Susur Lee - Turks & Caicos Magazine

SPRING 2013 

Foreign aair 

Brazilian writer falls for the islands 

On the downbeat 

Recycled Percussion relaxes 

Mandalay 

Unveiling an architect's dream 

our guide to culinary TCI 

Susur Lee 

Top chef's dining dynasty

The Regent Village ~ Airport Departure Lounge ~ Grand Turk Cruise Centre ~ jais@tciway.tc ~ +1 (649) 941 4324 ~ www.jais.tc

PROVIDENCIALES 

PROVIDENCIALES 

GRAND TURK 

Airport 

Grace Bay 

Cruise Centre

on the cover 

SPRING 2013 

Foreign aair 

Brazilian writer falls for the islands 

On the downbeat 

Recycled Percussion relaxes 

Mandalay 

Unveiling an architect's dream 

our guide to culinary TCI 

74 

departments 

p 25 

6 Turks & Caicos Magazine 

Susur Lee 

Top chef's dining dynasty 

building a legacy 

Chef Susur Lee is at the top 

of his game: Successful restaurants in 

three countries, international television 

appearances, a book and more. But what's 

really on his mind is all in the family. 

Cover photo: Christine Morden/Paradise Photography 

14 from the editor 

16 social scene 

32 

upbeat down island 

Percussion master Justin 

Spencer drums his way around the 

Caribbean — and gets a little down 

time. 

36 

an international aair 

Brazilian writer Antonio 

Prata falls in love with the islands' 

vibrant colors and natural beauty. 

Magazine SPRING 2013 

24 calendar 

new chefs spice up cuisine scene p84, p88 

a world of wine p96 

outdoors indoors 

70 kid friendly fun Walk up the stairs. 

island-born salsa a hot topic p98 44 Architect Ron Shaw 

105 how to get here Turn right. 

creates spectacular designs that 

Relax. 

bring the outside in. 

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netjets_turks&caicos_relax(0911).indd 1 9/28/11 11:53 AM 

Spring_2013.indd 83 1/28/2013 3:33:51 PM 

culinary TCI 

83 Who's cooking, what's 

heating up, and why these islands 

have some of the best dining 

experiences in the world.

features 

real estate 


64 

65 

28 cruising 

in paradise 

What could be more fun 

than exploring the islands 

on a chartered boat? 

in development 

Announcements 

of new resorts and residential 

developments highlight the 

robust recovery of the Turks & 

Caicos real estate market. 

this is the 

life 

Bella Vita's secluded 

stretch of beach features 

a stunning view of the 

sea — and comes with a 

gorgeous house. 

Magazine Spring 2013 

40 

happy birthday to blue 

For more than 15 years, Big 

Blue Unlimited has been offering green 

ways to explore the islands. 

52 

little trip, big 

fish 

Top flight big game fishing is 

a short trip from the shore, but 

in Turks & Caicos, you'll enjoy 

the ride. 

wet tech 

62 Taking 

your phone to the 

beach? We've got all 

the latest products for 

protecting electronics 

on the go. 

world leader 

52 Turks & Caicos is a global capital in the 

captive insurance market. (Don't worry, we explain 

what that means.)

www.bellross.com 

Arch Plaza 

Leeward Hwy. 

Providenciales 

Turks & Caicos Islands 

Tel: 649.946.4699 

AVIATION BR 03-92 Automatic 

VINTAGE BR 126 Chronograph 

customerservice@royaljewels.net · www.royaljewels.net 

Saltmills Plaza 

Grace Bay Road 



Tel: 649.946.8800

gaining an edge 

66 Trained on roller skates, island 

youngster Kristoff Malcolm is now lacing up 

at Ontario Hockey Academy. 

84 

102 


ocean in a bottle 

Island Caribe has a 

new line that promises to remind 

you of an island vacation. 

on the rise 

In a delicious twist 

of happy irony, rising star 

Matthew Doerner is honing his 

craft at Stelle. 

heating up 

98 Islander Delano 

Handfield has blended a hot 

sauce that's picking up steam. 

subject placement 

Placing your subject directly in 

the center of the image often 

produces a weak composition. An 

image with strong composition 

will take the viewer on a journey 

throughout the image. By placing 

your subject off center, the rest of the 

composition is available for the artist 

to use as secondary elements that 

help to support the main subject. 

take better pictures 

eat & drink 

international avor 

88 Ingo Moeller brings 

an eclectic, global resume and a 

passion for cooking to Parallel 23. 


103 

spa superlatives 

As if the beach weren't relaxing enough, 

Turks & Caicos offers some of the best spas in the world. 

professional tips for capturing the moment 

96 

Magazine Spring 2013 

shoot like a pro 

100 Top photographers share the secrets for 

lighting, framing and other cool ways to improve pictures. 

vintage TCI 

We catch up with vintner John Terlato 

during the annual Caribbean Food & Wine Festival to talk 

about the love of the grape. 

photographing kids 

Child portraiture conducted on the beach 

can be challenging for a number of reasons. 

Most notable of these challenges is the fact 

that the child is often free to run and play, and 

usually looks down. Try getting down to the 

level of the child for a better image. Giving 

them something to do or an object to hold 

can also help connect with a younger subject. 

86 what's 

cooking 

The latest on what's 

heating up, chilling out, 

in the kitchen and on the 

table in restaurants across 

Turks & Caicos. 

Using the "rule of 

thirds" to place your 

subject to the left 

or right of center 

often makes for more 

powerful composition. 

Here, the model is o 

to the right and framed 

by an arch created by 

the background. 

Experiment with your perspective. Getting 

down to the eye level of a child can create 

a sense of play and a more interesting 

photo than the usual snapshot.

VILLAS AT GRACE BAY CLUB D500, Providenciales 

Beautifully furnished, 3,855 sq ft, 3 bedroom Penthouse spans the entire top floor of Building D. This is true 

penthouse living boasting the finest finishes, high ceilings, private elevator access, media room, gourmet kitchen, 

living area with a 31' wide slider window opening on to a vast oceanfront verandah with panoramic views. 

Listing Agents: Dee Agingu 649.231.3534 & Nina Siegenthaler 649.231.0707 

Offered at $3,500,000 MLS#1200527 

WINDSONG PENTHOUSE, Providenciales 

This lovely three bedroom plus den, fourth level penthouse, is spacious, well designed, finished and furnished. The 

piece de resistance is the spectacular, large roof top terrace, complete with summer kitchen inclusive of a BBQ 

grill and outdoor shower. The stunning beach and ocean views and the magnificent sunsets are unsurpassed. 

Listing Agents: Dee Agingu 649.231.3534 & Joe Zahm 649.231.6188 

Offered at $1,995,000 MLS#1200171 

LE VELE RESORT E401, Providenciales 

This stunning 3 bedroom and 3.5 bathroom suite has a panoramic view of Grace Bay Beach and sits on 300 feet 

of beach frontage. With 2,660 sq ft and all the amenities that you would need to make you feel right at home. 

The boutique nature of this resort offers a high level of intimacy and exclusivity for both owners and guests. 

Listing Agent: Nina Siegenthaler 649.231.0707 

Offered at $1,395,000 MLS#1100238 

THE FINEST COLLECTION 

Condominium Home & Villa Land 

649.946.4474 | info@tcsothebysrealty.com | tcsothebysrealty.com 

Sotheby’s International Realty® is a licensed trademark to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. Each office is independently owned and operated. 

LOCAL EXPERTS 

SEVEN STARS GRAND PENTHOUSE, Providenciales 

This highly unique penthouse sits atop Alhena Building at Seven Stars Resort and boasts perhaps the finest 

terrace, great room and outlook on Providenciales, with well over 75’ of direct ocean frontage, including two 

ocean front bedrooms, opulent bathrooms, large, commercial kitchen, and service entrance. 

Listing Agents: Joe Zahm 649.231.6188 & Nina Siegenthaler 649.231.0707 

Offered at $2,600,000 MLS#1200197 

WEST BAY CLUB PENTHOUSE 506, Providenciales 

This unique penthouse comprises a luxurious 3887 sq. ft. of the top world living with spectacular views from 

every vantage point. This spacious corner residence with three bedroom offers all the finishing touches expected 

at the West Bay Club including Travertine floors and custom marble counter tops; high ceilings with 8 ft sold core 

doors and top of the line appliances and fixtures. Listing Agent: Lisa Lopes 649.231.4469 

Offered at $1,625,000 MLS#1200676 

THE REGENT PALMS 3206/07, Providenciales 

If you are searching for a private 2 bedroom turnkey condo with a 1 bed lockout within one of the best developments 

on Grace Bay and will not settle for anything less than sensational ocean front views then this could be 

the one for you. The Regent Palms provides everything expected from a high end resort, from exceptional 

finishes and furnishings to fine amenities. Listing Agent: Karen Biker 649.231.0217 

Offered at $1,195,000 MLS#1200677

WORLDWIDE! 

AMAZING GRACE, Leeward Beachfront, Providenciales 

An 8 acre oasis of luxury with 280 ft of beachfront on Grace Bay, 5 private bedrooms with 

ensuite bathrooms, and 11,200 sq ft of living space provides ample room for entertaining. Other 

features include a 100 ft dock, heated swimming pool and Jacuzzi, covered terraces, and an al 

fresco dining cabana. Listing Agent: David Green 649.231.2276 

Offered at $14,500,000 MLS#1200458 

VILLA AMELKIS, Leeward Beachfront, Providenciales 

Located in the exclusive community of Leeward and the most pristine stretch beach on the Northern Shore, the 

Villa spans one level which is significantly raised to provide for dramatic beachfront views throughout. Spanning 

3,059 sq ft and an additional several thousand sq ft of expansive pool deck, this is Caribbean living with .71 acres 

and 100 ft of beach frontage for your enjoyment. Listing Agent: Nina Siegenthaler 649.231.0707 

Offered at $3,950,000 MLS#1200697 

VILLA AZAMOUR, Leeward Canal Front, Providenciales 

Attractive canal front 2 bedroom 2 bath villa with adjacent 1 bed guest suite situated within a quiet cul de sac 

in the ever popular private Leeward development. Beautiful outdoor pool, patio/entertainment area and sunken 

outdoor bar adds to the stunning ambience of this well landscaped villa with private dock. 

Listing Agent: Karen Biker 649.231.0217 

Offered at $1,295,000 MLS#1200719 

SAADET HOUSE, Leeward Beachfront, Providenciales 

A magnificent beachfront Estate comprising a 7 bedroom main residence, a 4 bedroom 

guesthouse, a separate staff house and gatehouse. The main property is set on 9 1/2 acres with 

325 feet of pristine beach frontage on the most secluded beach of Providenciales. 

Listing Agents: Joe Zahm 649.231.6188 & Nina Siegenthaler 649.231.0707. 

Offered at $14,900,000 MLS#1100682 

BLUE CARIBE VILLA, Blue Mountain Oceanview, Providenciales 

Perched on one of the island’s highest points with 180 degree views of the turquoise waters and the barrier reef 

gracing the famed Northern shoreline of Providenciales, the villa enjoys a bright and open floor plan, with 

exceptional outdoor living spaces centered by a spectacular infinity-edge pool and fire-pit for entertainment. 


Offered at $1,900,000 MLS#1200620 

HILLTOP VILLA, Blue Mountain Oceanview, Providenciales 

Beautifully situated overlooking the dramatic turquoise waters and reef beyond, this superbly maintained three 

bedroom villa boasts some of the most spectacular views on the island. Two large gazebos allow for a variety of 

poolside and outdoor lounge areas with outdoor music system, maximizing the indoor/outdoor island lifestyle. 


Offered at $835,000 MLS#1200756 

THE FINEST COLLECTION 

Condominium Home & Villa Land 

649.946.4474 | info@tcsothebysrealty.com | tcsothebysrealty.com 

Sotheby’s International Realty® is a licensed trademark to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. Each office is independently owned and operated.

from the editor 

contributors 

bon appétit! 

bom apetite! 

guten appetit! 

buon appetito! 

buen provecho! 

my fingers dialed faster than a top 

chef chopping Mise en place when 

I heard Amanyara was taking reservations 

for Thanksgiving dinner prepared by Susur 

Lee. I am a huge fan of the sharp-witted chef 

whom I had come to know from his pursuit 

to the finale of Top Chef Masters. 

It was hard to imagine in a span of just 

three weeks, I shared a glass of wine with 

John Terlato, had sunset drinks with Beau 

MacMillan, spent time in the kitchen with one 

of Brazil’s most popular chefs, Bel Coelho, and 

now I was going to have an Asian-inspired 

holiday meal prepared by one of the world’s 

best known chefs. All without leaving the 

comfort of our little island paradise. 

Three months and seven pounds later, the 

pinching of the waist on my billowing skirt is 

divulging, this was no dream. 

As a resident of Providenciales I am tremendously 

spoiled when it comes to food 

and drink. Our choices for delectable cuisine, 

with a perfectly paired vintage are indubitably 

impressive. Recent culinary events such 

as the Caribbean Food & Wine Festival and 

hands down, the best Thanksgiving dinner I 

ever laid my tongue on (sorry mom), inspired 

us to expand our coverage of food and wine 

in this issue of Turks & Caicos Magazine. 

Culinary TCI gives more insight into the 

growing culinary scene on the island, and 

from what we see, it is only getting better 

and better. 

Enjoy! 

Christa Reckhorn 

Antonio Prata is a Brazilian writer, born in São Paulo. He has published nine 

books, including Douglas (2001), As pernas da tia Corália (2003), Adulterado 

(2009) and, most recently, Meio intelectual, meio de esquerda (2010). In 2012 

his work was included in Granta 121: The Best of Young Brazilian Novelists. 

Prata also writes for television and contributes a weekly literary column to the 

newspaper Folha de S. Paulo. 

Dan Conover is a Charleston-based writer, illustrator and consultant 

who was named South Carolina’s Journalist of the Year before quitting his 

20-year newspaper habit to take up a more enjoyable lifestyle. A cycling 

enthusiast with certification as a mechanic through the United Bicycle 

Institute in Portland, Ore., he has visited the Turks & Caicos three times, and 

looks forward to further adventures. 


Chef Susur Lee in the kitchen at Amanyara. 

Christine Morden is an award winning Master and Certified Professional 

Photographer. She is a Kodak Gallery Award recipient and former Photographer 

of the Year by the Professional Photographers of America. A Washington, D.C., 

attorney in her previous career, Christine moved to the Turks & Caicos to follow 

her 20 year passion for photography. Christine owns and operates Paradise 

Photography (www.MyParadisePhoto.com). 

Steve Passmore set up 

Provo Pictures in 2005 and 

has built a great reputation 

for supplying superior 

photography to a wide 

range of businesses and 

individuals. Steve’s work 

appears regularly in print 

advertising campaigns, 

business Websites and 

magazines. He loves the 

variety of his assignments 

and considers himself very 

fortunate to be working in a 

job he enjoys. 

Magazine 

Spring 2013 

Vol. 2, issue 2 

Publisher 

Eden Media Ltd. 

Editor 


Art & design 

Xarktopia, Charleston, SC 

Janet Edens Conover 

Contributors 

Content 

Dan Conover 

Janet Edens Conover 

Antonio Prata 

Joe Zahm 

Principal photography 


Photography 

Big Blue Unlimited 

Jeff Blanchard 

Como Shambala 

TheExpeditioners.com 

LifeProof 

Christine Morden/ Paradise Photography 

Steve Passmore/Provo Pictures 

Pennylaine Photo Studio 

Recycled Percussion 

James Roy/Paradise Photography 

Print coordination 

and printing 

TBR Graphics 

Plantation/FL 

Business & 

Accounting Office 

Empower Corporation Limited 

Advertising inquiries 

advertising@tcimagazine.com 

Contact us 

Mailing address 

Eden Media Ltd. 

PO Box 1167, Caribbean Place 

1254 Leeward Highway 



E-mail: info@tcimagazine.com 

On the Web 

www.tcimagazine.com 

Subscriptions 

To subscribe within the USA or 

Canada please visit our Website. 

… 

Turks & Caicos Magazine is published 

three times per year by Eden Media Ltd, 

a Turks and Caicos Islands registered 

company. Copyright ©2012 by Eden 

Media Ltd. No part of this publication 

may be reproduced without written 

consent from Eden Media Ltd. Turks 

& Caicos Magazine is a registered 

trademark of Eden Media Ltd. 

The compilation and reproduction of 

information contained in this magazine 

has been done with the utmost care. 

However, the information is subject 

to change without notice and the 

publisher accepts no responsibility for 

such alterations or for typographical or 

other errors. 

Additional photo credits: p25, 

goggles: Africa Studio/shutterstock.com; 

p54, sand castle: Albo/Dreamstime.com; 

p68 hockey skates: Dmitry Vereshchagin/ 

Fotolia.com; p68 roller blades: Alexander 

Egorin/dreamstime.com; p73, Splashdown 

Grand Turk: gagliardifoto/Shutterstock. 

com; p81 Hong Kong lights: Ben Goode/ 

Dreamstime.com; p90, sushi: agencyby/ 

istockphoto.com; p92 corn salad: 

Margo555/Fotolia.com; p104 towel: 

Daria Minaeva/Fotolia.com; spa girl: 

spotmatikphoto/Fotolia.com

social scene 


Craig & Robin Zavitz, Lizzie Foster & Matthieu Yeghiazarian 

His Excellency Governor Ric Todd 

TC magazine 

winter edition 

October 22, 2012 

Beach House 

Rochelle Thompson, Rebecca Astwood, Christa Reckhorn & Mark Durliat Fraser Dods, Todd & Leslie Foss, Mark Parrish 

Bernadine & John Smith Eric & Gillian Vernice 

Turks & Caicos Magazine 

celebrates the publication of its 

Winter 2012 edition, featuring 

the rising star of the U.S. Indy 

Racing Circuit, James Hinchcliffe. 

Mary & James Hamilton 

Yoshi Ono & Adriana Nunez 

PHOTOGRAPHS BY PENNYLAINE PHOTO STUDIO

social scene 

Lisa Hall, Angela Aquino, Hazel Hegewald, Chanda Tolani, Foluso Ladejobi, Joelle 

Behlmaier, Daphne Marziou 

in the pink 

October 13, 2012 

The Regent Palms 

Annual shopping event 

to raise money for the 

National Cancer Society 

during October’s Breast 

Cancer Awareness month. 

Melissa Deladurantaye 

Willcocks, Elanor Krzanowski 

Elena Patrick, Terry Meneley, Marilyn Cooper 

Teresa Brunner Sue Nickason & Charlotte Chapman Kesha Mair shops for something pink.

Paul & Victoria Chaplin 

Stephen Wilson & Lisa Lopes Ted & Jeannie Gladson 

Kathryn Brown Fraser Park, Shawn & Nancy McLain 

Pauline Barclay 

A young Bond & his Bond girls 

007 

bond 

benet benet benet gala 

November 8, 2012 

Jais, Grace Bay 

Marking the movie premier of 

Skyfall, Skyfall Skyfall, Skyfall Skyfall, 

the latest adventures of 

Agent 007, this glittering benefit 

raised funds for the Rotary Club 

of Providenciales. 

Eoin OSullivan & Kenzi Hajouji Hajouji007 

Hajouji007 

Jai & Chanda Tolani, Imelda Burke & Owen Foley 

Garvin & Andrea Thomas 

social scene 

Turks & Caicos Magazine 19

social scene 


Alexis Korman, Bridgette Hasbron 

Nick Ledlie, Aileen Tate 

Lisa and Scott Jenkins, Steve and Angie Wright 

caribbean food 

& wine festival 

November 1 

Amanyara 

The setting was gorgeous and the 

food divine at the Welcome Dinner 

to kick off the second annual festival. 

Monique Davies, Murad Mohamad 

Nina Siegenthaler, Clare Radford Tuck Beckstoer 

Karen and Paul Newman 

Marco Franck, Remi Barrett, Heidi Barrett and Nikheel Advani Althea and Galmo Williams 

PHOTOGRAPHS BY STEVE PASSMORE

social scene 


Sandra Garland, John Barker, Dee Agingu, Tony Garland 

Bob and Nancy Young 

gourmet safari 

November 2 


Intrepid diners braved the 

wilds of Provo to visit five of 

the island's best restaurants, 

where they enjoyed signature 

dishes from top chefs as 

part of the festival. 

John Terlato, Chef Beau MacMillan and an 

island protegé Mr. & Mrs. Kampe, Nicole and Toure Holder 

Join us this year! 

Visit us the first weekend in November 

and enjoy the third annual Caribbean Food 

& Wine Festival. Attend a dinner featuring a 

celebrity chef and top international vintners. 

Go on a Gourmet Safari to enjoy signature 

creations from Providenciales’ top restaurants. 

A street festival and a beach cookout 

cater to the whole family. Tickets available 

at caribbeanfoodandwinefestivaltci.com. 

Kathleen Squires, Hernan Ronnie Rodriguez 

Jerry and Mary Luciani 

Audrey St. Clair, Carol St. Clair


2013 

calendar 

April 

miss 2013 turks & caicos 

universe 

The annual Miss Turks & Caicos 

Universe pageant will return April 

25-28. With production now under the 

direction of Saint George Fashion House 

and with new corporate and beauty organization 

sponsorships, this year’s event 

is poised to be bigger and better than 

ever. Be sure to attend all the events 

from the unveiling of the contestants 

to the crowning of the queen, as TCI 

discovers its next goodwill ambassador 

to represent the country in style. 

misstci.com 

annual kite ying 

competition 

A day of family fun can be found on 

Easter Monday, April 1, on Providenciales 

at the children’s park in the Bight, at 

Horse Stable Beach on North Caicos, 

and on Governor’s Beach on Grand Turk. 

The event is a tradition carried on by the 

Tourist Board that features kite competitions, 

children’s games, and plenty of 

food, fun, and sun in three beautiful 

settings. turksandcaicostourism.com 

wine cellar golf & shing 

tournament 

You will need two kinds of drivers for 

this tournament April 4-7, one for your 

boat and one for your golf bag. Combining 

two favored sports for those who 

love time in the sun, this annual tournament 

provides as much goodwill to its 

supported charities, as it does enjoyment 

to its participants. Come out and join in 

on enjoying the best of island life, sun 

and sea, while giving back to the local 

community. wcgft.com 

May 

big south regatta 

A tradition that began in 1966 when 

Queen Elizabeth visited the island of 

South Caicos, the Big South Regatta is 

a royal treat. Held the last weekend in 

May, festivities include a sailing regatta, 

speed boat races, beauty pageants, float 

parades, junkanoo, donkey races, May 

pole platting, gospel music and local 

entertainment. 

June 

crab fest, middle caicos 

This cultural celebration on June 30 

will mark the beginning of the summer 

activities and invites everyone to enjoy 

family fun festivities such as face painting, 

games, cultural performances, and of 

course food as there will be no shortage 

of delectable local cuisine on hand. Plan a 

day trip or stay overnight on the island to 

fully enjoy the scene. Events take place on 

Bambarra Beach.

July 

race for the conch 

eco-sea swim 

The annual Race for the Conch will 

begin July 6 on the beach in front of 

Ricky’s Flamingo Café with a 2.4 mile race, 

followed by a 1 mile race, and is open to 

both local and international swimmers. 

For the kids there will be a 100 meter 

children’s race that lets the younger crowd 

“get their feet wet.” 

This year will be 

one to remember, 

as the newly 

formed Turk s 

and Caicos Islands 

Swim Federation has 

announced that they are 

now an official member of FINA, the international 

aquatic sports organization, 

and looking to promote learning to swim 

for all youngsters in the Turks & Caicos, as 

well as develop local swimmers who show 

talent and drive for international competition. 

ecoseaswim.com 

prepare yourself for a union of mind, 

body, and spirit through a six night yoga 

retreat at COMO Shambhala. The Curry sisters, 

Andrea and Christine, are leading the 

retreat at Parrot Cay and will show you how 

to strengthen both mind and body while 

inspiring a more conscious way of living and 

communicating. 

Expect to feel truly restored and more 

adept at your own practice of the art as you 

attend daily classes that include Hatha, Vinyassa, 

Asana, and Pranayama as well as daily 

August 

lobster season begins 

After four long months, lobster is back 

on the menu. The Caribbean Spiny lobster 

is a favorite of local fishermen and chefs, 

so expect to see the regional crustacean 

in a myriad of forms at the various restaurants 

and resorts. From lobster mac and 

cheese to lobster thermidor you’re sure to 

find nearly every delicious incarnation of 

the creature that you can imagine. 

meditation. The sisters will use their years of 

practice and teaching experience to enable all 

participants to embody their own greatness. 

Long time practitioners as well as new 

comers and everyone in between will find 

the retreat educating and restorative. Participants 

will learn not only about yoga, but 

how to make healthy choices for their lives 

and well-being. Along with daily four hour 

yoga sessions, meals will be comprised from 

a specially prepared menu. Contact COMO 

Shambhala Retreat to book your reservation. 

spotlight 

October 

in the pink 

The Regent Palms will be hosting 

its annual “In the Pink” Cancer Society 

fundraiser — a clothes and accessories 

sale to raise funds for the important 

cause. Come out to mix, mingle and 

show your support in battling the 

disease, while picking up a few 

nice fashion items at the same 

time. 

November 

caribbean food 

& wine festival 

If you are a food or wine lover, you 

don’t want to miss the 3rd Annual Caribbean 

Food & Wine Festival the first 

weekend in November, featuring celebrity 

chefs and international vitners and 

showcasing the islands' top restaurants. 

Additional information on page 21 or visit 

caribbeanfoodandwinefestivaltci.com 

for all the details! 

curry sisters’ 

restore retreat 

June 23-29 


island adventures 

beach by boat 

a private paradise is just a pleasure cruise away 

Local legend has it that when the notorious 

buccaneer “Calico Jack” Rackham 

and his two female pirate companions, 

Mary Read and Anne Bonny, sought respite 

from the daily grind of plundering and pillaging 

on the high seas in the 1700s, they 

chose Pirate Cay. Later to be re-christened 

Parrot Cay and in those days uninhabited, 

it was one of a string of island oases tucked 

away in a discreet corner of the Turks and 

Caicos. The pirates waded ashore from 


their sloop through the crystal shallows on 

to a white silken sand beach and realized 

they had discovered the perfect sanctuary. 

300 years later, the modern-day adventurer 

seeking sun, seclusion and serenity 

can trace those pirates’ footsteps. There 

can be few more sybaritic forms of relaxation 

than cruising the azure waters of the 

West Indies aboard your own private yacht, 

chartered for the day. With only swimsuit, 

snorkel gear and sun cream in your bag, 

One of the best ways 

to fully appreciate the 

amazing palette of 

Caribbean Sea blues 

and greens is by boat, 

such as these AfriCats 

from Kenard Cruises.

Charter boats can take you to private stretches of unspoiled beach such as Half Moon Bay or Water Cay. 

your boat captain welcomes you aboard. He 

slips his mooring and you head out on a voyage 

of exploration. 

For the keen snorkelers amongst your party 

he sails out to the barrier reef that encircles 

the islands, ties up to a buoy and invites you 

to experience some of the most pristine coral 

gardens in the world. Once you are back on 

board, brimming with stories of eagle rays and 

turtles, shoals of angelfish and that lone barracuda, 

he motors along the glorious coastline 

until you reach one of the many uninhabited 

cays. 

As a castaway on your own private island, 

you explore deserted coves where the only 

footprints in sight are the ones you leave 

behind you. You collect a myriad of delicate, 

pretty shells or go searching for sand dollars 

at low tide. 

Meanwhile your butler has set up a picnic 

on the beach. Fresh conch salad with lime juice 

or perhaps some Caicos lobster, to be enjoyed 


PHOTOGRAPHS BY THE EXPEDITIONERS.COM/ ROBERTO & BELLA 

with a cold Turks Head ale or a chilled rum 

punch. 

A lazy day where the tide keeps time. 

Worth every single doubloon - if this isn’t 

paradise then it’s pretty close!

island style 

recycled percussion 

recycled percussion 

'world's fastest drummer' slows down 

on island — but only for a beat 


taking a call as he drives across the 

electric Las Vegas twilight, Justin 

Spencer speaks the way you’d expect 

from a man with the self-bestowed title of 

World’s Fastest Drummer: rapidly, in staccato 

bursts, returning to familiar themes 

before spinning off in new directions. 

So maybe his recent series of visits to 

Grand Turk haven’t exactly re-wired Spencer’s 

personality to match the more relaxed 

rhythms of the West Indies. But as the 

founder of the group Recycled Percussion 

rushes from appointment to appointment 

in advance of his new Vegas show opening, 

memories of his unusual introduction to 

Turks and Caicos remain fresh in his mind. 

Spencer and his bandmates boarded 

the Holland America cruise ship Nieuw Amsterdam 

in mid-November for a six-week 

engagement that carried them back and 

forth across the Caribbean, making regular 

stops in San Juan, St. Martin, Half Moon Cay 

and Grand Turk. 

“Of all the islands on the trip, (Grand 

Turk) was my favorite,” Spencer said. “I’ve 

been all over the Caribbean... but we visited 

there six times (during their cruise gig), 

and of all the islands I’ve visited the people 

there were the nicest. Just extremely 

friendly. It’s a homey island. A true Caribbean 

island.” 

The cruise was a departure in several 

ways for Recycled Percussion, the group 

Spencer founded in New Hampshire in 

1994 for a high school talent show. Known 

for their high-energy, “junk rock” stage 

performances, the four-man lineup mixes 

everything from buckets to power tools 

and electric guitars into the act, all while 

climbing ladders, doing stunts and occasionally 

hanging from the rafters. Trying 

to fit that sprawling show into a small

Recycled Percussion founder Justin 

Spencer recently took his heart-pounding 

show on Holland America Cruiseline, 

which brought him to the islands. (left: on 

Grand Turk) Next up: Las Vegas. 

shipboard venue was a creative challenge, 

Spencer said. 

“Holland America came to see our show 

in Vegas and said they loved it... but it took 

a year of planning to squeeze our show into 

a cruise ship,” Spencer said. “The space was 

one fourth the size of the stage here, and 

we’re still trying to do the same show we do 

here in Vegas. So we made some changes, 

rebuilt some of our props to scale, changed 

some of our stunts. Our (one night a week) 

cruise shows had a little different feel than 

playing six nights a week in the desert on a 

big stage... but it was great. We met a lot of 

cool people and got to spend a lot of time 

rehearsing.” 

Since November-December is generally 

a slow time on the Vegas strip anyway, the 

Holland America gig made a nice downshift 

for a group that has played more than 5,000 

shows over the past 15 years. Spencer and 

his mates toured nonstop for the first 10 

years, playing college campuses and NBA 

island style 

halftimes before catching a break on the 

television series America’s Got Talent. That 

led to their first extended Vegas bookings, 

and eventually to their current home at the 

Tropicana Hotel. Since returning from the 

Caribbean, Spencer said, he’s been immersed 

in the creation of a new multimedia show. 

“It’s going to be unlike any show that’s 

ever been in Vegas,” he said. “It’s a cutting 

edge, groundbreaking show... that goes 

against everything that’s old-style Vegas.” 

But even with the details of that pending 

opening pressing on his mind, Spencer said 

talks are already under way for a return engagement 

with Holland America. And if he’s 

bogged down in the details of 3D projection 

mapping at the moment, he’s also thinking 

back to the day he hopped on a little bike 

on Grand Turk and rode around the island 

to a private beach, far away from the other 

tourists. 

“It was a really cool place,” Spencer said. 

“I really like to hang out in Turks & Caicos.” 


Christine Morden/Paradise Photography


North Caicos 

Middle Caicos 

Grand Turk Salt Cay 

West Caicos 

TurksAndCaicosTourism.com 

island style 

And a whole lot more. 

South Caicos


in my country, it’s customary to respond to 

anything good that happens to us with a 

saying, albeit, not a very modest one: “God 

is Brazilian.” This statement isn’t based on 

proof, but on clues that lie everywhere—at 

least in the eyes of the privileged. After all, in 

what part of the world is the music more exciting, 

the soccer more creative, the women more 

charming, and the beaches more beautiful? 

Well, it’s hard to accept it, but after getting 

to know Turks & Caicos, I am forced to accept 

the obvious fact that, at least as far as beaches 

are concerned, there is a little bit of the globe 

that was far more favored during Creation. 

What else is that blue?! 

When I was a child, my father went to Cayo 

Largo in Cuba. He was so impressed with the 

beach that he brought home a small bag of 

sand to show his children. I’ll never forget his 

description of the water: dark at the horizon, 

becoming light blue in the depths, and then 

transparent blue at the water’s edge, until, at 

your feet, would break waves of Lindóia (the 

Brazilian equivalent to Evian). 

Thirty years passed before I could check 

out that mineral water sea for myself. In November 

2012, my friend, chef Bel Coelho, went 

to cook at Amanyara for a week, and—to the 

joy of yours truly—took along some guests. 

While she dedicated herself in the kitchen, 

crushing cashews for shrimp salad, slicing 

scallops for escabeche, and cooking chocolate 

sauce for the lamb ribs, I was precariously 

balanced atop a paddle board, admiring that 

vastness at my feet, remembering my father’s 

description of that very same sea, and realizing 

it had not been accurate. Ultimately, to 

compare it to mineral water is to merely emphasize 

what isn’t there: it is to focus on the 

absence of any impurity. And while it’s correct, 

it’s not enough: the Caribbean blue has 

continues on page 39 

is God Caribbean?! 

Brazilian writer Antonio Prata explores the divine beauty of Turks & Caicos 

PHOTOGRAPH OF GRACE BAY BY STEVE PASSMORE

há em meu país um ditado, não muito 

humilde, que costuma ser repetido 

sempre que algo de bom nos acontece: 

“Deus é brasileiro”. A afirmação 

não se baseia em provas, mas nos 

indícios que, ao menos aos olhos dos patrícios, 

estão por toda parte. Afinal, em que canto do 

mundo a música é mais empolgante, o futebol 

mais criativo, as mulheres mais charmosas ou as 

praias mais bonitas? 

Bem, é difícil de aceitar, mas depois de conhecer 

Turks & Caicos, sou obrigado a admitir o fato 

evidente de que, pelo menos no que diz respeito 

às praias, há um pedacinho do Globo que foi mais 

favorecido pela criação. O que é aquele azul?! 

Quando eu era criança, meu pai foi à Cayo 

Largo, em Cuba. Ficou tão impressionado com 

a praia que trouxe um punhado de areia, num 

saquinho, para mostrar a seus filhos. Nunca vou 

me esquecer da descrição que fazia da água: azul 

escura, no horizonte, passando para azul clara, 

no fundo, azul claríssimo, no rasinho, até que, aos 

seus pés, quebravam calmas ondas de Lindóia – o 

equivalente brasileiro da Evian. 

Passaram-se trinta anos até que eu fosse conferir 

pessoalmente aquele mar de água mineral. 

Em novembro de 2012, minha amiga, a chef Bel 

Coelho, foi fazer alguns jantares no Amanyara, 

durante uma semana, e, para a felicidade deste 

que vos escreve, levou junto alguns convidados. 

Enquanto ela se esmerava na cozinha, triturando 

castanhas de caju para a salada de camarões, 

laminando vieiras para o escabeche, cozinhando 

o molho de chocolate para as costelas de cordeiro, 

eu, precariamente equilibrado sobre o pranchão 

de paddling, admirando a imensidão azul a 

meus pés, lembrei-me da descrição que meu pai 

havia feito daquele mesmo mar e compreendi 

que não havia sido precisa. Afinal, compará-lo à 

água mineral é enfatizar apenas o que nele não 

há, é focar na ausência de qualquer impureza. 

continuação na página 39 

Deus é caribenho?! 

Antonio Prata, escritor brasileiro, explora a beleza divina das Ilhas Turks e Caicos 

island style 

island international 


el from Brazil 

Chef Bel Coelho’s reputation as one of 

the hottest chefs in Brazil is not overstated. 

As the 33-year-old proprietor of 

Dui in São Paulo (considered one of Brazil’s 

most popular restaurants), she has received 

more attention than most in a lifetime. 

Beyond culinary accolades (such as "Chef 

Revelation" by the jury of Veja São Paulo 

magazine), Chef Bel is considered an inspiration 

for young women. In 2011, she was 

a featured speaker at the Women’s Forum 

Global Meeting in France. Last year, TAM 

airlines asked Chef Bel to create their 2012 

menu, calling her “one the most exciting 

chefs of her generation in Brazil.” 

In November, she impressed guests 

and residents with her special care for the 

ingredients and visual presentation of her 

dishes, as a guest chef at Amanyara, part of 

a culinary month at the resort. 


Bel Coelho 

brought her 

world-class 

skills to Turks & 

Caicos recently, 

wowing guests 

at Amanyara.

from page 36 da pág 36 

a powerful positive quality, something 

almost fluorescent that jumps out at our 

eyes. After some days of arduous research 

and reflection, involving not only paddle 

boards, but kayaks, speed boats, swimming 

goggles, snorkles, mojitos and 

beach chairs, I came to what I believe is 

a more accurate description of that sea: 

it’s like a pool at night with its lights on, 

in the middle of a dark lawn—except that 

it looks like that in daylight. 

This is a definition I’m not sure I should 

share with my countrymen. After all, we 

have already been seriously shaken by 

the soccer Spain has been playing in the 

last couple of years, depressingly displayed 

in the 4:1 Barcelona victory over 

Santos, in 2011. If we have, in addition 

to soccer, lost our beach supremacy, the 

only remaining evidence of Brazilian divinity 

will be music and women. It’s not a 

small thing, I know, but it’s better to keep 

quiet, before we come to find out at this 

point in the game that God, in fact, is and 

has always been Caribbean. 

Está certo, mas não é suficiente: o azul 

caribenho tem uma qualidade positiva, 

poderosa, algo quase fluorescente que 

salta a nossos olhos. Depois de alguns dias 

de árdua pesquisa e reflexão, envolvendo 

não só o paddling como caiaques, lanchas, 

máscara, snorkel, mojitos e espreguiçadeiras, 

cheguei ao que acho ser uma definição 

mais acurada daquele mar: é como uma 

piscina, à noite, com as luzes acesas, no meio 

de um gramado escuro; só que de dia. 

Definição essa que não sei se devo 

partilhar com meus compatriotas. Afinal, já 

ficamos seriamente abalados com o futebol 

que a Espanha vem jogando, nos últimos 

anos, tristemente resumido na goleada 

de 4:1 que o Barcelona deu no Santos, em 

2011. Se, além do futebol, perdermos a supremacia 

praiana, só nos restarão a música 

e as mulheres como indícios da brasilidade 

divina. Não é pouca coisa, eu sei, mas 

melhor ficar quieto, antes que venhamos a 

descobrir, a essa altura do campeonato, que 

Deus na verdade é, sempre foi e sempre será 

caribenho. 

island style 


island anniversary 

still f 

or 

exploring 


big blue marks 

15 years of 

playing outside 

responsibly 

partners Mark Parrish and Philip 

Shearer, one of the surprises from 

their first 15 years in business together 

is simply the fact that they’re still doing it. 

“Fifteen years ago I told myself ‘There’s 

no way I’m doing this for more than five 

years,” Shearer said reflecting on their 

start. “I was 23, and I thought there was no 

way I’ll be doing this when I’m 30.” 

Given the childhood friends’ history 

of restless, questing travel, that probably 

seemed like a safe bet at the time. Introduced 

to each other by Mark’s twin brother 

at the Charterhouse School near London 

in 1987, their vagabond curiosity carried 

them to wild places on multiple continents 

at a remarkably young age. 

But Shearer’s parents have owned 

property on Providenciales since the 1970s, 

and when the two took their dive master 

training on the island, their conversations 

began turning toward the idea of starting 

a local company that reflected their attitudes 

toward nature and exploration. 

“We felt that we could show people the 

Turks and Caicos our way. The real Turks & 

Caicos,” said Parrish, who began exploring 

the Caicos islands during a stint at the 

Providenciales conch farm 16 years ago. 

“The thought was, yes, let’s explore, but 

let’s learn about what we’re looking at. 

We’ve managed to keep that thread the 

whole time.” 

Their start-up, Big Blue Unlimited, took 

visitors on professionally guided tours 

to reefs, mangrove islands and remote 

locations. Focusing on their respect for 

the natural environment, Big Blue’s tours 

limited the number of guests. Then as now, 

Parrish and Shearer believed that tailored 

tours of two to nine guests are optimal. 

Since its beginning in 1998, Big Blue 

has grown from two boats (one of them 

borrowed), three guys and fewer than 10

Paul Roach, Philip Shearer, Tom 

Atkins, Mark Parrish and Evans Lavard 

1997 

; 3 guys 

; 1 boat 

; dive gear 

; pristine islands 

; 1 big idea 

2012 

; 25-35 on staff 

; 4 boats 

; more dive gear 

; snorkels 

; kayaks 

; paddleboards 

; kiteboards 

; bikes 


Big Blue Unlimited now has a crew of guides, instructors and other sta to help clients take full advantage of the islands' adventures. 

sets of scuba gear to four boats, a staff of 

between 23 and 35 (depending on how 

they count it), plus sprawling inventories 

of tanks, masks, regulators, kiteboards, 

kayaks and stand-up paddleboards. Two 

other partners have come and gone, and 

their own interests have evolved. But with 

the company now reaping the benefits of 

years of staff development and a stellar 

reputation, Shearer and Parrish can reflect 

on where they’re heading, both as people 

and as a company. 

For Parrish, it’s the exploration that 

drives him, pushing him farther off the 


beaten path, sometimes emphasizing 

environmental treasures, other times the 

native culture shared by their guide staff. 

For Shearer, it’s become more about the 

athletic side of outdoor living, plus the 

creative business side of the operation. 

“It keeps things fresh,” Parrish said. “I 

know Phil feels the same way about his 

kiteboarding. That whole aspect keeps 

it exciting for us and keeps us here. And I 

think that’s reflected in our company and 

in our staff. We encourage people to keep 

learning.” 

Looking ahead, the partners talk about 

new ventures with local companies, 

expanding their network of equipment 

“bases” around the Caicos group, more allstar 

instructional camps and maybe even 

transporting their eco-tourism template 

beyond the Turks & Caicos. 

No matter how big the company grows 

or expands, for Parrish and Shearer it is 

always about sharing their affinity for the 

natural beauty of the islands, which Shearer 

says they discover more of each day. “If I 

thought there was nothing else to explore 

in Turks & Caicos I could pretty much call 

it a day,” 

PHOTOGRAPHS BY PHILIP SHEARER

island style 


inside out 

architect Ron Shaw blurs the distinction between out there 

and in here 

Mandalay photography by Steve Passmore

creating stunning architecture that incorporates 

the nuances of Caribbean 

living with a luxe style is a signature of 

R.A. Shaw Designs. This is evident walking 

along the quiet shores of Long Bay where the 

distinct symmetry between the homes R.A. 

Shaw Designs founder Ron Shaw has created, 

and the landscapes they encompass are easily 

spotted. However, it only takes a moment to 

realize Mandalay is something of an anomaly 

within his impressive portfolio. 

The salient gate house at the entrance to 

the drive of Mandalay lets you know you are 

about to experience something extraordinary. 

“You actually drive through the house,” Shaw 

says, eyes beaming as he walks through the 

property. 

Stepping down the pathway leading 

through the orchard garden, it feels as if one 

has entered Shaw’s own dreams. Peeking 

through arches that open onto what appears 

to be a waterfall streaming through the center 

of the home, it is as if someone is sitting in the 

center of the pool. Ron pauses for a moment, 

the sides of his mouth rising into a smile, and 

says softly, “Isn’t that amazing? It looks as if he 

is sitting in the pool.” 

A few steps beyond the main entrance 

reveals the reality of the illusion: The man is 

relaxing on the sofa in a sunken lounge area 

centered on an open fire pit. It’s precisely 

the effect Ron Shaw had in mind, when he 

dreamed up Mandalay. 

Shaw has been designing homes in the 

Turks and Caicos Islands since 1998. His 

specialty: Designing luxury residences that 

capture the essence of open Caribbean living. 

When most people decide to build their 

dream home, they seek out an architect who 

The view from the center of the home is a 

spectacular one of Caribbean sea and the 

architectural marvel of Mandalay. 

island style 


The pool flows under the house, reflecting the lights of the entry way under the living room and bedrooms. 

acts more like a caterer who works from 

a set menu. “In most cases clients give 

me all the ingredients and I just bake it,” 

Shaw says. But once in a while, someone 

comes along and challenges the architect 

to create the dream for them. Seemingly 

an architect’s wish, this made for the most 

challenging assignment of Shaw's career. 

“The client gave me a completely free 

hand.” 

A server allows for a myriad of smart 

home features , including defined lighting 

and temperature control throughout the 

house. 


Shaw used the freedom to draw a home 

that encompasses the countless small but 

impactful details he has spent his career 

perfecting. Small things driven by a big 

passion for form and function. 

Mandalay totals 8,119 square feet under 

roof, but that does not include the 4,114 

square feet of outside space that’s still part 

of the home. It begins as you pass under 

an outdoor living room when entering the 

house. From this second-story perch, views 

of the sea become the central theme. 

Arched pathways accented with lounge 

chairs and sofas feature prominently across 

the property, part of Shaw’s approach to 

incorporating the natural topography into 

the design of the home. “The house flows 

naturally with the shape of the dune,” a 

signature of Shaw’s Long Bay designs. 

With such spectacular natural beauty,

Resembling a simple yet elegant palace, the front of Mandalay gives only a hint of the extraordinary environment within. 

Aesthetics are considered even in the 

curve of an outdoor shower for rinsing 

sand and salt, echoing the arches 

throughout the house. Lines and 

curves offer beautiful visuals, such as 

this (center) in the sitting room. Lush 

vegetation is key in creating the synergy 

between indoors and outside. These two 

views (left, far left) of the open kitchen 

illustrate the stunning use of lighting to 

enhance modern living. Countertops — 

even in the baths — are back lit for a soft 

and subtle glow. 


The living room 

chandelier echoes 

the lines of water 

flowing from a 

fountain. 


Shaw takes care to offer the feeling of 

openness. In either of the two exterior 

bedrooms, someone lying in bed has unobstructed 

views of the water features. 

“I wanted to create the feeling of being 

poolside from inside the bedrooms.” 

A masterpiece unto itself, the swimming 

pool extends the complete length of the 

inside of the home covering 4,039 square 

feet. Beginning with shallow pools constructed 

beneath the second-story living 

space, the water features rise up over a 

sensational waterfall, interrupted only by 

the lounge with the central fire pit. On the 

upper level, the pool continues to flow 

under a bridge that connects the kitchen 

to the second living room until it reaches 

an infinity edge, where it flows down towards 

the sea. 

With a home so spectacular, entertaining 

is certain. A modern open kitchen is 

encased by windows that create the feeling 

of cooking beachside. “I wanted the 

kitchen to be open to the beach, but at 

the same time, on a windy day, you can 

close the doors and still feel like you are 

outdoors,” Shaw explains. 

Entry to each room is through archways 

that vary in size and height, giving 

the house an impressive telescoping perspective 

as your eyes wander taking in the 

expansive architectural wonder. 

The open living 

room offers views 

of sky and sea, with 

a hidden projector 

that won't spoil the 

lines when not in 

use.

Villas at Blue Mountain 

We insure this one ... Do we insure yours? 

dwain.bayles@insurancecentretci.com 

cell: 649.232.3722 

www.insurancecentretci.com 

Contact us for a quote 

Instant quotations without obligation 

“A”-rated home insurance 

A member of the BFA Global Group 

Bahamas Cayman Turks & Caicos 

Our Villa Policies include at no extra charge: 

► Comprehensive protection including 

hurricane and flood. 

► Personal liability for $1,000,000 

► Employer’s liability covering injury to your 

staff for $1,000,000 

► Loss of rental income or alternative 

accommodation if your villa is made 

uninhabitable by an insured peril* 

► No policy deductibles apart from hurricane 

and earthquake losses 

► Loss or damage to contents — up to 

$5,000 limit per single unspecified item 

of valuables* 

(*subject to certain conditions) 

s13_TIC-Villa.indd 1 2/1/2013 1:38:59 PM


A bridge over the pool 

connects the kitchen to 

the master suite, allowing 

residents and guests to enjoy 

the outdoors as they move 

through the house. 

Provo Pictures Photography 

styling by Stacie Steensland 

Custom wooden doors more than eight 

feet high make for a grand entrance to the 

master bedroom, where the ocean is visible 

from every angle. The master bedroom 

also offers its own private get-away within 

the house, giving residents the choice 

of lounging Jacuzzi-side or enjoying the 

peace of nature in an outdoor shower that 

seems to rain tranquility. 

Perhaps the most unusual room is the 

owner’s office, which the client wanted 

ocean side. “One request he had was to 

be able to work remotely from the home.” 

How one can work with the ocean calling 

you through the floor to ceiling windows 

is anyone’s guess. If you ask the owner, he 

will tell you, “With a smile.” 

Stopping briefly on the terrace, Ron 

Shaw enjoys a moment deep in thought. 

Gazing at the marvel that is Mandalay, he 

admits, while he enjoys seeing his vision 

executed so beautifully, that isn’t the point. 

“At the end of the day, the satisfaction of 

the client is the most important part for 

me.” 

mandalay 

on Long Bay, Providenciales 

designed by architect Ron Shaw 

built by Projetech 

private home, managed and 

rented by Island Getaways

Architect Ron Shaw designs homes to showcase the most beautiful feature of living in Turks & Caicos. 


island business 


Sterling Shuttleworth, CEO of Venture Captive Management, LLC. 

Turks & Caicos captivating 

growing insurance segment 

risk management 

cap· tive in· sur· ance 

\kapʹ-tiv · in-shûrʹ-en(t)s\ 

n. Insurance provided by a 

company that is formed primarily 

to protect the assets and cover the 

risks of its parent company. 

every day, as the ocean of the world’s 

business markets billow through the 

paradigm of high and low tides, a wave is 

silently growing on the horizon, and more 

and more companies are grabbing their 

boards and jumping on. 

The swell began as a tiny drop in the 

1950s, when an Ohio mining firm created 

a series of insurance subsidiaries to insure 

their captive mines (so called as the output 

from the mines were used solely by the 

company). Fast forward 60 plus years, and 

captive insurance companies are one of 

the largest contributors to the Financial 

Services Industry in the Turks and Caicos, 

which is itself second only to tourism in the 

island nation. 

In November of 2012, the Turks and 

Caicos Association of Insurance Managers, 

in partnership with the Turks and Caicos 

Islands Financial Services Commission, 

hosted a Captive Insurance Conference at 

the Regent Palms resort on Providenciales. 

They invited industry experts to share 

their insight about captives with interested 

business executives. “This first annual conference 

is timely for the Turks and Caicos, 

as insurance managers recognize the significant 

opportunity that captive insurance 

represents for the revenue growth of these 

Islands,” says TCAIM President Adrian Corr. 

Captive Insurance is a wide term that 

covers many niche insurance products, but 

is primarily where an insurance company 

is formed to insure the risks of its parent 

corporation or owner, and/or their customers. 

One of the key benefits of having 

a captive insurance company is that the 

owner gets to share in the profits made by 

the company to which it pays its premiums. 

“You are taking the sweet spot, which is the 

expected profit of a traditional carrier and 

converting it back to you,” explains Sterling 

Shuttleworth who has been managing 

captives for over three decades.

Shuttleworth first came to Turks and 

Caicos in 2002, after leaving a large, 

multi-national company. He had decided 

in 2000 that the captive business 

was important, but the middle market 

in the U.S. was totally under served from 

the captive perspective. After spending 

most of his 30 plus years in the captive industry 

in Bermuda and the Caymans, the 

cost of doing business in those venues 

became a concern and he began a search 

for a British Overseas Territory that offered 

the infrastructure he needed, and 

the laws he required. “I purposely looked 

at the venues and chose Turks and Caicos 

myself,” a decision Shuttleworth says has 

reaped great rewards. “Our captives in 

Turks and Caicos are returning 40 percent 

on their investment on an underwriting 

profit base.” 

Greg Petrowski, Secretary/Treasurer 

GPW and Associates in Phoenix, Arizona, 


Greg Petrowski was recently in Turks 

& Caicos as part of a captive insurance 

conference. 

made that same choice several years earlier 

in the early 1990s. He felt welcomed 

by officials who were willing to work with 

industry affiliates to create the ideal balance 

of legislation and operational costs. 

“They are not overly regulated and don’t 

require an excessive amount of capital,” 

“ 

The Turks and Caicos Islands are the premier domicile 

for producer owned/producer affiliated reinsurance companies 

in the world, not just the Caribbean islands. 

” 

he explains. 

Islands such as the British Virgin Islands, 

Cayman Islands and Bermuda have 

long been considered domiciles of choice, 

primarily because people did not know 

about what the Turks and Caicos has to 

offer, says Petrowski. “Turks and Caicos 

has been one of the best-kept secrets in 

the insurance industry.” The Turks and 

Caicos created specific regulations dealing 

with these structures, making it an 

appealing market for both the investors 

and the country. 

“The Turks and Caicos Islands are the 

premier domicile for producer owned/ 

producer affiliated reinsurance companies 

in the world, not just the Caribbean 

islands,” says Petrowski. With an increase 

in new formations of over 40 percent in 

2012, the swell of captive insurance businesses 

in Turks and Caicos is slowly turning 

into a surge.

captive insurance

island adventure 


The early morning 

trip out to the 

deep is short but 

beautiful and 

yields plenty of 

shing as the day 

brightens. 

Flying the ags 

of four Wahoo and 

one Mahi Mahi 

signals success.

deep sea 

shing is 

more than 

getting 

one on 

the hook 

reeling in the big one 

m ost 

places that offer big game sport fishing 

have the essentials; plenty of fish in the 

water, pelagic know-how, and good equipment. 

But what is it that makes any one particular place 

really stand out from the crowd, especially in an 

area with as many options as the Caribbean? The 

answer, according to Scott Larson, is the people, 

and the location. 

Larson, a businessman from the northeastern 

area of the U.S., has been coming to the Turks and 

Caicos Islands since 2000, when he and his family 

immediately fell in love with the natural beauty 

of the islands. An avid participant in sport fishing 

back home, it was only natural that Larson try his 

hand at it here as well, and that’s when he knew 

he had found his new favorite fishing hole. 

“It’s a place where you can get away from everything,” 

says Larson. The unspoiled landscape 

and the laid back atmosphere found here are 

huge selling points for many. For Larson, as well 

as his friends and family, this means that they can 

truly focus on unwinding. In addition to enjoying 

pristine views, they’ve found that these islands 

offer a great mix of good people. One look at the 

way Larson and his friends interact with the locals, 

and you’d swear that they’ve known each other 

since elementary school. 

The crew aboard the Gwendolyn, a 45-foot 

island style 



Hatteras sports yacht with Grandslam Fishing 

Charters, welcomes Larson and his friends 

with familiar greetings and warm smiles. 

They are long-time acquaintances, as Larson 

has been fishing with them for years. By 

now he knows not only the crew, but even 

the owner on a comfortable, familiar basis. 

Larson makes the 2 hour and 45 minute flight 

on a nearly monthly basis, avoiding the chill 

of winter for too long at a time. 

One thing that helps Providenciales to 

stand out is how accessible the deep water 

is. Sport fishers can go from dock to deep 

water in a matter of minutes. “Back home 

you have to ride out for about a good hour 

or more before you get to an area deep 

enough for good deep sea fishing. Here it’s 

just a 15-minute trip,” beams Larson. With the 

Turks and Caicos Islands nestled atop a giant 

limestone deposit, the difference in ocean 

depth between the shelf it inhabits and the 

surrounding waters is rather extreme. 

The crew and the Larson group spend 

the short journey out chatting it up like old 

friends. They talk about what they’ve been 

up to, fishing or otherwise, and reminisce on 

Flies, tied 

expertly by local 

staff, add a dash 

of bright color 

to the blues and 

greens of the 

water.


Team Larson 

reeled in a wahoo 

less than 30 

minutes from 

leaving the dock.

past excursions as they prepare the lines 

and themselves for an afternoon at sea. 

The crew prepares the ballyhoo fish with 

hooks as the preferred bait for the fish of 

the season, which happen to be mahi-mahi 

and Wahoo. Larson and friends continue 

their fraternal bonding, regularly dipping 

into the cooler, and enjoying cigars while 

the seven lines are baited and cast. 

The Gwendolyn, with its multiple lines, 

offers no shortage of opportunity for 

Larson and his friends to reel in a prize 

catch. There are two flat lines directly off 

the back corners of the boat, two short 

riggers and two long riggers on either side 

of the boat, and the shotgun line with the 

captain on the upper level. The moments 

between conversation and preparation 

afford a wonderful opportunity to take in 

a beautiful view of the coastline, or to see 

the occasional flying fish popping out of 

the water and gliding effortlessly above 

the surf for a good 20 or 30 feet before 

diving back down beneath the waves. 

Every fisherman knows that the waiting 

game is part of the sport; so while the 

captain navigates the sea, trolling with the 

seven lines in the water, friendly passengers 

keep talking about everything from 

fishing and sports to business and life. It’s 

easy to see why so many people take to 

fishing when observing this scene; great 

company, good drink, great weather, and 

amazing views. It’s like combining the best 

parts of going to a beach, a lounge, and a 

sporting event, all in one. 

Before long, the lines snap from their 

riggers and the guys and crew take to action. 

The anticipation culminates as the 

friends fight down their catches. They 

battle the fish with a repetition of the “reel 

“ 

Back home you have to ride 

out for about a good hour or 

more before you get to an area deep 

enough for good deep sea fishing. 

Here it’s just a 15-minute trip. 

” 

Larson proudly displays a replica of a bluefin marlin caught and 

released on a recent trip on the Gwendolyn on his living room wall. 

up, drop down” technique; determination 

and focus on the faces of those in the 

fishing chair, and excitement on the faces 

of those cheering and waiting. They reel 

them in one by one and when the battle is 

over, both the fish and fishermen are tired 

from the fight. 

Larson and friends celebrate with the 

crew as the fish are brought on deck, and 

in no time the container becomes home 

to four Wahoo and a mahi-mahi. Satisfied 

with their results, the group calls it a day, 

and the captain points the boat toward 

the dock to start the journey to land. Now, 

for the 15 minutes it takes to get back, the 

conversation is about today’s events, and 

the anticipation of more days like this one 

to come. 


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eal estate 


what's new under the sun 

developments 

in progress 

proof positive 

of market's 

strong growth 

Joe Zahm is 

president of Turks 

& Caicos Sotheby’s 

International 

Realty and a 

20-year veteran 

in TCI tourism, 

development and 

real estate. 

in 2012 the real estate market in 

the Turks & Caicos Islands was in 

great form, seeing its best year 

since 2008. The numbers for the year 

closed up over 76 percent in dollar 

volume over 2011, with a 58 percent 

increase in average price. The first 

half of the year was bustling with 

sales activity and even as the market 

simmered down, the sales remained 

steady as the quality, well priced 

inventory continued to sell. Even 

through Hurricane Sandy (which had 

a huge impact on some of our best 

feeder markets), both U.S. and TCI 

elections, and the U.S. fiscal cliff issues 

the real estate market continued 

to do well. 

However, some of the best news 

lies in the revival of the development 

market here in TCI. Grace Bay Resorts, 

one of the most successful resort 

development and management 

companies in the Turks & Caicos, 

announced it was delving into the 

residential market. The Residences 

will offer an enclave community in 

Grace Bay of fully managed luxury 

beach front villas starting at $3.7 

million. 

Several resort developers also 

proudly announced their plans for 

the upcoming years. Molasses Reef 

development, a luxury hotel and 

condominium resort on West Caicos, 

is scheduled to re-commence construction 

beginning in 2013. 

Desarrollos Hotelco Group is 

planning to build three luxury 

hotels on Grace Bay. The brands of 

the proposed hotels have not been 

disclosed, but the developer owns 

three hotels in Venezuela managed 

by Marriott, and it has developed a 

Ritz-Carlton resort on Aruba. 

The Veranda Resort was sold in 

December to the Sandals Resorts 

group to expand their room portfolio. 

The move exhibits the success 

Sandals has experienced in the 

tourism market and signals greater 

tourist numbers for the future. 

Plans were also revealed in the 

fourth quarter of 2012 for a $70 million 

development on the site of the 

Third Turtle Inn. 

With the tourism industry going 

strong and a healthy growth rate, 

TCI is again the jewel of the Caribbean 

and is positioned to become 

the premier up-market destination 

in the region. 

The Residences will feature villas on the spectacular Grace Bay beach front.

The crystalline waters and famous 

white sands of Turks & Caicos are 

just outside the door at Bella Vita. 

lines in the sand 

the artful aesthetics of bella vita p ulling through the gates at Bella Vita, 

the striking design and immense 

doorway immediately let you know this 

is more than just another beachfront 

property. In contrast to the many Mediterranean 

or Caribbean-styled homes 

found throughout the islands, this home’s 

design is decidedly modern with clean, 

sharp lines defining its unique appearance. 

The exterior shows 90-degree angles 

used in exciting and playful ways, such as 

the entry way's recursive, angular arches. 

Inside, you’ll find the same elegantly 

simple details as a recurring theme 

throughout the spacious house. From the 

split staircase to the open great room, the 

Wake up to blue skies and turquoise seas in a room with a view. 

minimal design allows the architecture to 

property profile

eal estate 

PHOTOGRAPHS BY STEVE PASSMORE 


bella vita 

The home is 8,000 square feet 

8 bedrooms and 6.5 bathrooms 

Pool and garden are beachfront 

Listed for $5.69 million, Dee Agingu, 

Turks & Caicos Sotheby’s International 

Realty, 649.231.3534 

Brazilian countertops and rosewood cabinets combine 

aesthetics and functionality in the kitchen. 

The baths feature rain showers and oor-to-ceiling 

slate tiling. The oating wooden cabinetry brings a 

splash of color to the otherwise monochromatic room. 

The entry way makes stunning use of cascading right angles. 

The staircase mixes 

angles with delicate 

curves in the railing. 

truly shine. The bedrooms forego the typical 

clutter of excess living, allowing you to 

focus on the walk-out windows facing the 

stunning Caribbean Sea and the corner 

windows that offer island views. 

Quite possibly, the most impressive 

feature of Bella Vita is the outdoor space. 

A beautiful, spacious Brazilian wood deck 

with an infinity edge pool, an outdoor 

shower, and a grill lead out to the home's 

very own secluded section of beach. 

Truly unique, this property was certainly 

built for those looking for a house 

that stands out amongst the crowd, while 

offering everything that makes a house 

a home.

The great room with 30-foot vaulted ceilings encompasses the kitchen, dining 

space and living area. The feature that makes the great room so great, is a 

spectacular floor-to-ceiling fireplace that can be enjoyed both indoors and out. 


island faces 


from 

wheels 

to blades 

TCI teen’s sharp play 

gives him an edge 

with dreams of becoming a professional 

ice hockey player, 17 year old Kristoff 

Malcolm has no intentions of letting 

anything get in his way; least of all the fact that 

he never even skated on ice until the age of 15. 

Born and raised in the Turks & Caicos Islands, 

Malcolm has always been an active youth. Initially 

into soccer, he took up skating when his 

father suggested he give it a try. He fell in love 

with it almost immediately and quickly put his 

skating skills to work at roller hockey, instantly 

finding his niche in the rink. Malcolm showed 

natural skill, scoring over 100 points in his four 

years with the Provo Hockey League, solidifying 

his passion for the sport. However, it didn’t 

take long for him to realize that in order to take 

his game to the next level he’d have to do it 

somewhere other than Provo. 

Ice hockey pros had a key element that Malcolm 

was missing: ice. In order for him to learn 

the skills needed to become a professional, he 

Kristo Malcolm learned on 

roller skates, but earned a 

spot at the Ontario Hockey 

Academy by auditioning 

on ice. “[He’s] a great 

kid,” says his OHA 

coach Rick 

Steadman.

“ 

To 

I feel like I would be giving back in a sort of way, being a role model for kids. 

knew he’d have to get out on the ice and 

away from home. With that knowledge, 

and the support of two loving and encouraging 

parents, he found his way to a tryout 

game for a Canadian hockey academy. 

“I really didn’t belong out there. I had 

to get used to the bigger rink…I had to 

get used to playing five on five, and I had 

to get used to hitting,” said Malcolm of his 

first game on ice. But like a true champion, 

Malcolm knew what was at stake. If he 

wanted to keep moving closer to realizing 

his dream, he would have to overcome 

the seemingly impossible challenge of 

not only doing what he had never done 

before, but also doing it well enough to 

impress the talent scouts and get into a 

hockey school. 

Initially the coaches weren’t terribly 

impressed by Malcolm’s performance, 

but once they learned that it had been 

his first time on ice, they saw the potential 

he held and decided to bring him in to 

develop his natural skills. Now Malcolm 

plays on a partial scholarship at Ontario 


make the team alone would mean so much for me, and my country. 

Hockey Academy. Within his first year, he 

moved from high school level Midget AAA, 

for ages 15-17, to top college level College 

AAA, a pre-university level not to be confused 

with CIS leagues. “[He’s] a great kid 

who has unending enthusiasm and spirit 

that makes our hockey team better both 

on and off the ice,” says his OHA coach Rick 

Steadman. 

For the past two years, this young Turks 

& Caicos native has been spending the majority 

of his time in the significantly colder 

climate of Canada, but his island home 

keeps a warm place in his heart. During 

his breaks between semesters he regularly 

returns to the Turks & Caicos creating opportunities 

to give back to the community 

he grew up in. 

He conducts mini ball hockey camps 

for the local youth, where he imparts his 

gained wisdom and experience on to the 

island’s young hockey players. Malcolm 

looks to be a positive role model for these 

kids; an admirable goal for someone that 

could still be considered a kid himself. 

Representing a more relatable and realistic 

role model, he manages to capture the 

kids’ attention. He shows them what he’s 

already accomplished at his own young 

age, and tells them how his hard work got 

him to where he is. 

Now that he’s finishing his final year 

of high school at the hockey academy, 

Malcolm is preparing for his future. His 

short term goals include playing in the 

junior leagues and then moving on to a 

division one college, but the goal he’s really 

looking to score is that of a place on 

the Great Britain Men’s Ice Hockey team. 

Being from a British overseas territory, he 

feels that it would be the best place for him 

to represent his home. “To make the team 

alone would mean so much for me, and my 

country. I feel like I would be giving back in 

a sort of way, being a role model for kids,” 

says the professional hockey hopeful. 

It may seem as though this determined 

teen has lofty ambitions and high hopes, 

but so far he’s proven that he has the tenacity 

to succeed. 

Kristoff leads the way to better skills, holding mini training camps with younger players on island. He says he hopes 

kids such as Chris Robinson and Miguel Malcolm will follow him to success in bigger arenas. 

”

island style 

starry, starry night 

When your little ones are finished 

with a long day of building sand castles 

and chasing parrot fish, they can take 

advantage of the islands’ star filled 

skies. Offering just as much overhead 

clarity as they do underwater clarity, 

the Turks and Caicos Islands are a great 

place to learn about the constellations 

above. Thanks to the low levels of 

light pollution on the islands, aspiring 

astronomers can use their bare eyes 

to make out dozens of constellations. 

Just print out a star chart and look up 

to see the big dipper, Orion’s belt, and 

countless other heavenly bodies. 

No telescope required for the entry 

level stargazer here, however if you 

desire a closer look than you can get 

with your naked eye, just use a pair of 

binoculars. With this simple tool, you 

can make out the craters on the moon’s 

surface or get up close with Ursa Minor. 

Why not gather on the beach, a 

balcony, or a deck with a few late night 

snacks and view the skies as you’ll 

rarely, if ever, see them in a busy city? 


Starry starry night photograph taken January 9 from Providenciales 

star

gazing 

cool things to see 

whale watching 

The winter months on the island, December 

through April, provide ample opportunity to see 

majestic humpback whales returning home to 

their breeding grounds in the Caribbean. Those 

looking for the chance to marvel at this rare sight 

will find that Turks and Caicos is a great place 

to be in the winter. It’s easy to book a spot on 

a whale watching charter and head out to sea 

where you’ll see these magnificent creatures 

breaching the surface of the water. 

Mother humpbacks come to mate and give 

birth in the warmer waters of the tropics and 

those who birth calves stay for months until the 

young ones are strong enough to make the journey 

north. Kids of all ages love watching these 

beautiful animals. They stare in awe at their size 

and gracefulness and get a chance to see a different 

take on the parent-offspring relationship. 

space and sea 

If you're interested in space exploration, the 

Grand Turk Cruise Center has a section dedicated 

to an interesting little piece of our past. Now 

a footnote in the pages of history, the splashdown 

landing of Lieutenant Colonel John Glenn 

happened just off the coast of Grand Turk 50 

years ago. The Center houses an area displaying 

information about the space race made famous 

decades ago and contains attractions regarding 

the U.S.’s Project Mercury which saw their first 

manned space flight. 

Take the kids along to see parts of our space 

history as you browse exhibits detailing the 

highlights of the space race, including Project 

Mercury, Friendship 7, John Glenn, and more. 

While there, you can also enjoy the other fun 

attractions at the cruise center. 

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cover story 

Kai (left) and 

Levi joined their 

father Susur Lee as 

restaurateurs when 

they opened Bent 

in Toronto. Below, 

the chef's signature 

restaurant, Lee, is one 

of the city's bestknown 

dining spots. 


top chef sets course for next big thing 

dining 

dynasty 

susur lee 

AARON HARRIS/GETSTOCK.COM

eyes sharpened on the objects in 

front of him, hands moving swiftly 

without a moment’s hesitation. Work 

executed with the intensity and precision 

of a tiger hunting his prey. That is the Susur 

Lee I had come to know from watching him 

compete in the hyper-competitive culinary 

television sensation Top Chef Masters. 

In the kitchen, Susur Lee enters a world 

all his own, focusing completely on creating 

dishes that achieve the perfect balance 

of flavors and textures. “Sometimes my 

sons have to say, ‘Dad, I am talking to you 

right now.’ That is my comfort zone, that is 

what I do, where I focus, what I love.” 

Cooking has been Susur Lee’s whole life 

since 1974. A fascinating apologue filled 

with delicious adventures, sour tragedies 

and sweet successes that molded a worldrenowned 

chef. ”Those are the years that 

make me that person and I take it very seriously, 

because I love what I do. It makes me 

feel very secure doing what I love.” 

From humble beginnings in China, 

Susur Lee became a sensation in North 

America creating dishes that combined the 

epicurean traditions of China with classical 

French technique. Beginning with a 12-table 

restaurant in Toronto in 1987, Susur Lee 

The family 

business includes 

Susur Lee's wife, 

Brenda Bent, who 

designed the 

interior's of Lee 

(above) and Bent. 


An artist at combining Asian avors with classic 

techniques, Lee served eye- and palate-pleasing 

dishes at Amanyara such as Curry Lobster 

Tempura with Spicy Mango Salad, Fresh Chili Mint 

Chutney and Coconut Cardamom Carrot (below). 

rose to culinary fame impressing guests 

and critics alike. Zagat pronounced him 

“a culinary genius,” while Food & Wine 

magazine heralded Lee as one of the 

“Ten Chefs of the Millennium.” 

Susur Lee documented his history 

through stories and recipes in his 2005 

autobiographical cookbook, A Culinary 

Life, where he describes the journeys 

involved with all his recipes. “Travelling 

is one of my greatest inspirations to 

live, to learn and also to cook. All those 

things are so important to me.” 

Travelling for Susur Lee means new 

menus for his chefs and patrons. “Every 

time when I travel, I bring back recipes 

or ingredients.” His chefs have come to 


expect containers full of surprises from 

his travels. “My trips are very exciting, 

even though they have to do a lot with 

work, but that work is kind of creative.” 

Lee vividly remembers buying a 

conch from a man on the beach during 

his first trip to Turks & Caicos and taking 

it into Chef Fritz’s kitchen at Amanyara 

to prepare a ceviche. That experience 

was a realization, a moment when the 

culture, the people, the product and 

the season all came into clear focus. 

Moments like that one led him to write 

his book. “(It was) something that was 

all about documenting for my family 

things that I have done, so they actually 

understand what this is all about.“ 

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRISTINE MORDEN 

One of Susur Lee's signature 

dishes, Singapore Slaw, 

features 19 dierent 

ingredients crowned with a 

birds nest of taro and tossed 

with salted plum dressing. 

On island, Lee appreciates the chance to visit 

with his friends. Lee has known Fritz Zwahlen, 

executive chef at Amanyara, for years.

“ Traveling is one of my greatest inspirations to live, to learn and also to 

cook. All those things are so important to me. 

” 

Lee was in the kitchen at Amanyara for Thanksgiving, cooking up a Toronto-meets-Turks-and-Caicos feast for guests. 

The book is the journey of all his recipes 

from Asia to the Middle East, Europe 

to North America. Meeting and sharing 

experiences cooking with great chefs from 

across the world. “There is a lot of learning 

for me, and it has a huge meaning. That is 

why I wanted to document it in the book, 

for my family,” he explains to me over an 

afternoon cup of coffee. But, Lee says, 

the book is very much what he did at that 

moment in his life. “It is funny you should 

ask about the book,” he says with an artful 

smile. “I was just thinking maybe it is time 

to do a new one.” 

In November, Susur Lee starred as a 

guest chef at Amanyara, cooking an incredibly 

interesting Asian Thanksgiving feast. 

Between preparing special ingredients 

(ones he carried with him from Asia, via 

a short stop in Toronto) and tasting his 

simmering sauces, I had the chance to visit 

with him and ask about his life and career. 

As I listened to him share his story, I quickly 

came to the realization that there is a very 

different Susur Lee outside the kitchen. 

Growing up in a working-class neighborhood 

in Hong Kong, 16-year-old Lee 

helped to support his family by working as 

a culinary apprentice at the renowned Peninsula 

Hotel, a providential circumstance 

that led to a life of culinary reverence. 

After falling in love with a young Canadian 

English teacher, Lee took his culinary 

talents to North America, where he worked 

for years as an executive chef. But when 

his wife died in a plane crash in 1983, Lee 

refocused his passion for the kitchen. 

The decades that followed were infused 

by his marriage to a beautifully creative 

designer, Brenda Bent, the birth of their 

three sons — Kai, Levi and Jet — and culinary 

travels the world over. He also opened 

several successful restaurants in his adopted 

hometown of Toronto, as well as in 

Singapore, Washington D.C., and New York 

City. He starred on several International 

television programs, including coming up 

just short of winning the title on Top Chef 

Masters. 

As we spoke about his life, I noticed his 

facial expressions soften each time the 


conversation came back to his family. 

As young boys, Susur Lee’s two eldest 

sons were not interested in dad’s business. 

Nationally ranked athletes, Kai and Levi 

preferred to serve up tennis balls. 

“Then a great thing happened,” Susur 

Lee said with a proud twinkle in his eye. 

“They got involved in my business.” 

On a break from university two years 

ago while studying on a tennis scholarship, 

Kai had an epiphany, deciding to give 

working in his dad’s restaurant a try. “It 

came really naturally, so I stuck with it,” 

23-year-old Kai tells me of his decision. “It 

is a very in-the-moment business,” something 

Kai savors. 

Lee describes Kai as the more spontaneous 

of the two (which I experienced when 

he tricked his dad into standing near the 

edge of the pool during our photo shoot 

and then pushed him in.) On the other side, 

Lee says Kai shares his trait of being very 

particular. “He drives me crazy when he 

comes in the kitchen, walks around and 

picks up food, tasting things, saying ‘too 

sour, too salty’ and most of the time he is 


right,” he says through a smile. 

With his determined and organized 

personality, 21-year-old Levi has taken a 

keen interest in the business side of things. 

”He has that part I have,” says Lee. “He is a 

kid who likes to think ahead, (and) it drives 

him crazy if he does not know what is happening 

in the future.” 

The boys spent several years learning 

the ropes at the kitchen of their father’s 

premier business in Toronto, until last 

spring when Susur Lee’s restaurant empire 

became a family dynasty. 

One of Susur Lee’s proudest moments 

came on the day in August 2012 when he 

opened the doors of Bent, a modern seafood 

restaurant in Toronto’s Dundas West 

neighborhood. It’s a collaboration with his 

sons, and it already has the town abuzz. 

Walk into Lee or Bent on any night of 

the week and you are sure to find one of 

the two young entrepreneurs in house, 

tasting dishes, mixing cocktails or seating 

guests. Whatever it takes to ensure success. 

Kai and Levi have also had an influence 

on the ambiance and style of Lee’s 

restaurants. “They have brought in a 

younger crowd,” he says of the clientele 

that frequent his Toronto restaurants. 

While he continues to enjoy visitors who 

have been coming to eat his fusion cuisine 

since before fusion was fusion, he appreciates 

the youthful vibe and late-night spark 

at Lee and Bent. 

At this point in Susur Lee’s career, it 

would appear he can take a step back 

and revel in the fruits of his labor. He is the 

proprietor of four successful restaurants 

in three countries and consults for several 

others. He is a book author, highly soughtafter 

guest for culinary events and has 

made numerous television appearances. 

But when you step outside the kitchen with 

Chef Susur Lee, you notice something very 

familiar about this extraordinary chef. 

“I don’t want them to have disappointment 

or failure,” the tender-hearted father 

of three says about his sons. “I have never 

worked so hard (as I have) since they joined 

me.” 

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRISTINE MORDEN

Escaping the 

hectic life of 

restaurateurs, 

the family makes 

regular trips 

to relax in the 

Turks & Caicos. 

Q: What do you like about your visits to 

Turks & Caicos? 

A: When I first came here I felt really comfortable. 

I like to come here to get away. Also 

there is no time change, and the flight is 

quick (Direct flight from Toronto). 

Q: What is your favorite meal? 

A: I never miss breakfast. I like to eat simple, 

fresh, wholesome food. 

Q: Do you miss Hong Kong? 

A: On a recent trip, I was participating in an 

event and every time I walked out of the 

hotel, I felt like “Oh my God this is me.” I forgot 

how many years I had been away and 

I really missed it. I went to the markets and 

just spent time taking in the smells, tastes 

and sounds, reliving those moments from 

my childhood. 

Q: What inspires you to do cooking 

events? 

A: The charities are really important to me, 

but I also like to see other chefs. We are such 

busy people. Sometimes we don’t find the 

time to visit them. When you get older, I think 

you also treasure that. 

Q: Are you able to let go when you leave 

the restaurants behind? 

A: I work extremely hard before I go, and 

I am in touch with my sons and my chef. I 

even know what is in the freezer, that is how 

particular I am. 

Q: We spoke about Kai and Levi. What 

about your youngest son, Jet? 

A: He is very curious about food. I recently 

brought him to a food event and he spent 10 

hours with me in the kitchen. His eyes light 

up (when he is in the kitchen), he is so excited 

to see what I really do. 

Q: How do your restaurants outside Toronto 

differ? 

A: Zentan in Washington D.C. is more businesslike. 

For example, there is less sharing of 

the dishes. In Singapore, Chinos is in a resort 

with many Chinese guests, so there are more 

traditional Chinese dishes. 

Q: How have you seen the restaurant 

industry change over your career? 

A: Restaurants are more international. The 

world is getting very multi-cultural. People 

want to sit a little closer to each other. There 

is more exposure about food on television, 

people travel more and their general knowledge 

of food is much greater. 

island style 

&A 


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Turn right. 

Relax. 

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new chefs spice up cuisine scene p84, p88 

a world of wine p96 

island-born salsa a hot topic p98 

island style 

Photograph: Cuttlesh with tomato, radish & green onion at Stelle Restaurant, the Gansevoort. Photographer: Christa Reckhorn Turks & Caicos Magazine 83

island chef 

Lobster is 

delicious and 

beautifully 

presented. 


feast for the eyes 

young 

Chef Matthew Doerner’s stellar turn 

executive chefs are on the rise in 

the restaurant scene on the island of 

Provo, and Matthew Doerner is showing 

us why. His culinary creations shine on 

the plate and dance on the palate. Doerner 

is the recently charged executive chef of 

the Stelle restaurant at the Gansevoort Resort. 

At 29 years of age, he’s younger than 

the average exec; yet he still has plenty of 

kitchen experience to support his newfound 

position. 

Born in Toronto, Chef Doerner spent the 

majority of his life in the city. His humble 

beginnings started in his mother’s kitchen. 

There he learned the basics of cooking, 

and even developed a few dishes that 

remain a favorite of his to this day, like 

the kale salad you can find on his current 

menu. 

From there he went on to numerous 

entry-level kitchen positions, and fell in 

love with the atmosphere. Eventually he 

met his mentor, Claudio Aprile, and spent 

the next seven years learning all the techniques 

that have gotten him where he is 

today. 

In the drastically different island scene, 

Chef Doerner gives his dishes new life. He 

stays primarily within a Mediterranean 

style, but doesn’t hesitate to add influences 

from other cultures such as Asian, 

Spanish, and Italian, to keep things fresh 

and different. He also avoids signature 

dishes, opting instead to leave room on


feast 

for the eyes 

Chef Doerner loves finding 

the unusual to add to his 

dishes. This is Buddha's 

hand, an Asian fruit. 

from page 84 

the menu for more creative fare, like a 

dish that incorporates an Asian citrus 

fruit called Buddha’s hand. 

His philosophy for food 

is to keep it simple, but do 

something different. That 

philosophy even finds its way 

into the wording of the menu. 

Gone are the cold and uninviting 

ingredient lists often found in fine 

dining menus. In their place you’ll find 

descriptions with personality, enabling 

diners to mentally sample the taste of a 

dish before even placing an order. 

His move to the island paradise that 

is Turks and Caicos finds him utilizing 

more tropical flair in his dishes. Chef 

Amanyara 

649.941.8133 

6 p.m. -10 p.m. 

Closed Sundays 

Reservations 

required 

nothing says ‘Al fresco” like enjoying the sensation of the cool 

sea breeze while delighting in a warm dish of homemade 

pasta. Set far from the hustle and bustle of the city lights, the Beach 

Club at Amanyara offers a quiet and peaceful oasis to enjoy the finer things 

in life. Cooked-to-perfection pasta that was hand-crafted just moments 

before your fork brings the palate-pleasing morsel to your mouth is only one 

of the many majestic experiences you will have the pleasure to discover at 

The Beach Club. The atmosphere exudes simplicity in its finest form, where 

the crashing waves create a tantalizing musical, the sincere preparation of 

the dishes allows the fresh ingredients to be the stars of the night and the 

attentive staff caters to your every culinary desire. 

Stelle 

Gansevoort 

649.946.5746 

Tues-Sat 6-10 p.m. 

Reservations 

suggested 

Doerner brings in healthier grains like 

quinoa and lentils, and pairs them with 

lobster, scallops, and conch. 

He integrates brighter flavors 

like ginger and fennel, and 

includes locally grown and 

caught ingredients whenever 

they’re available. 

Enjoying his new role and 

life on the island, Doerner keeps 

it all grounded by simply abiding by 

a quote from American chef Thomas 

Keller, “When you acknowledge, as 

you must, that there is no such thing 

as perfect food, only the idea of it, then 

the real purpose of striving toward perfection 

becomes clear: to make people 

happy. That’s what cooking is all about.” 

pasta 

perfection 

Fresh-from-the garden herbs 

flavor handmade pasta.

Dinner 6pm -10pm 

Closed Tuesdays 

Reservations required 

Paul Newman, Iron Chef winner, Hot 

and Spicy, Toronto 2011 

coyabarestaurant.com 

peak@tciway.tc 

649-946-5186 

Top 10 Caribbean restaurants, 

Fodor’s February 2011

island chef 

New executive chef takes charge at Parallel 23 

When you first meet Chef Ingo 

Moeller, his accent tells you that 

he is from someplace exotic, most likely 

European (Germany to be precise). But 

when you first encounter his food, you’re 

opened up to a whole world of flavors that 

can’t be pegged entirely to any one location. 

Moeller is the new executive chef of 

the Parallel 23 restaurant at the Regent 

Palms Resort and his years of international 

experience are prevalent throughout his 

dishes and his cooking style. 

From a young age, Moeller knew exactly 

what he wanted to do with his life. “I 

love to be in the kitchen,” Moeller says of 

his early determination. He began cooking 

at home as a child, following in the apron 

strings of his mother and sister who were in 

the hospitality business. Their passions for 

cooking took root in him and he has been 


ingo moeller can 

stand the heat 

working in the kitchen ever since. 

It began with his apprenticeship in culinary 

school, where his keen enthusiasm 

and quick learning helped him to stand 

out amongst his peers. Moeller graduated 

on the fast track jump starting his career 

of culinary success. From there he found 

himself in various fine dining establishments 

throughout Berlin, including several 

Michelin Star-rated restaurants. 

While working in kitchens such as Hotel 

Adlon and Bamberger Reiter, Moeller 

honed his skills and mindset to become 

the chef he is today. Now, 18 years later, 

he is a humble man with an eye for detail 

and a passion for life and cooking. He’s 

traveled around the globe working in 

countries such as Austria, Cairo, India, and 

the Maldives just to name a few. Today 

he’s expanded upon his base of a more

Parallel 23 

Regent Palms 

649.946.8666 

Daily 6-10 p.m. 

Reservations 

suggested 

classically European cuisine to incorporate 

aspects from all of his travels. 

One of the factors that contributes to 

his food being so unique, may well be that 

he’s spent part of his career as a pastry chef. 

Moeller relished the opportunity early in 

his career to expand upon his cooking 

knowledge and learned a few things that 

still influence his current cooking. Looking 

over his dishes, you can see the visual flair 

and elegant touches of ornate garnishes 

and spectacular plate designs. Fortunately 

for his guests, the food tastes as good as 

it looks. 

He combines flavors in such a way that 

your palate will never be bored. One of 

his appetizer courses, for instance, puts 

your mouth through a series of warm-ups, 

awakening your tastebuds and giving you a 

bit of all five basic tastes. You’ll get the bitterness 

of beet and the saltiness of seafood 

along with the sweetness of coconut, sourness 

of lemongrass, and the savory flavor of 

duck breast and lamb. Before even making 

it to the entrée, you’ll experience a roller 

coaster of flavors in a way that entices as 

opposed to overwhelms. 

Bringing together aspects from all of his 

cooking experience, Moeller creates dishes 

that catch your eye and capture your heart. 

You’ll fall in love not just with the food he 

prepares, but with the eating experience 

he provides through his menu. 

Lamb is prepared to perfection along side blue-cheese mashed 

potatoes and crisp, flavorful ratatouille.


good food 

for any mood 

after more than a year in their new 

beachfront location at the Alexandra 

Resort, it’s clear that the only thing 

that has changed at Mango Reef is the 

view. Savor the eclectic and delicious 

food they’re known for, like Thai 

vegetable curry and lobster 

ravioli, while enjoying a beautiful 

beachfront vista. 

If you find it difficult to 

decide which delectable 

treat to choose, try the Crispy 

Aumoniere of Scallop to start things 

off. The crispy brick paper stuffed with 

sautéed jumbo scallops, mushroom, 

spinach and Parmesan cream sauce, 

Mango Reef 

Alexandra Resort 

649.946.8200 

Daily 8 a.m.- 10 p.m. 

Dinner reservations 

suggested 

topped with shallots and truffle 

oil are a great example of the arresting 

cuisine that has made Mango Reef a 

local favorite. 

silverware optional 

if you’re craving authentic Japanese 

cuisine or just some of the freshest, 

most inspired sushi creations you can 

find on island, then Yoshi’s Sushi 

restaurant is the place to find it. A 

trendy restaurant in Grace Bay, Yoshi’s 

is equal parts after hours mixer 

and elegant restaurant with food and 

drink well worth visiting. If you’re looking 

to host your own event, or just want to 

enjoy their top notch sushi in your own 

setting, why not order one of their Sushi 

Party Trays To-Go. Now you can order a 

platter filled with fresh sashimi or nigiri 

and some truly creative sushi rolls anywhere 

you please. 

The extensive menu is sure 

to please everyone — and 

a beautiful sunset is the 

perfect complement. 

Yoshi's 

649.441.8111 

12-3 p.m. & 6-10 p.m. 

Closed Sundays 

Dinner reservations 

suggested

pop by stix for seaside adventure 

something new has popped up at the Grace 

Bay Club and you will definitely want to stick 

it on your must visit list. 

Stix, a pop up beach bar, is the perfect spot 

for a light lunch, afternoon snack or pre-dinner 

drinks. 

Everything is served on sticks and bio-degradable 

plates, which makes it a relaxing, fun way to 

eat at the beach. Menu highlights include Lobster 

Cocktail on a Stick with Tangy Citrus Aioli and Chili 

Garlic Crumbs; Jerk Roasted Corn on the Cob with 

Grace Bay Coconut; and Spicy Sambal Beef Skewer 

with Scallions and Rum-Soaked Pineapple. 

Guests with a sweet tooth can enjoy a Pina 

Colada Popsicle, Frozen Banana Rama with Caramel 

and Marshmallows, or Tropical Fruit Stix with 

Bailey’s Chocolate Dip. 

Additionally, Stix offers an exceptional selection 

of internationally acclaimed Rosé wines as 

the signature libation. 

The lounge area featuring oversized sofas in 

a mix of orange, purple and white provides unobstructed 

views of the ocean, while Caribbean 

music and subtle lighting set the mood for a 

relaxed and luxurious experience. 

Try a tasting menu of their homemade avored rums. 

island dining 

Stix 

Grace Bay Club 

649.946.5050 

Daily 

11 a.m. - until 


PHOTOGRAPH BY STEVE PASSMORE 


better 

and 

better 

Coco Bistro 

649.946.5369 

Tues-Sun 5:30 -10 p.m. 

Reservations 

suggested 

after 15 years of serving some 

of the islands best cuisine, we 

have come to expect great things 

from Coyaba Chef/Owner Paul Newman. 

But after returning from his world 

travels this winter, we learned there are some 

new things to appreciate. 

Beginning with subtle enhances to the 

warm and welcoming atmosphere, Coyaba 

has added freshness to their ambiance and 

menus. Chef Paul has added several new 

from garden to table 

coco Bistro’s owner and executive chef Stuart 

Gray puts a lot of effort into creating a truly 

fantastic dining experience. 

Whether it’s the fresh herbs and spices from 

his herb garden which bring his exquisite 

dishes to life or the secluded outdoor seating 

that lends the feeling of dining in an elegant 

garden, Chef Stuart’s restaurant truly provides 

for a wonderful meal. The creativity in 

Coyaba 

649.946.5186 

Dinner 6-10 p.m. 

Closed Tuesdays 

Reservations 

suggested 

his dishes will amaze you at how simple 

changes like using sugar cane as the 

skewer for his shrimp satay or anchovy 

fillets in his Caesar salad can make a 

world of difference on your palate. 

The refreshing romantic atmosphere is 

the perfect complement to the menu, 

with many newly added dishes. 

vintages to his already diverse wine 

menu, including the acclaimed Argentinian 

Bodega Renacer Enamore. 

But the most sumptuous changes 

come in new fare added to his already 

foodgasmic menu. Regular specials keep 

taste buds tempted with creative dishes, 

such as Pumpkin Seed Crumbed Veal Scallopini, 

Jumbo lump crab and Asparagus 

‘Oscar’ and Coyaba’s Murray’s Freebird Half 

Chicken Tagine.

Experience the lively sophisticated atmosphere that the Gansevoort is 

known for. Enjoy a casual lunch at our Beach Bar + Grill with its custom pizza 

oven or an intimate gourmet dinner at Stelle. Under the stars by the pool or on our 

beautiful garden terrace, savour globally inspired mediterranean cuisine featuring the 

very best ingredients, fresh local fish and seafood. Come to relax, come to celebrate! 

STELLE HOURS: TUES.- SAT. 6 - 10 PM, CLOSED SUN. AND MON. • BEACH BAR AND GRILL OPEN FOR LUNCH 11:30 AM - 5 PM AND DINNER SUN. AND MON. 6 - 10 PM 

BAR OPEN TO 2 AM FRIDAYS WITH OUR SPECTACULAR DJ AT CLUB STELLE • LOWER BIGHT ROAD, PROVIDENCIALES 

FOR RESTAURANT RESERVATIONS PLEASE CALL: 649.946.5746 FOR HOTEL ROOM RESERVATIONS PLEASE CALL: 888.844.5986 • WWW.GANSEVOORTTC.COM


afternoon indulgences 

the Beach House, a new addition to the Providenciales culinary scene, has launched 

a little something for the sweet tooth. Spend the afternoon enjoying Parisian style 

treats in a Caribbean setting. Café gourmand - the latest sensation in France - has hit 

Beach House the Grace Bay beachside resort, giving guests a reason to enjoy a gourmet coffee with 

649.946.5800 sweet treats in the middle of the day. 

Daily 8 a.m.-10 p.m. The new Afternoon Delight menu offers the soothing combination of coffee with 

Dinner reservations sweets from 12 p.m. - 4 p.m. Relax with a latte, while you nibble on an assorted tray 

suggested 

of mini desserts. Bite sized versions of some of Chef Eric’s favorites, each dish, each day 

brings new surprises. Or, if you are looking to cool down from the hot Caribbean sun, 

enjoy one of their homemade ice cream sundae creations. 

The finishing 

touches on dishes at 

Grace's Cottage let 

you have your cake 

and admire it too. 

edible art 

Sweet treats await 

at the Beach House, 

from delicate cakes to 

decadent sundaes. 

from its elegant garden setting to its 

delicious, artful cuisine, Grace’s Cottage 

is a cozy fine dining restaurant that 

Grace's has everything you need for a 

Cottage memorable meal. 

Point Grace In addition to their robust 

649.946.5096 menu with international takes on 

Daily 6-10 p.m. everything from lamb and duck to 

Reservations 

suggested beef and chicken, and a plethora of 

seafood options, the quaint restaurant 

offers a bit of local flair in the form 

of their executive chef Franko Forbes and 

regular live local entertainment. 

The scene here is always set for 

sophisticated Caribbean relaxation so 

place an order for one of their unique 

dishes and enjoy a slice of island 

tranquility.

island faces 

a family tradition 

John Terlato and his brother Bill run the company founded by their father, importing wines and producing their own in California. 

Terlato Wines has roots in the past and plans for the future 

the Terlato family could be considered 

luxury pioneers. Family patriarch Anthony 

Terlato is credited with introducing 

America to some of the most popular 

wines of Italy, including the Pinot Grigio 

in the 1980s. Since then his wine empire 

has grown to encompass over 60 brands 

from the world’s finest regions. 

Today, with his sons Bill and John, 

Terlato owns and operates Terlato Wines 

International and produces his own wines 

at the family-owned wineries in California, 

including Chimney Rock, Rutherford Hill, 

Terlato Family Vineyards, Alderbrook 

and Sanford. With TWI being recognized 

as a leading company in the 

wine industry, John Terlato’s presence 

at the Caribbean Food & Wine festival 

was quite an honor for all the vintners, 

sommeliers, and connoisseurs 


in attendance 

John Terlato first discovered Turks & 

Caicos on his honeymoon in 2000, “We 

just fell in love with the place and with the 

people,” Terlato says of the island nation. 

“It was the first of many memorable trips 

to the Turks.” 

In November, he combined work and 

pleasure presenting some of his favored 

wines at the Second Annual Caribbean 

Food & Wine Festival to great acclaim. 

“When this team first approached me 

and shared their plans and goals for the 

festival, I was impressed by their 

enthusiasm and commitment to 

bringing great foods and wines 

to the island, its visitors and its 

residents. Their enthusiasm was 

also rather infectious and I really 

wanted to help in any way 

I could.” 

Terlato was not disappointed by his 

experience, enjoying the intimacy of the 

three day festival. “The festival participants 

were so nice and so interested in wine 

and winemaking...it was just a pleasure to 

share information with them.” And share 

he did; as guest of honor at the Welcome 

Dinner, Terlato offered guests insightful 

stories into his family's adventures with 

wines. 

Travelling and working from their headquarters 

in Chicago, Terlato enjoyed the 

opportunity to spend one-on-one 

time with the guests. “It was this 

intimacy which afforded many opportunities 

to really deeply answer 

their questions and share information 

about grape growing, winemaking 

and winemaking styles.”

island faces 


islander spices up culinary world 

with born-in-the-TCI sauce 

delano Handfield didn’t come home to the Turks 

& Caicos with a plan to start the Sakaja gourmet 

hot-sauce company. He found that improbable 

future waiting for him at da Conch Shack. 

The Providenciales native and U.S. Army veteran 

already had a recipe for a killer mango salsa, 

but that was just a hobby project he’d picked up 

during an international career that ranged from 

wrenching vehicles in the Middle East to contract 

work in desert war-zones. But by 2009 his place 

in Maryland no longer felt like home, and he’d 

already had enough of the desert. “At the end, 

one day I was looking out to the horizon and I

Delano’s Conch Salad 

Makes 1 serving 

Ingredients 

8 oz conch 

10 tbsp fresh lime juice 

5 tbsp fresh orange juice 

1 ripe tomato, diced 

1 cucumber peeled, 

seeded and diced 

1/4 cup diced onion 

1/2 cup bell peppers 

(any color), diced 

1 tbsp SAKAJA Wild 

Wheeland pepper sauce 

Salt and pepper to taste 

Directions 

1. Wash conch with a mixture of lemon, salt and water. 

2. Clean the conch, remove slime, and cut into small cubes. 

3. Place in mixing bowl with remaining ingredients. 

4. Cover and let the conch and vegetables marinate 

in refrigerator for 15 minutes. 

5. Mix and serve. 

remembered the place where I grew up, 

the white sand and the blue ocean, and 

I thought, ‘Why did you ever leave that 

place?’” 

Handfield left the Turks & Caicos when 

he was 13, but even with his family network, 

jobs were hard to find on the island 

in 2009-10. He eventually got an offer from 

the police force, and it was around that time 

that he went down to da Conch Shack to 

contemplate his future. When the waitress 

brought his conch salad to his table 

overlooking the sea, Handfield bit into an 

epiphany. 

“The first thing that clicked in my mind 

was ‘Your sauce!’ I could almost taste my 

mango sauce on the conch salad! And I 

thought ‘I’m going to be the one to make 

the sauce of the Turks & Caicos.’” 

In those early days, Handfield was 

something of a mad scientist, spending all 

day in his kitchen cooking up batches of his 

original sauce, trying to replicate his success 

every time. “People started looking at me 

like, ‘Are you OK? You’re sure you’re OK? But 

I’d give my sauce to friends and family and 

say ‘Tell me the truth,’ and they all loved it.” 

So did the manager at da Conch Shack. 

“He said ‘How many cases of this do you 

have?’ And I said ‘See that bottle you’ve got 

in your hand? That’s the only one.’” It was 

a tenuous start, but with support from the 

staff at the restaurant, Handfield decided to 

turn down the police job and take a chance 

on his recipe. The first sure sign that he had 

“ My whole idea, my 

whole dream, was to 

do something in this 

country that would be 

useful to the country. 

” 

Interest in Sakaja sauce 

has been heating up on island 

and in international markets. 

a hit on his hands? Conch Shack customers 

kept pocketing the bottles of his Sakaja 

sauce as they left their tables. 

“This sauce has flavor,” he said. “It’s not 

all about the heat. It’s a sweet pepper sauce, 

and it’s a reaction between salt, sweet and 

hot. All of these battle each other, and it 

goes perfect on seafood.” 

In the year since, the buzz surrounding 

Sakaja has saturated the island and jumped 

the Gulf Stream. Tourists make a point of 

buying Handfield’s sauces in bulk, multiple 

Providenciales restaurants now offer it at 

the table, restaurant chains in the United 

States have inquired about following suit, 

and his website, www.SAKAJAltd.com, is 

gearing up to take international web orders. 

Handfield is looking to expand his downtown 

operation and hire local line workers, 

and buys all the locally grown peppers he 

can get his hands on. 

“This time about two years ago, I had 

this little idea in my head, and I turn around 

now and there’s the chef of the (the Darden 

Restaurant Group) saying to me ‘You better 

get ready. Because this is going to take off. 

'I hope it goes as good as a lot of people 

say it will. 

“My whole idea, my whole dream, was 

to do something in this country that would 

be useful to the country,” Handfield said. “I 

could take a short-cut and go to a co-packer 

in the United States. I could do that right 

now. But I didn’t. Things can be done here, 

too.” 


island style 

subject placement 

Placing your subject directly in 

the center of the image often 

produces a weak composition. An 

image with strong composition 

will take the viewer on a journey 

throughout the image. By placing 

your subject off center, the rest of the 

composition is available for the artist 

to use as secondary elements that 

help to support the main subject. 

take better pictures 


professional tips for capturing the moment 

Using the "rule of 

thirds" to place your 

subject to the left 

or right of center 

often makes for more 

powerful composition. 

Here, the model is o 

to the right and framed 

by an arch created by 

the background. 

photographing kids 

Child portraiture conducted on the beach 

can be challenging for a number of reasons. 

Most notable of these challenges is the fact 

that the child is often free to run and play, and 

usually looks down. Try getting down to the 

level of the child for a better image. Giving 

them something to do or an object to hold 

can also help connect with a younger subject. 

Experiment with your perspective. Getting 

down to the eye level of a child can create 

a sense of play and a more interesting 

photo than the usual snapshot.

Images and tips 

courtesy of 

Paradise Photography 

myParadisePhoto.com 

leading lines 

Leading lines are elements in a scene that can help to create 

a powerful composition because they force the viewer to move 

throughout the image. Try placing your subject other than in 

the middle of the photo and use other elements like the beach, 

etc. to draw attention to it. By placing your subject directly in 

the center of the frame without leading lines, your viewer will 

tend to start and stop directly in the center of the image, and 

the rest of the composition will essentially be wasted space that 

will not serve to strengthen the overall picture. 

the sweet light 

of twilight 

Sunset is the usual favored time of day 

to shoot portraits in the tropics. However, 

it is also a very challenging time to balance 

your lighting because of the high contrast 

conditions. Alternatively, twilight, which is 

the 20-minute period after the sun has set 

and before the sky turns completely dark, 

is a more forgiving and potentially more 

dramatic time to take striking pictures. 

Lighting conditions are much less 

contrasty, and the use of auxiliary light is 

often unnecessary or easier to accomplish 

than at sunset. It is also easier to record the 

ambient light from artificially lit objects like 

buildings and foliage. 

Shooting in low light? Make use of 

ambient sources available in your 

setting to illuminate your subject. 

Using lines in the environment is also a 

great shortcut to stunning photos. Here 

the clouds, waterline and footprints in 

the sand draw the eye to the subject. 

tech photography 


indulgences 


vacation 

in a bottle 

island caribe 

captures scent 

of sand, sky, sea 

it seems the days pass slower leading 

up to a vacation. You look forward to 

it for weeks or months, that moment 

when you can leave your worries, 

and your winter clothes behind, and 

take on the relaxing lifestyle of island 

life. But before you know it, the days 

of soaking up the warm rays of the 

sun and hearing the soft crash of the 

waves on the sand are behind you and 

you're back to the stress of daily life. 

Since her first visit to the Turks & 

Caicos 20 years ago, the islands have 

become Toronto resident Gayle Campbell’s 

go-to vacation spot. “I always 

walked away inspired and went back 

renewed.” 

In 2006, Campbell decided she 

wanted to extend that vacation feeling 

for others, creating a line of products 

that captured the essence of vacation. 

Taking indigenous ingredients, 

Campbell endeavored to capture the 

aesthetic of the island. “I wanted them 

to be tropical, but not overpowering.” 

What began with a simple salt scrub 

has expanded to a complete line of 

formulas that incorporate the open 

air of the islands into oils, lotions and 

candles. “It started with a feeling I was 

trying to recreate, and we developed 

that into a scent.” She now has several 

lines, but the Turks & Caicos blend remains 

her best seller. 

“It is a labor of love,” says the banker 

turned business woman, who also creates 

signature products for destination 

weddings. Her Island Caribe products 

are available in the gift shops at the Regent 

Palms, Parrot Cay and Amanyara 

resorts. She also has an online store 

that ships world-wide. 

DIGITAL ILLUSTRATION/JANET CONOVER

indulgences 


this just in 

The Beach House Spa 

649.946.5800 

Following the cozy and relaxed atmosphere of the hotel, 

the Beach House Turks and Caicos recently opened their own 

on property spa. The modern chic serenity of Beach House has 

been transferred into the spa. Treatments range from massages, 

body treatments, and facials to a customized aromatherapy 

using products from Image Skincare. In late April, and again 

in June, Beach House is offering a five day wellness getaway, 

including daily yoga sessions, several spa treatments, life and 

energy coaching, as well as a full wellness cuisine for breakfast, 

lunch and dinner topped off by healthy cooking classes with 

Chef Eric Vernice. The Beach House is ready to loosen knots 

and help you unwind. 

best in the world 

The Spa at Regent Palms 

649.946.8667 

Your search for the world’s best spa is over, and the Spa at 

the Regent Palms has the award to prove it. 

Voted Best spa in Turks and Caicos, the Caribbean, and the 

world for 2012 at this year’s annual World Travel Award, the 

spa at the Regent Palms is the perfect place to find soothing 

relaxation through therapeutic pampering. Combining 

elements of Asian and Caribbean origin, their spa offers no 

shortage of calming rejuvenation. Guests can sign up for 

individual treatments including facials and body wraps or 

journey through complete packages, which combine multiple 

treatments encompassing a whole theme of well being. 

spa-essentials 

Thalasso Spa at Point Grace 

649.946.5096 

Feel like a Greek Goddess being nurtured 

and pampered when you visit the 

Thalasso Spa at the Point Grace Resort. 

Thalassa, the Greek word for 

Sea, was the original inspiration 

for Thalassotherapy, 

which uses properties of sea 

water, as well as applications 

of sea mud and select 

seaweed, to naturally restore 

vital energy. Getting to the root of Thalassotherapy, 

treatments take place in the 

beautifully appointed therapy rooms with 

breathtaking ocean views, allowing you to 

truly relax and restore. 

Red Lane Spa at Beaches 

Resort 

649.946.8000 

The Red Lane Spas of Beaches reinterpret 

time-honored European rituals with 

the exotic essence of the islands. Experience 

signature treatments incorporating 

natural Caribbean elements such as rare 

botanicals, Ortanique citrus, and Blue 

Mountain Coffee. You can even share 

mother-and-daughter mani-pedi moments. 

And choose settings of rare beauty 

for your treatments, from the seashore to 

tropical gardens – or perhaps the privacy 

of your suite. 

Anani Spa at Grace Bay Club 

649.946.5050 

Anani offers exceptional treatments 

in spaces designed to provide a relaxing 

experience. The spacious facility features 

six treatment rooms, including a couple’s 

room, a manicure/pedicure room and an 

area for facials, massages or body treatments. 

A spa tent is also available for 

beach front massages.

Turks & Caicos 

Climate: Average 

temperatures range between 

80˚F and 90˚F. Water 

temperature in the summer 

is 82˚F to 84˚F and, in winter, 

about 74˚F to 78˚F. A constant 

trade wind keeps the climate 

at a very comfortable level. In an 

average year, the Turks & Caicos has 

350 days of sunshine. 

be here in just hours 

The Turks & Caicos Islands 

consist of 40 islands and cays, 

eight of which are inhabited. 

The islands are surrounded by 

the third largest barrier reef in 

the world providing for unparalleled 

watersports and leisure possibilities. 

Location and ample airlift make the islands a 

convenient destination. 

about the islands 

Language: English 

Time Zone: Eastern Standard Time. 

People: The islands are home to about 30,000 

full-time residents, and welcome nearly a million 

tourists each year. 

Crime: These Islands boast one of the lowest 

crime rates and highest crime-solved rates in the 

Caribbean. 

Currency: The U.S. dollar is the official currency 

of Turks & Caicos. Most businesses accept credit 

cards. Banks offer ATMs. 

island style 

Direct flights to Turks & Caicos are available from these cities: * 

New York ...................... 3 hours 

Boston ......................... 3hr, 15m 

Newark ......................... 3 hours 

Charlotte ...................... 3 hours 

Atlanta .......................... 2 hours 

Miami ...........................1hr, 15m 

Dallas ........................... 4hr, 30m 

Toronto ....................... 3hr, 30m 

Halifax ......................... 3hr, 45m 

Montreal .................... 3hr, 30m 

Philadelphia .............. 2hr, 45m 

London ....................... 12 hours 

*Check with individual airlines for availability. Some flights are seasonal. 


The Shore Club features 820 linear feet of beachfront and 

unobstructed views of Turks & Caicos’ waters from every suite and villa. 

Unique 6 bedroom, approx. 6,000 sq. ft. villas serviced by 

a dedicated butler and on-demand chef starting at $5.8 million. 

Authentic Barbadian-style condos with 2 to 3 bedrooms 

starting at $1.35 million.

Elegant. Evocative. Exalted. 

Over 65% Sold Out! 

Award Winning Developer of Luxury 

Beachfront Condos for over a decade. 

1.649.232.1067 

info@hartlinggroup.com www.TheShoreClubTC.com www.HartlingGroup.com

Susur Lee - Turks & Caicos Magazine

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