Damian Leach | From Trouble Student to Award-Winning Chef

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Gems From Friends

Matthew F'ture

50 episodes

1 week ago

Gems from Friends is a platform that shares stories and lessons from the journeys of entrepreneurs, business owners, creatives, professionals, and freelancers. As we discuss both wins and losses, our audience experiences a side of influential people they don't regularly get to see. The show is not just inspirational and educational—it's uplifting for our community. This platform gives guests an opportunity to express themselves and share their experiences. The format is both video and audio, available on major streaming platforms like Youtube, Apple Podcast & Spotify.

Self-Improvement

Education

RSS

All content for Gems From Friends is the property of Matthew F'ture and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Self-Improvement

Education

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Damian Leach | From Trouble Student to Award-Winning Chef | S5E3

Gems From Friends

33 minutes 4 seconds

5 months ago

Damian Leach | From Trouble Student to Award-Winning Chef | S5E3

Damian has earned an impressive list of accolades throughout his career, including:

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Caribbean Chef of the Year 2016

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Barbados Chef of the Year 2016 and 2018

•

Seafood Chef of the Year 2017

•

BHTA Pastry Chef 2019

•

NIFA Chef of the Year 2016

A pioneer in Caribbean cuisine, Damian's journey began as a troubled student at St. Michael's school, where a Food and Nutrition class unexpectedly sparked his culinary passion. His supportive teacher's belief in him proved transformative.

After studying abroad, he started at The Cliff restaurant handling basic prep work, learning the value of earning respect from the ground up. His career flourished with the opening of Cocktail Kitchen, where he prioritizes hiring local culinary students.

As a feature chef at the Food and Rum Festival since 2017, he promotes Barbados alongside renowned chefs who inspired him. Despite his success, he stays grounded - admitting to loving chicken nuggets and being candid about kitchen pressures and holiday sacrifices.

Known for his shy nature and authentic Barbadian accent, Damian remains true to himself. He's now expanding his horizons with a new Mediterranean-Caribbean fusion restaurant, while advocating for aspiring chefs to understand both the passion and sacrifices required in the culinary world.

His story exemplifies how determination, humility, and staying authentic can transform a challenging start into culinary excellence.

💎

This season is made possible in part by the Cultural Industries Development Fund of the National Cultural Foundation of Barbados

Gratitude 🙏🏽