Smoked Marlin Restaurant in Hanover brings elevated Jamaican seafood to its customers under the tutelage of managing director, Dionne Reid.

You can say that cooking runs in her blood. Dionne knew this was her passion from a young age.

For the 2018 Jamaica Food and Drink Festival she’ll be showing off her culinary skills at Pork Palooza on 20 October.

Here she gives us a little taste of her life as a chef.

Full name

Dionne Reid.

What’s for dinner?

Shrimp run-down with sautéed green beans, yum!

Who does the cooking in your house?

The women. Grandma on the weekdays, my mother, my aunt and I rotate Sunday dinner duties.

What’s your favourite food/spice to work with?

Garlic! The flavour is so dynamic and has different nuances based on the application. Minced garlic tastes different from grated garlic, which is also different from sliced garlic. This fascinates me every time.

Have you always known you wanted to be a chef? Are you classically trained?

I’ve wanted to be a chef since I was 12. I told my parents as soon as I knew that was the direction I’d like my life to go in. That’s when, after our research, my parents and I decided that the Culinary Institute of America was the best environment for me to develop my skills. So, yes, classically trained. However, I definitely do not believe chefs need to be classically trained. Many ways to skin a cat; this was just my path.

Sweet or savoury?

Both. ‘A sweet and a meat’, sounds a little…salacious, but that’s my motto and I’m sticking with it.

Explain your cooking style in three words.

Colourful. Comforting. Creative.

If you had to pick a dish to eat every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?

If you asked me this question a few months ago, I would have said KFC hot and spicy zinger or bun and cheese. I’ve since been forced to make some lifestyle changes so my current answer is granny smith apples with blue cheese and spiced pecans.

Tell me about what you do on a day-to-day basis.

I shop for the restaurant (I do a lot of driving), write recipes, make a lot of calls, quality control of products and service, managerial work mostly nowadays.

What was the first thing you remember cooking?

Shrewsbury biscuits with my lovely grandmother after school. She started teaching me how to cook at 8 years old.

Tell me the best thing about your job.

Being able to share my knowledge with others. Seeing my staff grow in aptitude. Seeing guests enjoy our food.

The worst thing about your job?

People mostly stick to what they know. If I never have to steam another fish I think I’ll be okay.

What’s your favourite/most impressive thing you’ve ever made?

Favourite thing I’ve made will always be my banana bread. Family recipe perfected!

What’s the worst thing you’ve made?

For the life of me, I cannot get my brioche buns to turn out well baking seaside. Every attempt has resulted in bread that looks like Frisbees.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Go to therapy, ha!

What advice would you give aspiring chefs?

Failure is your friend. Check your ego at the door. Collaboration beats competition every day.

What dessert would you want on your birthday?

Really good bread.

Why is an event like the Jamaica Food and Drink Festival important and what does it mean to you to be involved?

This is one of the highlights of the year for my team and me. It’s empowering to see what the chefs on our island are doing. I fangirl over so many of them. Also, the buzz and excitement of the patrons is so electric. Everyone is excited to eat and drink and enjoy some elevated cuisine.
I’m always humbled to even be considered as a participant. The JFDF is dedicated to promoting the evolution of our cuisine.

What’s your personal motto?

Breathe.

For more information on the Yello-sponsored Jamaica Food and Drink Festival and to buy tickets, check out their website, Facebook and Instagram (@jafoodanddrink).