#chefjasonhoward

A simple scroll through of @chefjasonhoward timeline on Instagram can deal the most confident of cooks a near lethal blow to their self-esteem. Don’t be ashamed, you know the beautiful works of art I’m referring to, the ones that make you feel like a lazy short-order cook after spooning basmati into a bowl in order to make a “fancy” rice dome for a special night in. Well, we sat down recently with the man behind the art himself, to discuss his past, his future, his inspirations and what irks him about how modern Caribbean cuisine is regarded.

“Hi, is this Jason?” I asked quizzically, as I had never laid eyes on Chef Jason Howard before. Come to think of it, many of his 40,000 followers and fans on Instagram probably never have either.

You see, Howard is somewhat of an enigma, preferring his artistry to take centre stage rather than himself, apart from a partial selfie somewhere on his feed. This will likely change after his appearance on last Wednesday’s episode of the popular TV show, Master Chef. As he faced the judges, Jason’s work was lauded unanimously with one of the show’s hosts, Gregg Wallace, crediting him as the first chef to raise the profile of Caribbean fare - quite the compliment and a massive badge of approval if we’ve ever heard one!

As we entered the moored river boat that is the home of the newly opened Froot Tree Restaurant, Howard’s debut project as a restaurateur in the Big Smoke, we were met first by Adrian Manousa. Manousa, is one of a twin from the beautiful African nation of Malawi who has invested in the Barbadian born chef’s new venture.

When we rounded the corner, we came face to face with the man behind the magic. Jason is the epitome of a Caribbean man, tall, dreadlocked, boyish features that belie his experience and a resolute energy which suggests a man that is on a mission, a man with a passion and moreover a man on a journey.

THE START OF A JOURNEY OF 4,202 MILES - TO BE EXACT.

Many nights when my own attempts at being a kitchen virtuoso wind up pallid and half-baked (literally and figuratively), I would amble through Jason’s feed, marvelling at the sheer artistry in each plate. I’d find myself mystified, wondering just how did he come up with these remarkable creations that looked more like they should be on display in the epicurean equivalent of The Louvre. Well it hasn’t always been the smoothest of seas for Jason.

Facing challenges at school in his native Barbados, due to dyslexia, Jason found himself kicked out of secondary school at 16 years of age. This normally would have sounded the death knell for many other youth’s and their aspirations, but Jason was determined even in the face of such adversity. He worked diligently, serving in several roles in construction before landing a job at a West Coast hotel as a porter. Naturally, for the driven young man, it didn’t end there, no, this was just the beginning.

Observing the kitchen staff, watching them prepare dishes from a distance, he began to think from a place of renewed self-confidence, “I can do that too”. His eagerness to express this inborn talent, undoubtedly nurtured by his upbringing with his two grandmothers, found him recreating a dish in the resort’s kitchen when watchful eyes were turned away. The aftermath was a reprimand from the chef; you see as a porter he wasn’t allowed to handle food, but the chef saw the obvious talent there and instead gave Jason the opportunity to continue honing his skills in the kitchen.

Many sleepless nights of trial and error, as well as sacrificing his social life, found Jason growing from strength to strength, his capabilities in the culinary arts improving by leaps and bounds with every dish he prepared. “It’s a lonely path sometimes, friends and family may not always understand” he adds, sipping on a rum and Coke cocktail he whipped up as we started our interview, made with the finest of Barbadian rums naturally.

While hard work, perseverance and tenacity may have been key ingredients in his success to date, Jason also owes his achievements to his father, David Hall, and a personal tragedy cum serendipity.

Hall, who is not Jason’s biological father, truly holds pride of place in his heart, having thrown his full and unconditional support behind a young Howard and his dreams to be a culinary master. “I found out that when he was younger he wanted to be a chef too, in Canada” Jason tells us, supposing the drive his father put in his life was probably to ensure that he in turn was able to fully realise his own dreams, an opportunity that he did not have for himself.

Most pivotal in the chef’s journey was the tragic event that marked the beginning of his phoenix-like ascent that would find him in Britain. His young family’s home was lost completely to fire in Barbados, leaving him at the time, homeless. He had planned to start a life in Barbados, with his wife and three daughters in that home, but with the tragic fire claiming this, the bedrock of his plan, he truly had nothing else to lose and instead emigrated to his spouse’s birthplace, the UK and the rest is history.

Now, truly like a phoenix rising from the ash, Jason is set to whet the appetites of thousands in the metropole that is London with his elevated, Caribbean creations. The Froot Tree Restaurant is a Caribbean eatery, created to strike a middle-ground between European and Caribbean palates. His vision is to showcase West Indian cuisine in its purest form, with all of its beautiful complexities without alienating island customers for whom this cuisine represents home and nostalgia and those European patrons, for whom this fare is a rare culinary treat.

TROPICAL ALCHEMY - SCIENCE, ART AND BEAUTY

Speaking of complexity, Jason is more than just a pretty plate. As we marvelled at the dishes, which were now in front of us we felt almost sinful regarding them as mere meals, this was art, this was science, geometry, design and chemistry. We quizzed Howard as to his muse(s).

“Everywhere” that’s his short answer - he elaborates though. “I see patterns quickly, I see patterns in everything”. While this may seem vague at first blush, it makes perfect sense once he explains, like the most talented of storytellers, the origins, inner workings and mechanisations of his beautiful meals. For example the terrine of pickled pork, which when plated is reminiscent of a tiny island in the middle of the turquoise Caribbean Sea - you simply cannot help but be drawn into the overarching stories in each dish, something Howard has intricately woven into each plate. He truly finds a muse in everything around him, drawing on the beauty of his colourful island, his upbringing and the richness of culture that is inextricably tied to these things. Jason’s approach to cuisine is also quite scientific, almost alchemical. Applying elements of molecular gastronomy, he draws on the base ingredients, flavours, components or concepts of traditional West Indian cuisine, reworking them, reimagining them and redefining them until the result is a noble element, a dish that has transcended.

Most fascinating is his scientific approach to the notorious scotch bonnet pepper.

A staple in the more fiery facets of Caribbean cooking, the scotch bonnet is known to cause those with non-heat resistant palates to burst into sweats or to shake violently in terror, as they recall their first brush with the formidable capsicum. However, acutely aware of this, the chef has found away to separate out the various layers and flavour notes of this much-feared star of Caribbean dishes in a manner which is closer to chemistry than cooking. Having successfully mastered the pepper, he employs its various constituents to deliver unique and unexpectedly pleasant notes to his dishes.

The scotch bonnet oil is a real star; surprisingly fresh to the taste, with a citrusy sweetness rounded off by a mild tingling. It presents an unusual flavour profile for the feared fruit, considering the usual blitzkrieg it delivers to its unwitting victims.

Other Caribbean staples repurposed in his kitchen (or rather laboratory) include red onion and the beloved sweet potato, the latter of which has been rendered into a luxurious powder with a flavour so rich and sweet it’s akin to eating molasses from the finest of Barbados’ sugar canes.

WHAT’S ON THE HORIZON FOR CHEF HOWARD?

“Caribbean cuisine is the future!” Howard proclaims, no trace of doubt in his statement. He blames an established practice of chefs limiting and editing Caribbean fare for its comparatively slow rise to popularity in the culinary world.  “In order for Caribbean food to progress, the food needs to be elevated and put at the forefront, not the ego” he adds, lamenting that it’s easy for young professionals to become caught up in egoism while artistry and skill falls to a distant second place.

Ultimately, Jason, for all of the success that lies ahead of him, wants to give back, by educating and mentoring the youth of Barbados and the wider Caribbean in preserving and continuing to redefine the boundaries of West Indian cuisine. He has done some of this “give back” work in recent times, having mentored another upcoming Bajan luminary, Chef Damian Reid on a recent expedition to London, but he knows that there is so much more to be done to get his native cuisine to the lofty pedestal it deserves to be set atop. Greatly inflamed, it’s clear he isn’t thrilled with the way that Caribbean chefs are taught to, or naturally develop an aversion to upholding the proud and rich culinary heritage of our islands, instead yielding to “fusion” or replicating European or American dishes ad nauseam.

At this point, he takes aim at stakeholders that should know better, notably one of Barbados’ finest restaurants. Dismayed he relates how a foreign trained head chef of the establishment admitted to being unaware of Barbadian or wider Caribbean cuisine, going on to tongue-lash the restaurant for contributing to the continued downslide of our indigenous foods - “You have got enough time before taking up that job to research Barbadian food and culture and to adapt! It’s insulting for a chef at that restaurant”.

He plainly denounces the notion that Caribbean food, when uplifted and presented to a truly high standard, should ever be considered “fusion”, as to suggest it requires validation or enhancement from any other cuisine to be considered quality fare. “I’m not a fusion chef, the Caribbean is a melting pot of cultures, so technically Caribbean is another word for fusion then? Then there’s no need to label the cuisine as ‘fusion fusion’ it’s just Caribbean” he quips.

While he is adamant that the next great movement in culinary circles will emerge from the virtual pot of Caribbean cooking, he knows it won’t come without an orchestrated and dedicated effort from all members of the profession from the region, whether they were still at home or further afield.

In the immediate future, Howard simply wants to fix himself and the Froot Tree Restaurant firmly at the forefront of the minds, and on the lips of epicureans in London and across Europe. His plans for this, his first of hopefully many exciting projects, are ambitious, however, given his sheer talent and passion, complemented by the quality of his food, we see no reason why the eatery shouldn’t rise to the upper echelons of the culinary world.

Rosettes and the coveted Michelin Star are all within easy reach, if you ask us our opinion. Finally, the Caribbean has a real chance of being recognised for the sophistication of its cuisine. A formidable and capable champion, with the mane (to quote Jason) and heart of a lion has emerged and there can only be rewarding things ahead. We’ll definitely be keeping tabs on his continued meteoric rise to success and will most certainly pop into the Froot Tree to enjoy more of the sublime Caribbean haute cuisine.  

To book a table at Froot Tree, to partake in a culinary expedition through the Caribbean by way of Chef Jason Howard’s magnificent creations, visit their website to make a reservation at http://www.froottree.co.uk/