YOU have heard of mango and tamarind chutney, but have you heard of pumpkin or passion fruit chutney?
At Sabrina Exotic Chutneys & Gourmet Delights Sauces, Sabrina Nicholls and her daughter, Naomi Barnes, specialise in adding a local twist to chutney sauce, anchar and kimchi.
Nicholls, who started her career in culinary arts as a line cook at the Crews Inn Restaurant, Chaguaramas, honed her expertise for over 20 years working in fine dining restaurants and has also represented Trinidad and Tobago in culinary competitions internationally.
[caption id="attachment_940975" align="alignnone" width="720"] Dasheen bush pholourie -[/caption]
When she moved from Crews Inn to Battimamzelle Restaurant, she was mentored by chef Khalid Mohammed. Under his guidance, she was accepted as a member of the 1997 TT Culinary Team which competed in A Taste of the Caribbean Culinary competition. That year, she placed third in the National Chef of the Year culinary competition.
She worked with the TT culinary team for seven years where she won gold awards and held the positions of team leader, advisor and judge of those who wanted to join the team.
She has worked alongside local and international chefs including Debra Saldenah-Metivier, Joe Brown and Darrel Thomas. She also competed in the US, Europe and regionally at the annual Caribbean and Hotel and Tourism Association's (CHTA) A Taste of the Caribbean culinary competition, the region’s only inter-island cooking contest for seven years.
While working the culinary team, Nicholls had to create unique meals that represented TT’s culture and indigenous foods. It was there she found the inspiration to launch her business.
“I liked the idea of taking locally-grown fruits and vegetables and creating unique flavours that are indigenous to the country,” she said in an interview with Newsday. She said she wanted to show customers how diverse TT’s local produce is.
[caption id="attachment_940970" align="alignnone" width="720"] Products from the probiotic line of Sabrina Exotic Chutneys & Gourmet Delights Sauces. -[/caption]
Nicholls and her daughter have been in business for over six years and have created a variety of exotic sauces from local produce.
Of all their chutney sauces, the pineapple and passion fruit are the most popular.
“It has the perfect balance between sweet, tangy and a little spicy,” said Barnes, who is responsible for administrative duties in the business.
She says customers mostly eat the pineapple and passion fruit chutney with different kinds of meat, but especially with seafood. When it comes to meat pairings, the sorrel and pawpaw chutney are a close second. They also sell coconut and tamarind chutney. As a marketing tool, the business offers a dasheen bush pholourie that customers can pair with their favourite chutney sauce.
For those who prefer a savoury taste, Nicholls offers anchar flavours such as eggplant, dasheen bush and tomato. She also makes a seasonal apple anchar.
The duo caters to customers’ taste buds and health as the
