Bamboo Blu's Chef Brown bests the competition

During Restaurant Week 2013, restaurants across Jamaica were given the opportunity to showcase their pork-cooking skills with the Copperwood Pork Chef's Choice Competition. Copperwood Pork, the major food sponsor of Restaurant Week 2013, felt that this was a great way for the chefs to get some recognition as well.

Restaurants participating in Restaurant Week 2013 were able to enter the pork dish from their Restaurant Week menu in the competition. The winning chef would have a chance to win the grand prize of an all-expense-paid trip for two to the 2014 South Beach Wine and Food Festival in Miami, Florida, held in February 2014.

Of the 22 competing chefs from all across the island who 'busted their chops', one dish stood above the rest and Chef Osmond Brown was the chef who prepared it. His Bamboo Blu Pork Rack, comprised of succulent pork loin served with guava and ginger sauce, was the definite favourite. With more than 25 years of experience under his belt, Chef Brown wowed his way through restaurants throughout the region before settling in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, at Bamboo Blu.

Before he was Chef Brown, Osmond grew up at his mother's side watching her cook. This quality family time provided the inspiration for his passion for food, and the rest is history.

He began attending the Runaway Bay Heart Academy in 1987, where he did his training in food preparation, and from there, he got his first job at The Jamaica Pegasus, after which he did some time in hotels and restaurants in the island and across the region.

Chef Brown's Bamboo Blu experience started just over a year ago and, thus far, he has been loving it. Working in a high-traffic tourist spot like Ocho Rios, there are some very busy days. "On a docking day, it's extremely mad, very busy," says Chef Brown, "but in terms of the every day, my goal is to just always make sure my guests are happy. If they're happy, then I'm happy." Chef Brown's work philosophy seems to work well for him and his resolve to always do his best results in great personal reward. "Whatever I'm doing, I do it to the best of my ability, even if it's French fries, I make sure they're great."

hard at work

A hard worker, Chef Brown recounts that on the day he was officially announced to the public as the winner of the Copperwood Pork Chef's Choice Competition, he was busy working in the restaurant all day. Bamboo Blu was buzzing with people who had heard that the chef there had won the islandwide Restaurant Week competition. He ended his day with lots of missed calls on his phone congratulating him on his success. "I don't get excited easily, but when everyone started calling me saying they had seen me in the paper, that was a different thing."

With Christmas coming up, Chef Brown had some advice for those without 27 years of experience, "Don't overdo it. Use what you have and be creative with it. You can come up with something delicious without having to spend a million dollars."

His own Christmas dinner is usually a surprise to his family. Leaving the preparations until Christmas Day, Chef Brown loves to prepare the unexpected for them. Aside from the Christmas dinner surprise, Chef Brown celebrates with his family at an annual Christmas dinner with all the relatives.

The trip for two to SOBE Wine and Food Festival will take place in February 2013 and Chef Brown's wife, Sharon McGregor-Brown, will be accompanying him. "I'm excited, but I think my wife is more excited than I am." Chef Brown describes cooking as his first love and is looking forward to having a great time at the festival.