Growing up, Diego Smith always wanted to be a mechanic, but after preparing a Caribbean dish for his high school’s international day event, he knew his career ambitions were destined to take a different turn.
Now, 10 years later, Smith, 29, is a professional chef and will be serving up his own culinary creations alongside world-renowned kitchen masters, at Cayman Cookout 2024.
“I would have gatherings at my home, and I was always around food, so I was always curious to know how my family seasoned the food, how it would taste,” Smith told the Compass. “My mom really pushed my interest. She was surprised when I told her instead of being a mechanic, I wanted to be a chef, but always told me I’d enjoy it because I was always around food. She pushed me to take this route.”
Cayman Cookout
Smith joins seasoned culinary talents from across the island and the world as he participates for the first time in the Cayman Cookout, being held from 10-15 Jan. Being asked to take part in the food festival was the proverbial icing on the cake for the chef.
Noting he was “surprised” by the invitation, he explained that after he and his cooking partner prepared some food for the head chef of The Ritz-Carlton and he also sampled a privately prepared meal, “he was impressed, and invited us to participate in [the] Out of the Kitchen [charity event]. He [then] extended the invitation to be a part of the Cayman Cookout.”
As a young Caymanian chef, Smith said it’s a great feeling. “I get to meet all of these chefs that you only see on TV. I get to learn from them and see what I can take from them and apply in order to be a better chef, to see how they interact, and what they will produce themselves, and to taste it. I’m looking forward to all of it.”
He will be dishing it up during the Rum and Robusto event being held on Sunday at The Ritz-Carlton’s Harbour Pool. It’s a celebration that “pays homage to the pinnacle of rum craftsmanship,” according to the event’s description.
Without giving too many mouth-watering details away, Smith said he will be making mojito glazed chicken, charcoal grilled with a rum that is distilled and made in Cayman, presented on a lettuce cup salad.
A culinary journey
With his professional aspirations set on becoming a chef, a young Smith decided to spice up his passion through travelling. “I never really travelled growing up, so when I got the opportunity to go to England to continue my studies for college, that was inspiring. Once I started to look into food, and seeing all of the ways you can be creative and eventually make a living out of it, I thought, this is something I can see myself doing.”
He enrolled in a two-year programme at Middlesbrough College, earning a diploma in professional cookery/culinary skills. From there, he worked at Michelin-starred Hudson Brasserie Quay in Middlesbrough, studied Italian cuisine and fine dining through a three-month internship at ALMA Scuola Di Cucina in Italy, and completed a postgraduate diploma course in Toronto to specialise in Italian cuisine. While in Toronto, he worked at a student-run restaurant called The Chef’s House, and was featured as Chef of the Week.
Eventually, he returned home to Cayman to hone his skills further, which led him to being hired as a line cook at Hurley’s supermarket deli. As part of his culinary journey, he stressed the importance of learning as much as he could about his profession, advising any aspiring chefs to embrace that process.
On his career as a chef, he said preparing a meal for someone is “therapeutic”, adding, “My food is an extension of me. I could be having the worst day, but once I start cooking and making food, I start to feel better. It’s one of those things that I really enjoy doing, so it’s never an inconvenience and it helps me to clear my thoughts. Some people exercise to clear their mind, I cook.”
From chef to business owner
From passion to plate, Smith is now the owner of Las Tortugas Catering, a private chef service.
However, from cooking in your own kitchen to preparing meals as a business proved a difficult transition, he noted. “I didn’t have much knowledge on being a business owner, what it took, where to source things, but you really have to surround yourself with people that are willing to support you or learn from.”
Smith added that embracing the spirit of Caymankind is the easiest part of the job, which adds its own flavour to his Caribbean-inspired dishes. “It’s in my character. I can go to a dinner and cook for someone, never met them before, and then once I leave, it’s like we’re best friends, we’re laughing, we’re joking. It’s something that also [drew] me to being a chef, because I get to meet people from all over the world and you get to learn a lot.”
As for others who may have a sizzling desire to enter the culinary world, Smith advised surrounding themselves with people who are equally ambitious, saying, “it’s a hard career, and it takes a lot of your time… it becomes quite nerve-wracking and you feel like you want to give up, but don’t give up on your dreams.”
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