When COVID hit, personal chef Anthony Dacres misplaced all his shoppers. Not one to remain down for lengthy, he pivoted into advertising and commenced working a advertising company for eating places. Over time, his ambitions grew past what Jamaica may comprise, and he determined it was time to journey the world and discover new alternatives overseas.
Impressed partially by watching our Jamaicans to the World movies, Anthony made an inventory of nations he may enter visa-free or with visa on arrival. Suriname was on that record. He began making calls and, within the course of, discovered not only a job however a brand new residence.
On this episode of Jamaicans Doing Enterprise Overseas, Xavier Murphy speaks with Chef Dacres, who shares his journey of shifting overseas and opening Pot Cova, Suriname’s first Jamaican restaurant.
From Observe Desires to the Kitchen
Anthony grew up in St. Thomas, Jamaica, and attended Jamaica College, the place his early ambitions centred on changing into a monitor athlete. Nonetheless, an accident in 2012 introduced these desires to an abrupt finish. As his tutorial efficiency started to slide and his future grew unsure, his mom made a decisive transfer and enrolled him in culinary college.
Although cooking was by no means a part of the unique plan, it shortly grew to become a pathway to objective. Anthony excelled within the kitchen, ultimately changing into a personal chef working throughout the island.
When the pandemic disrupted his work, he selected to not look forward to alternatives to come back to him. After securing work at a restaurant in Paramaribo, he relocated, a transfer that will change every thing. After spending three years working in Suriname, Anthony took a leap of religion and opened Pot Cova, introducing Jamaican delicacies to a brand new area.
Opening the restaurant was removed from simple. Navigating forms, inspections, and language limitations required persistence and persistence. However the response has been overwhelmingly constructive. As the one Jamaican restaurant within the nation, Pot Cova has attracted locals desirous to strive jerk hen, fried dumplings, and pageant — many encountering Jamaican meals for the primary time.
Life and Alternatives in Suriname
Anthony describes Suriname as a spot finest fitted to these searching for a slower tempo and stability reasonably than quick cash. The price of dwelling is comparatively reasonably priced, housing is accessible, and day by day life is manageable as soon as expectations are aligned.
Whereas language stays a problem, the cultural range, security, and sense of calm have made Suriname a snug place to name residence.
Anthony’s message to Jamaicans contemplating dwelling or working in Suriname is straightforward: don’t look forward to alternatives to come back to you. Create them. Whether or not in Suriname or elsewhere, he encourages younger folks particularly to discover, plan deliberately, and take calculated dangers.
Typically, the largest strikes begin with an inventory, some research, and the braveness to strive.
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