MEET THE MASTERS
MEET THE MASTERS
Meet the Masters by Susan Campbell Aruba’s food and beverage professionals are an eclectic collection of dedicated professionals striving to be the best at their craft and always seeking new ways to improve the overall hospitality experience. They come from near and far, but true masters all have one thing in common: a passion for excellence.
Every successful food and beverage establishment knows that it can take an entire team of dedicated and talented professionals to make a place rise above the rest. Even those with celebrity star chefs know that if the front of the house doesn’t mesh with the back of the house in common goals, communication, and knowledge of what they serve and the vibe they want to portray, the customers will feel a disconnect. No matter how lovely the locale or enchanting the décor, it’s the people who work there that keep customers always coming back for more. But those who have never worked in the service industry might not realize what additional skills these professionals need to learn to become masters. Every position has its own challenges and considerations. So, let’s examine a few. Chefs are typically at the helm of the operations, but they might also own the business, which brings additional responsibilities like marketing and infrastructure upkeep and hir-
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ing. But even if they don’t, a chef ’s day begins early. They often go to the market or to the pier personally to source the freshest ingredients for their special of the day, and they are tasked to be creative using what’s readily at hand. They must also think ahead to what will be seasonal to envision future specialties. Then there’s the prep and leading the team in the kitchen to ensure they come together to deliver the chef ’s vision and a smooth service. It takes more than passion, culinary skills, and imagination to become a master chef. It takes stamina. Bartenders have their own challenges. It’s not enough to know how to make every classic cocktail and come up with inventive drinks. A bartender’s personality can be key; they have to handle crowds of customers quickly and fill their demands efficiently, yet remain jovial and fun to garner a loyal and regular following. And they need to stay ahead of the drink trends and continually find out what’s new in the spirits world.
But it’s the wine experts, or sommeliers, which are probably the most misunderstood. Of course, they require an in-depth knowledge of wine, but they not only need to know their wines, they should also have a great knowledge of food since they must coordinate with chefs to discover perfect pairings to match the restaurant’s signature dishes. They must also deal with the public and discover simple ways to explain to novice wine buffs what the intrinsic differences in varietals and regions might be. They have to also respect an establishment’s budget for importing the best wines at the best prices to encourage their customers to try new things.
And of course, there are the servers on the floor, the hosts or hostesses at the door, and other peripheral staff that can be so excellent at their jobs that their contributions can make your night out a very memorable one. As you can see, in the hospitality business, success truly depends on a team effort. But it also takes an inherent drive to surpass expectations that can make an individual stand out as a master of their craft. Fortunately, Aruba has a multitude of these highly driven professionals working in fine dining emporiums and casual eateries all over the island. So, let’s meet some of them. E
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