The Secret Ingredient A Happy Heart

Meet Culinary Entrepreneur Horatio Smith

By Nikia Wells Photographs Courtesy Of Horatio Smith

For culinary entrepreneur Horatio Smith, good food is about more than just the ingredients that you use. His philosophy is that each dish is infused with the passion, love, and kindness of the hands that prepare it. Born into a family of chefs and culinary professionals, Horatio was introduced into the world of food, events, and catering from a young age. And despite initially studying law in college, he found himself on an organic path to cooking and living a peaceful life on Eleuthera. The Up and Away team sat down with Horatio and dove into how he became a personal and private chef, caterer, and owner of Da Perk coffee shop in Governor’s Harbour, Eleuthera.

Up and Away: Tell us a bit about your culinary journey/background. What inspired you to become a chef?

I would say wanting to eat good food and not having money. (Horatio says with a laugh). I have about nine chefs in my family – probably more. I think subliminally or subconsciously, it was just in my DNA. I am not classically trained, but I have been working in food since I was 13. I actually studied law and to pay my way through law school, I worked in events. Food was also a big thing in our family. Christmastime, holidays, and birthdays we always had a big spread.

Horatio also noted that in high school, he met his mentor and friend, the late Claire Sands aka the “Plait Lady,” who taught him the intricate workings of entrepreneurship and business management. Her guidance was also extremely instrumental for when Horatio opened his first restaurant, Nelly’s Deli, which was a collaborative effort with his uncle, chef Edward “Teddy” Johnson. Horatio would then eventually go on to become a private chef for NBA player, John Wall, before eventually moving to Eleuthera.

Up and Away: Describe your cooking style or cooking philosophy. I try to use fresh ingredients. I try to bring a happy heart to the kitchen. It is a blessing to have people who come back over and over again. I try to respect all walks of life and the food is my love letter to the world. God gave me the gift of creating something out of food and it is a gift to share. Obviously, there are a lot of people who pay a lot of money for it, but there is a lot of people I like to give it to for free because that is how the world works.

Up and Away: What are your favourite dishes to create?

This is probably the most asked question that I get. And the answer is a little underwhelming because I am a very seasonal person, and I really am an energy chef. I really go with the feeling of the moment. In the summertime or on a hot beautiful day, I love oysters or a nice salad – even a sea moss salad. My wife and I also love a good charcuterie board because you can just have so many flavours. But my favourite thing to cook is probably pasta because I could just throw anything in and go from there.

Up and Away: What is a staple that all kitchens should have?

A good knife.

Up and Away: What is one tip that you would give to home cooks?

Get yourself in a comfortable position before you start to cook. A lot of people just look at cooking as a necessity, but there is a lot of fun and value in sitting, eating, and connecting with people. Even something as simple as lighting a candle and turning on music before starting to cook – that’s gonna make you feel better. It is gonna calm you down. Then, you take that good energy and put it into your meal.

Up and Away: What is next for you as a culinary entrepreneur?

What I have been doing for a lot of people now is “sealing the deal with a meal.” We recently [helped to sell a $5 million house] during a dinner party. [The buyer] had been to this house four times and just did not catch the vibe there [but the meal won them over]. They said, “I have been in that house so many times, but it wasn’t until you set it up with the food that I just saw us having a life there.”

We are also opening up another restaurant that will have a heavy focus on seasonal food – an international collaborative menu. I want to tell the story that Bahamian food is diverse [and draws inspiration from around the world]. UA