MEET THE CHEF
HIGH STYLE BY GHM STAFF
Chef Tim Tibbitts is evidence that a native Bahamian can only spend so much time in the Canadian north. Born in the islands but raised in Toronto, Tim was a professional musician before indulging his lifelong passion for cooking. He attended George Brown College School of Culinary Arts and became a chef, serving in various posts before moving to Freeport, Grand Bahama, in 2012. Joined by his wife, a certified sommelier, he opened up the Flying Fish restaurant, and the culinary world has been taking notice. The restaurant earned the first AAA four-diamond rating in Grand Bahama’s history and in 2014, Tim was named one of Caribbean Journal’s “The Caribbean’s Top 25 Chefs.” Chef Tim Tibbits | Flying Fish, Freeport, Grand Bahama
Today, the couple deliver truly upscale dining—think Austrian crystal wine glasses
Fish is locally sourced, in season and sustainable. The menu constantly
and custom forge cutlery—and a food experience that is sustainable in every way
changes with availability of what’s abundant, including lionfish. “I love using it,” he
possible. There’s an onsite reverse osmosis machine to make bottled water, both
says. “It cooks beautifully and is very versatile. Just don’t get pricked!”
still and sparkling, which are stored in recyclable glass bottles. An onsite laundry facility ensures the restaurant bathrooms are stocked with real towels instead of wasting paper towels. Meats are small farm raised, humanely, and free from antibiotics or growth hormones. All beef is Hereford. Pork belly and bacon are Kurobuta, the equivalent of Kobe beef for pork. Tim even smokes his own bacon. Of course, the seafood is equally high quality and sustainably sourced. “For many years now, we have not served sharks, bluefin tuna, Chilean sea bass and other endangered species,” says Tim, who is also an avid tuna fisherman. He admits his tuna fishing is driven by both the thrill of the fight and the culinary possibilities. “It’s a delicious fish.” “We try our best to make conscious decisions about our impact on our environment,” says Tim.
76 | www.GuyHarveyMagazine.com
Tim is always looking for ways to be creative. On Sunday nights, he even takes the stage and plays a little music. Just to keep things fresh.
