By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News |
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — In an intimate gathering that blended fine dining with authentic Guyanese nostalgia, internationally recognized chef, author, and entrepreneur Hollis Barclay hosted an exclusive media preview on Tuesday at Bookland Gardens, offering journalists and culinary critics an advance taste of her upcoming five-course Homecoming Dining Experience.
Staged at the lush Woolford Avenue and Albert Street garden venue, the preview showcased how indigenous ingredients and cherished holiday staples can be refined through modern techniques without losing cultural authenticity.
The event marked Barclay’s return to Guyana as the Chief Executive Officer of Caribbean CEO Kitchen and official Brand Ambassador for Prestige Cassareep ahead of GuyExpo 2026. The engagement also supported the promotion of her memoir and cookbook, From Coal Pot to Corporate CEO — Diamond Jubilee Edition, published in June 2026.
The Preview Menu: Elevating Heritage Staples
Guests were treated to a curated selection of courses that reinterpreted traditional holiday cooking:
- Homecoming Sorrel Royale: Attendees were welcomed with a chilled, alcohol-free festive aperitif infusing brewed local sorrel blossoms, aromatic citrus, and warm holiday spices.
- Crab & Callaloo Velouté: A smooth, French-inspired take on classic coastal crab and callaloo soup, using puréed greens, coconut cream, and seasoned Atlantic crab meat.
- Traditional Pepperpot with Prestige Cassareep: The centerpiece of the sampling featured slow-simmered, tender meats steeped in authentic Prestige Cassareep, scented with wiri wiri peppers and served alongside warm, dense homemade Guyanese plait bread.
- Authentic Guyanese Black Cake: A rich, dark holiday dessert prepared with rum-macerated dried fruits, burnt sugar essence, and aromatic spices.
The Journey: From a Grandmother’s Stanleytown Coal Pot to New York Boardrooms
Barclay recounted her journey from Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) to managing food service enterprises in the United States:
- Formative Roots in Berbice: Growing up in Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, Barclay learned the foundations of Guyanese cuisine by watching her grandmother cook over an outdoor cast-iron coal pot, learning recipes by eye, touch, and aroma.
- Education: After attending Berbice High School for one year, she moved to Georgetown and graduated from The Bishops’ High School before migrating to Brooklyn, New York.
- New York Culinary & Business Expansion: In Brooklyn, she owned and operated Bleu Fin Bar & Grill for seven years before scaling into institutional food management through Hbar Holdings LLC. Her portfolio expanded to executive catering contracts for the U.S. military and dining services at Medgar Evers College (City University of New York).
- Corporate Pivot to Caribbean CEO Kitchen: Through her modern venture, Caribbean CEO Kitchen, Barclay focuses on documenting, archiving, and promoting Guyanese gastronomic heritage internationally.
“I think Guyanese are ready for not just cassava and eggs… I think they are looking for something different… I was here a few years ago and I had crab and callaloo soup and I said, ‘How can I elevate this?’ Did some research and said, ‘Okay, purée crab…’” — Chef Hollis Barclay
Preserving Artifacts: A 1944 Coal Pot and Diamond Jubilee Memoir
Barclay explained that her work balances contemporary culinary innovation with historical preservation:
- Historical Artifacts: During her travels across Guyana’s rural communities, Barclay located an authentic 1944 cast-iron coal pot, which she preserved and featured as a central historical artifact in her cookbook.
- Memoir & Cookbook: From Coal Pot to Corporate CEO — Diamond Jubilee Edition explores culinary history, family anecdotes, and entrepreneurial strategies for Caribbean creatives navigating diaspora markets.
“I have been scouting to get the real coal pot, and I found one from 1944—it is in my book… Authenticity sounds… artifacts for my book.”
Upcoming December Events at Bookland Gardens
Barclay announced two upcoming events scheduled for the festive season at Bookland Gardens:
- Book Signing & Literary Reception (December 18, 2026): A public reading, discussion, and signing session for From Coal Pot to Corporate CEO.
- The Homecoming Five-Course Dinner (December 21, 2026): A full five-course dining experience for patrons, celebrating Guyanese ingredients, holiday traditions, and contemporary gastronomy.
Chef Barclay will also serve as Featured Chef at GuyExpo 2026, leading culinary demonstrations on the history and application of pomeroon cassareep in Guyanese cooking.
