Albert Barrett

CEO, Stella’s Modern Pantry

Story By: Aneka Shinohara

Travel culture chef, Albert Barrett, is the mastermind behind a twelve-year business. He is the owner of a local favorite called Stella’s Modern Pantry, located in Ocala, Florida. But it didn’t start there. His dream began from a young age in a much different environment.

Albert started his journey, born and raised in the carribean, on the island of Jamaica. He attended Marcus Garvey High School where he first decided to study Food and Nutrition in the ninth grade. The subject proved mighty interesting and he went further to use those skills at home. But this wasn’t it. He went even further by pursuing a degree at the International Cooking Academy in Pennsylvania. All endeavors led him to finally honing his skills, and travelling far and wide to master even more.

The different cultures and people he met along the way molded his creative ideas. His favorite saying, “Food is Universal,” speaks volumes about the way he operates. Each culture is represented in the kitchen, from Venezuelan to Greek, sticking to fresh home-based ingredients to tantalize the tongue. Many distributors contribute to the freshness and the top tier quality that is created in the kitchen every day. A fully stocked bakery is also a part of the surprise and it only stops where your imagination will allow it.

The inspiration that pushed him to start his business came from the multiple encouraging words from his teachers, family and especially his mentor. In fact, the pantry was named in her honor, as she died three weeks before the opening ceremony. Stella Otalla was his mentor during his first job at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. She trained him and encouraged him to do the unthinkable, seeing that his skills were truly manifested. Despite this, his greatest accomplishment is yet to come. Albert believes that the future carries more weight than past accolades, so his best achievement is said to still be in the shadows.

His advice for anyone looking to take up the mantle of making dining an experience is to “create, not compete.” He upholds the value that creativity is what will spark the flame and make one unique, then and only then, true money will follow. The aim should be to learn and to keep learning as the future only moves forward, never backwards or stagnant. That is how he continues to take his craft and his team to the very top.

His advice for anyone looking to take up the mantle of making dining an experience is to “CREATE, NOT COMPETE.”