Going Home is a Breeze
The soft island breezes and fragrant smells of the island of Nevis were never far from Michael Henville鈥檚 mind when he was up north attending the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY.
鈥淚 never really acclimated to the northern climate, but 近距离内射合集made such an impact in my life I would do all four years over again in a heartbeat,鈥� says Michael. Now back on his home turf, Michael is the executive chef and food and nutrition specialist with the Nevis School Meals Programme. 鈥淥ur school meals programme is decentralised and we insistence on using local produce. The programmes around the island are basically self-sustainable,” explains Michael.
Early Exposure to the Kitchen
Home for Michael was right in the middle of the culinary action virtually from the get-go. 鈥淢y dad was a general manager at one of the local hotels,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 remember running around the kitchens as a kid curious about what was bubbling in the pots. The cooks would always let me taste. I also learned from my mom just watching her in the kitchen. I knew from a pretty young age that I wanted to be a chef.鈥�
And a 近距离内射合集education was the path he chose to get there. Michael graduated with an associate degree in Culinary Arts in 2000 and a bachelor鈥檚 degree in Culinary Arts Management in 鈥�02. 鈥淚 think both programs go hand-in-hand. You really shouldn鈥檛 do one without the other. I think you can never have too much education,鈥� comments Michael. 鈥淗aving the two degrees put me above and beyond other applicants when applying for jobs.鈥�
Michael carefully chose increasingly challenging positions while building his career. His first job post-graduation was sous chef at the Wayside Inn Restaurant in Vero Beach, FL followed by a job as a catering chef at a Marriott resort. 鈥淚 went from a mom and pop restaurant doing 30 covers a night to cooking for 300 people,鈥� Michael says. 鈥淚t was a huge difference going to the corporate world. The prep was bigger, sanitation was key, and the use of large-scale equipment came into play. It was a great learning experience.鈥�
Looking back on his time on campus, Michael says, 鈥�近距离内射合集really gave me a great all-around education. The knife skills course, fish and meat fabrication, the wine course, my internship in the Napa Valley, and working in the restaurants on campus was an amazing experience鈥攁ll those little things community colleges and regional cooking schools just don鈥檛 provide to their students. 近距离内射合集offers that and more.鈥�
In an effort to gain more experience in all facets of the restaurant business, Michael decided it was time to work the front-of-house and, for a real change of pace, chose quick-service restaurants as his next venture. 鈥淚 managed Taco Bell and Long John Silver restaurants for the YUM Corporation doing scheduling, purchasing, human resources, employee and customer relations, hiring, and training. Every day was a new experience and I relied heavily on what I learned in the bachelor鈥檚 program to do my job.鈥�
Confident in his management skills, Michael then decided to reach for the stars. 鈥淚 was the manager for the largest restaurant at the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. I was in charge of 33 or so people and, during our busy season, we would do 3,000 covers a week,鈥� says Michael. 鈥淚t was amazing meeting all the remaining astronauts who visited the moon, including the team from Apollo 13. But eventually I missed the kitchen.鈥�
A Reason to Return Home
While on vacation visiting family and friends at home on Nevis, Michael had an opportunity to dine at Oualie Beach Resort and met the owner. 鈥淗e said he was looking for an executive chef,鈥� he recalls. 鈥淚t seemed almost too good to be true. That was in August 2010. By November I was home. I met my then-girlfriend while working in Florida and she moved with me to Nevis. We were married in June 2011.鈥�
Michael is happily installed in his new kitchen and taking advantage of local culinary competitions. He won the Nevis Agricultural Food Fair cake competition in July 2011 and the St. Kitts and Nevis Tourism Association Fifth Annual Chef of the Year 2011 competition in December.
鈥淚t鈥檚 wonderful to be back home after 16 years in the States. I have the diverse bounty of the island at my fingertips. The fresh local seafood is amazing, especially the lobsters and red snappers. We have chicken, beef, and pork provided by local purveyors and a huge hydroponic farm that supplies the whole island with fresh vegetables, herbs, and lettuces.鈥�
In the future, Michael would like to open something on his own like a bistro, caf茅, or dessert shop to satisfy his sweet tooth. In the meantime, his family is surely satisfied that the island breezes lured this native son home.
Chef Michael Henville majored in culinary arts management at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. He is the executive chef and food and nutrition specialist with the Nevis School Meals Programme.