PEOPLE
A L I F E LO N G LOV E A F FA I R A look into Esther Wheatley’s life and love for Virgin Gorda. BY A N I KA M . C H R I STO P H E R P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y A L A S TA I R A B R E H A R T, B R O A D S W O R D C O M M U N I C AT I O N S & E S T H E R W H E AT L E Y
“MY ATTACHMENT TO Virgin Gorda is like receiving your first kiss from your first crush and I’ve been crushing on Virgin Gorda all my life,” Esther Wheatley, a lifelong lover of the Virgin Islands, and Virgin Gorda in particular, explains. Esther was born and raised in the Virgin Islands. Her deep love for the islands was inherited from both her grandparents and parents, who were born on Virgin Gorda. Her father was Ralph Telford O’Neal, OBE, the longestserving elected representative in the British Virgin Islands. He represented the ninth district Virgin Gorda, and served as chief minister of the British Virgin Islands for three terms. Though she grew up on Tortola, Esther spent summer vacations and Christmas holidays on Virgin Gorda. This is where her love for the island was fostered and grew. It became such a crucial part of her being, that even when she lived in another country, Virgin Gorda resided in her heart. “Though I spent time abroad for school, I always knew that [Virgin Gorda] is where I would make my home,” Esther explains. After completing her tertiary education, she lived in New York for
58 | V I P R O P E R T Y & YA C H T
‘Though I spent time abroad for school, I always knew that [Virgin Gorda] is where I would make my home’ ESTHER WHEATLEY some time, but soon decided that it was time to return home. In 1990, she left USA and lived on St John for a short time, until she received a call from Charles Tobias. He informed her of a job offering at the new Pusser’s Pub and Gift Shop. For Esther, it was an opportunity of a lifetime, as it meant she would finally return to the place that she always dreamt of. Esther accepted the offer and worked as a manager for Pusser’s retail at Leverick Bay for two years. After that, she received another opportunity, working at Little Dix Bay, where she was hired as retail director for all their stores. She worked there for five years. In 1996, she received a life-changing opportunity that would allow her to express her love for Virgin Gorda through entrepreneurship. That year, Esther was approached by the owner of Biras Creek, who asked if she would like to operate her own business at Biras Creek’s retail/
gift shop. Ever the entrepreneur (and with a wee nudge from her friend and current employer, Chris Smith, managing broker, Coldwell Banker BVI), Esther grasped this opportunity with both hands. Two years later, the Fat Virgin Cafe/Restaurant was born. It grew to become one of the most successful small boutique and dockside restaurants in the Virgin Islands. Esther says the inspiration for the name stemmed from an early childhood memory. “The first time I heard that Virgin Gorda translated to Fat Virgin, I knew anything I made was going to be called that. I was about 8 or 9, and from then, I held it dear to my heart.,” Esther shares. This newly established business proved to be not just a place to eat, but also a crucial community space. “I was privileged to have grown up in a time when I could witness Virgin Gorda transition from a place of lanterns, flambo and dirt tracks
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