CHEF ADVENTURES: Chef Craig Jones & The Cliff

When Executive Chef Craig Jones opened Cliff at Cap, the white tablecloth restaurant at Cap Maison, on Saint Lucia in October 2008, he brought a lifetime of experience in some of the best kitchens in the world. His French West Indian inspired menu is offered in Cliff at Cap’s dramatic setting, a bluff overlooking the crashing Caribbean Sea, with unobstructed views towards Martinique to the north and Pigeon Island to the West. The sensational sunsets are a bonus at the alfresco dining room and The Cliff at Cap is considered one of the most highly sought after tables on the island. Further plaudits include when Chef Jones was awarded ‘Caribbean Chef of the Year’. But along with his meticulous training at Michelin-starred kitchens in Europe, the Welsh-born Chef Jones also brought a locavore’s passion to Saint Lucia, well before local sourcing became a fashionable buzz word.

Chef Jones early career began working as a waiter in a small luxury hotel in Cheshire, England, where he was eventually granted an apprenticeship with the chef. He went on to work at a number of Relais & Chateaux properties and Michelin-starred restaurants in the UK, including Longueville Manor, Gravetye Manor, Inverlochy Castle, Charlton House and the famed Michelin two-star restaurant, Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, under the legendary Chef Raymond Blanc.

His restless energy brought him to the Caribbean, where he worked at Cobbler’s Cove on Barbados, Point Grace on Turks & Caicos and then Royal Rex Hotel on St. Lucia, where he was named Saint Lucian Chef of the Year and received the AAA Four Diamond Award from 2004-2006, before arriving at Cap Maison.

Chef Jones still prefers to wear a blue apprentice apron as a reminder that his work is always evolving. His dynamic menu reflects this commitment to continual innovation and reinvention.

Tell us what first attracted you to Cap Maison?

“I was so determined to go back to Europe to work in a Relais & Chateaux property as I missed being a member of that great family of excellence. One day, I saw a hotel being built above the beach where I used to come to with my family and knew that Relais & Chateaux could exist in Saint Lucia at this hotel. After meeting with owners of Cap Maison the Gobats, I could see that together we could be successful in creating the dream restaurant of a Relais & Chateaux property in St Lucia.

What’s your favourite thing about the Cliff at Cap?

“The newly renovated kitchens and, of course, the stunning view as I walk to work at the restaurants each day. The sunrise here is spectacular as we start service, it’s such a beautiful backdrop, and really sets the scene as the drama begins.”

And your favourite place to visit on the Island?

“We are incredibly lucky here, the whole island of Saint Lucia is extremely beautiful, so we’re spoilt for choice, I have to say I think Cap Maison’s cliff top location is very special, but apart from the hotel, it would have to be between the Pitons at the very south of Saint Lucia, where there are some amazing views and it’s so peaceful.”

Tell us what made you want to become a chef?

“I didn’t really have a choice; it was in my blood. My parents ran a bakery and we used to live above the bake house, waking up to the smell of freshly baked breads & pastries every morning was amazing. But I think my love of cooking began when I was a barrow boy in the markets of Manchester. Early in the morning, before going to school, I used to set up the fruit and vegetable stalls, and I loved it.”

“Before I was even cooking, I fell in love with the buzz in the dining room. In my first restaurant job, I used to polish the chef’s copper pans and I was always asking him to give me a chance in the kitchen.”

How long have you been cooking professionally?

“36 years”

Tell us a little about the team you work with.

“I’m lucky to work with a very committed team of professionals with a shared passion for creating exceptional food. I am very proud of them and what we have achieved together.

What surprises the guests the most about the hotel/restaurant?

“I would like to say the food.”

What is the most stressful part of your job?

“I would say its sourcing the best ingredients, being on an island it takes a lot of planning and diversity.

And what do you most enjoy?

“I like working with small island farmers and the local fishermen, because obviously, that’s where it starts. I love to take guests to the roadside markets and the Saturday market in Castries. The variety always surprises them, even the most sophisticated travelers who have grown accustomed to seeing exotic products in their upscale city markets.”

“I’ll introduce them to a farmer who’s got his own land and maybe has two grapefruit trees and some vanilla pods. Or a grandmother with sugar apples she’s picked herself and a cocoa stick she’s handmade herself. Some of them are bringing goods from 30 miles away. That may not sound far, but in the mountains, they might be travelling on horseback. Then I always take the guests for breakfast at a local place where they can try saltfish, sweet pimentos, and cocoa tea with cinnamon and nutmeg in it. It’s real and you can’t beat it.”

“I’ve been in the islands for a long time now and there’s always something growing here or swimming in the sea that I haven’t seen before, A chef really can’t ask for more.”

Do you have a favourite ingredient?

“I love to eat dark chocolate, and to cook Lobster.”

What is your favourite wine or Cocktail?

“Negroni.”

Is there a chef you admire the most and why?

“Marco Pierre White, he’s a legend. His book White Heat was my bible. “

What are your top 3 career highlights?

“Taking over the head chefs’ position for four months at Gravetye Manor at 23 years old until the new chef arrived.”

“My official first head chef position at Marfield house, Eire at 24-year-old obtaining a Michelin bib gourmand and 4/5 good food guild in only my first year.”

“Cap Maison being accepted into Relais & Chateaux, a dream becoming reality after seeing this vision I had in the mud of the hotel construction site.”

What is your view on the hotel/restaurant industry?

“It’s extremely positive. I’ve had a fantastic journey, met so many colourful characters along the way, and shared many laughs and tears; a top restaurant kitchen team has a very special bond. Just be prepared for the unexpected and expect plenty of hard work with priceless rewards.”

What is your most interesting or fun experience from your time at the hotel/restaurant?

“Producing a cookery show in St Lucia rolling pasta making & cooking crayfish tortellini’s halfway up a waterfall in the jungle, it was priceless!”

Do you have a signature dish?

“Not really. I try to make all dishes unique in presentation and taste, using the very best seasonal produce.”

How much planning goes into each dish, and do you have a preferred way of presenting your dishes?

“Theres a lot of planning, from concept through to the final dish. Each dish starts with a sketch then progresses into a detailed diagram.”

What would be your last meal?

“My wife’s Chicken roti & salad.”

Do you have any food hates?

“Waste”

Cliff at Cap is the place to be on Sunday afternoons when Chef Jones presents his weekly Lobster Lunch, an array of indulgently rich variations on a crustacean theme. Come sunset any day of the week, Cliff Bar is the spot for cocktails long into the night. The commitment to local extends to a “bar fresh” philosophy and a drinks list that is based on seasonal produce libations as memorable as the sea views. Rum is naturally a focus as Cap Maison produces its own Cap Maison rum. Cliff Bar offers one of the largest selections with 28 rums from nine Caribbean islands and a resident expert, affectionately referred to as the resident Rummier.

For those lucky enough to know about Rock Maison, the lower wooden deck surrounded on three sides by the crashing sea and reefs, delivers drinks to guests via a Champagne Zip-line.

The Naked Fisherman offers a more casual and quintessentially relaxed Caribbean beach bar experience, but with the same detail and quality that the Cliff at Cap is famous for. Named after the locals that were often seen fishing for their supper… naked… off the rocks in front of Cap Maison the Naked Fisherman offers great drinks, cocktails and simply prepared grilled fish, meat and salads. The Naked fisherman also hosts a number of ‘specials’, including the legendary Sunday Vybe with live music, and the popular BBQ taster nights.

Discover More: www.capmaison.com