Caboose

Written By: Sam Ramsey

You might have noticed something unique and eye-catching on Sand Street in Speightstown. We’d like to introduce Caboose, Barbados’ newest iconic fish cutter location, a beautifully retrofitted Barbadian fishing-boat-turned-kitchen.

Overlooking the calm and serene corner of Speightstown, I sat down with the the gregarious and enigmatic Wayne Francois to find out more about his goal to make the best fish cutter in Barbados! (We certainly think so!)

It’s also worth mentioning that as much as people go for the cutters, Wayne is worth meeting alone. In the space of six months he has already built a notable space and community that has become a destination for both tourists and locals. The relaxed and unpretentious atmosphere is quintessentially Barbadian. What more could you want with a sundowner and delicious fish cutter in hand?

So Wayne, tell me about the boat…

Well, she’s actually one of the oldest fishing boats in Barbados. She has probably caught hundreds of thousands of flying fish in her hey day. So I felt it was the perfect way to pay homage to what it is to be Bajan. I got her from a friend called Kurt in Oistins. She was just there on the beach dwindling away. Kurt was going to paint her up because people were taking lots of photos, but I convinced him that I could give the boat a new lease of life, in a whole different way!

Also, this boat is unique. On most fishing boats in Barbados the hulls come down steeply, but this boat is flat, so it really gave me an area to put a level floor and not get too high into the roof.

Photo by Sam Ramsey

So who did the work on the boat?

Originally I was going to get someone to help me, and I did seek help from Sandman in the fish market in Weston, he’s the go-to guy for fibreglass. However once he showed me what to do, I just got stuck in and did it myself. He was a bit surprised at how fast I took to it, but the best way to get something done is by yourself!

Where does the name “Caboose” come from?

In truth, it was the last thing I thought about! I did know I wanted a really cool name, something a little bit playful, so my wife, Fiona, googled names for tiny kitchens and Caboose came up, which literally means “tiny ship’s kitchen” in the English dictionary. It seemed like the perfect fit! So, Caboose! It’s a playful word. It just sounds great, like a fun place! And that’s what this is.

How has your first six months been?

My business is growing really quickly, especially thanks to social media! Faster than I can keep up with! It’s outgrowing my personal kitchen, I looked in my fridge last night and realised that it’s taking over! Seriously! So I’m planning to build a kitchen in a container so I have a fully self sufficient option, complete with some solar panels on the roof, AC, a fridge, and a prep area too.

What inspires you to keep everything self sufficient? And how do you even start?

I just like the idea of being unplugged, living natural, and being self-sufficient. Caboose is only the beginning. There’s some other crazy stuff coming later on… But almost everything here is recycled or reused. It’s all about repurposing. All of the buoys and items hanging have been donated to me. Natural or reusable. I was always into that sort of vibe. So then having solar panels, it was a no brainer. And also, for the business, it means I can be anywhere. If I need be, I can move this tomorrow and take it to Bathsheba, so long as the sun’s shining!

Tell us, why was it the fish cutter that you started with?

Because the fish cutter is Barbadian. Particularly the Flying Fish cutter. We own it, we coin that. A Flying Fish cutter? Many people in Europe don’t know what one is. Seriously, my wife didn’t know what a fish cutter was until I put some fish in bread. I couldn’t believe it! Particularly being from Belfast, a port town, and she’d never heard of a fish sandwich! So a lot of people in the world have never heard about a fish sandwich. A Flying Fish cutter is as Barbadian as Barbadian can be!

Do you have a favourite fish to cook with?

If it wasn’t down to price, Flying Fish is my favourite because it’s just so Bajan. But they are expensive. So at the moment I’ve been doing Kingfish and Marlin. I really like Kingfish. It’s ridiculously soft. When it falls on that hot plate it’s done in two minutes and it just melts in your mouth. I also tried some Barracuda recently that worked really well, that’s what I’m working with today, and Mahi Mahi too. I’m not putting myself in a box. I’m happy to try whatever is fresh and available.

And where do you source your fish from?

I go into Bridgetown market and buy my fish from Donna who gives me really good fish! It’s amazing to see the support of local sellers and fishermen. Although I aim to develop a process where I can start to buy whole fish and process it myself in a kitchen. It will make it easier for me, again, it’s a no brainer. So there you have it, don’t miss out on the newest claim to Fish Cutter heaven! Open from 12-6pm Wednesday-Sunday, be sure to check out Caboose. Equipped with a fully stocked bar you can also buy their own rum punch to wash down your tasty cutter, or two, or…!

We would strongly recommend the “Fully Loaded” Cutter!