Karl Thomas, Chief Technologist/Lecturer, University of Technology

It was during food and nutrition classes in the 9th grade at Tarrant Secondary School that Karl Thomas experienced his a-ha moment. “I was exposed to many vocational areas being offered… I tried plumbing, carpentry and food and nutrition and it was then I realised my love for cooking,” Karl revealed. It also dawned on him that persons consumed food daily, and if a good product was available to them “at the right location and right price, you are guaranteed to make money.” The epiphany in high school resulted in Karl charting an early, definitive career path. He pursued the majority of his culinary training at the Runaway Bay HEART Hotel and Training Institute, and through joint programmes with the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). Today, the 31-year-old is a triple-hyphenate: a certified executive chef, a chef technologist and lecturer in the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of Technology. The Chef-On-The-Rise told Thursday Food that while lecturing is sometimes a tedious job (he also has a hand in overseeing Lillian’s Restaurant on campus), he takes quiet joy in the students “who are really interested and eager to learn much more than the textbook”. The married father of four-year-old son Kamali points to former tutors Kenrick Stewart of HEART and the CIA’s Mark Ainsworth as the two chefs he holds in high esteem. For Karl who remembers being asked to wash the rice ahead of dinner preparation as a boy, to now living a life where he’s integrally involved in food on a day-to-day basis, it’s a real dream come true.

Noreen Hobbs, Executive Chef & Caterer

Grenadian by birth, but thoroughly Jamaican in her laid-back charm, Noreen Hobbs is a certified executive chef who earned her culinary stripes locally. Fondly recalling that back home her “parents were excellent cooks and introduced the art of good cooking to the rest of the family”, Noreen wanted to strengthen the familial tradition even further — and so, pursued studies at the Runaway HEART Hotel and Training Institute and the Culinary Institute of America. “I discovered I wanted to be a chef when I was working for the US diplomat’s Vietnamese wife who introduced me to different cuisine and food preparation in other cultures,” she explained. Noreen added that her interest was at its peak, “when I gained appreciation for freshly prepared foods, especially seafood, as my father was a fisherman.” The mother of three adult children, who’s adopted Jamaica as her home, has enjoyed a satisfying run of culinary-related jobs — serving as a caterer-for-hire for private companies, churches, and the Grenadian honourary consulate. Noreen disclosed that she’s also worked for diplomats at the United States Embassy and the Trinidadian High Commission. The no-nonsense Noreen, a schoolmate of Karl Thomas and Joan Bonner, says she stays abreast of culinary trends by frequently attending food seminars and networking with other chefs in the industry.

Joan Bonner, Executive Chef & Caterer

“My family seldom ate alone on Sundays when my siblings and I were growing up”, shared Joan Bonner in a recent interview with Thursday Food. “My mom would take out the finest table linen and china and would spend many hours in the kitchen preparing the most memorable meals,” Joan fondly recalled. “She loved company and I always wanted to entertain in the same way,” she continued. With rich memories of her mother at her mind’s fore, Joan soon discovered there was much to learn about food preparation. The eager chef-in-the-making enrolled in a joint programme with HEART and the Culinary Institute of America, before moving on to the French Culinary Institute where she learnt the art of cake decorating which happens to be her current professional focus. She considers herself a fickle hobbyist (as she’s ever changing her personal interests), but a devoted wife and mother to six-year-old Allison and three-year-old Nicholas. As for her current culinary engagements, Joan divulges she “designs and produces awesome wedding cakes”, and is also involved in farming for both the export and local market.