Meet the Baker's Son

Running a bakery in a place like this is harder work than people think. There's likely to be power outtages, big storms, or a supply boat that doesn't come in on the day Mom is catering a big wedding. So I end up running around trying to make other arrangements.

I get up at 5:00 every norning to start the pastries while dad bakes the bread. You'd think the good thing about working for your family would be job security, but actually I've been fired several times. We tease each other a lot to help stay awake in the early hours, and I get cracked on more than my share.

I was born while my parents still lived in Miami; we moved here when I was seven. At first I really hated Harbour Island: Nothing to do, no movies, fast food. I didn't begin to appreciate the place until I went away to work in Nassau the summer I was 17. I realized what an advantage it is to not have to get in a car and fight traffic every time you go somewhere.

Still, I'm ready to see the world. First I'm off to work at a bakery in New York, and then I plan to take courses at the National Baking Center in Minnesota. I might try to line up some other adventures in the States, too. On of the advantages of working at Arthurs is that people from all over the world come through here, so I've made a lot of friends and contacts from many places. People say I've got my dad's sociability. But I don't talk near as much as he does. My older brother Eugene is the quiet one. He likes to fix things. You should see the way he jacked up our golf cart. Just like a big-wheels truck.

The thing I like best about working with family is that they trust me. I run the bakery by myself when my parents are off-Island, and they always trust my taste if I want to try something new. It's the science part of cooking that interests me. You throw together flour and water, and you should get paste. But with just a few extra ingredients it can turn into something wonderful. My favorite is the cookies. And my cinnamon danish always sell out.

Not that I'm so sure I want to be a baker as a career. I'd like to try lots of things. I had a blast that season in Nassau working as tour director for a cruise company. We hosted beach parties, and I arranged all the food, music, and activities. And I got to do some underwater photography which I really love. I also would like to learn more about the computer, and to do some writing: short stories or screenplays. I guess I got that from dad too.

It would be easy to get distracted living in a beautiful place like this with all the beaches and visitors. One of the things that helps me stay focused is my upbringing as a Jehovas Witness; it's prety disciplined. That's what you need to run a business or anything. You've got to work toward being what you want to be. Like if you want to be a chef you've got to take the steps to become one.

return to main page of virtual bakery