’s [Chef Wayne Moncur] company, and we often see familiar faces. We truly have some wonderful and loyal customers.”

In addition to Bake House, Chef Ivana is also the owner of Tier Cake Loft which specializes in custom cakes. UA

Chef Ivana Moncur

Building a Community One Donut at a Time

By Nikia Wells Photographs Courtesy Of Jamika Danielle

Bake House has been steadily expanding their brand since their initial launch as a pasty popup.

Savoring the delicious selection

Bake House was originally known for their decadent cookies and donuts, but their menu now includes a wide range of freshly baked pastries

Bake House pastries are baked fresh daily at their Old Fort Town Center location.

CULINARY ARTISTS

Model Samia Rutherford

Chef Wayne Moncur

Creating Out-of-the-Box Decadence

By Nikia Wells Photographs Courtesy Of JB Photography and Model Photograph Courtesy Of Scharad Lightbourne

Chef Wayne Moncur has a passion for Bahamian art, culture, cuisine and history and, over the years, he has diligently worked to incorporate elements of his upbringing and background into his culinary creations. After graduating from Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island, Chef Wayne honed his skills as an executive chef and restaurant consultant. But his love for food began in the kitchens of his grandmother, mother and aunt who introduced him to the basics of Bahamian cooking.

While Chef Wayne’s love for the simple yet robust flavours of his childhood never wavered, he enjoys utilizing classic techniques and simple ingredients to create unexpected flavour combinations.

“I am inspired by people who are game changers, leaders and innovators. And I always had a very strong desire to preserve Bahamian culture and heritage,” said Chef Wayne. Mudda Freeze’s diverse ranges of flavours are all made by hand and include locally sourced ingredients

The chef noted that he enjoys evoking emotion through food and that when he launched Mudda Freeze (an ice cream parlour located in the Old Fort Town Center), he wanted to weave familiar and cherished flavours together in unique ways.

Mudda Freeze’s menu includes options like Berry & Hibiscus Jam, Sky Juice, Soursop Caramel, Oatmeal Cookie Miso Eggplant and Chocolate Black Velvet Brownie, as well as several other ever-rotating flavours that feature seasonal fruits and local ingredients.

“I wanted to create a Bahamian-made, Bahamian-inspired and Bahamian-driven product for Bahamians.”

He notes that he also wanted his Mudda Freeze confections to still be able to be enjoyed and appreciated by people around the world.

Chef Wayne plans to bring his unique approach to food and ice cream making to the world stage very soon. UA

The Mudda Freeze brand is meant to be innovative, vibrant, engaging and a bit unorthodox