Bon appétit!
GRENOBLE, France — You could literally hear members of the Reggae Girlz team and coaching staff breathe a collective sigh of relief when chef Manley Edwards walked into the team’s hotel base here yesterday.
Since arriving here in France last week Friday, the team has been struggling to adjust to the food provided at the various hotels, so much so that the players at times refused to turn up for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
That did not sit well with the coaching staff knowing that the players need proper nutrition and recovery-enhancing properties, along with excellent flavour, for three meals a day over the next few weeks.
But when Edwards turned up on the advise of head of the Alacran Group, Alessandra Lo Savio, through an urgent request from Head Coach Hue Menzies, there was a sudden change in the air.
Despite only being given two days’ notice, Edwards, who grew up in Waterhouse before migrating to England where he has resided for the past 29 years, wasted little time to get here.
Armed with two suitcases filled with various Jamaican products and spices, Edwards went straight to work after settling in, and later graced the players taste buds with a main course of rice and peas, brown-stewed chicken, steamed fish and stewed beef with steamed broccoli.
And of course, the response from the 23 players, plus staff members was a positive one, as cheers echoed throughout the dining room when Edwards stepped in.
Edwards presence in the kitchen was more significant given the fact that the Reggae Girlz historic bow at the Fifa Women’s World Cup is tomorrow against Brazil.
“When I heard that the Reggae Girlz qualified for the World Cup last year, I kissed the sky. So when I got the call to come here and cook for the Girlz, I dropped everything I have because to be honest, it’s the first time I am seeing them in person; I only see them on TV.
“So when I called my mom and told her I am going to cook for the Reggae Girlz she said I should take pictures with them because she didn’t believe me. So I am happy to be here and I like the fact that the girls appreciate it, the coaches love it and that makes me feel good,” Edwards told the Jamaica Observer.
However, while mastering his craft on one end, Edwards had concerns of another kind — the language barrier.
“The problem in the kitchen is that they don’t speak English, so they want me to direct them what to do and that will take the whole day.
“I also told them that the food was not enough so I am going to have to request some more food because they don’t understand that you cannot cater for the exact amount of people because people will want to go for seconds and thirds,” he reasoned.
Though short in stature, Edwards’ love and passion for cooking knows no bounds and it was clear for all to see when he recalled his journey.
“My mother always beat us to cook, she told us to come into the kitchen because we might not meet a woman that can cook and we must know if a woman is cooking right or not.
“I went to college in England where I did a cooking course, but I didn’t wait because when I started, I told them I wanted to open a restaurant, but in England you cannot open a business without a certificate. But the schooling was taking too long and I already knew what they were teaching, so I left and my son [Phazon Edwards] and I have a little thing that we do, we call it ‘Uncle Jerky’,” he shared with his Jamaican dialect still very much intact.
“What we do is cook from the house and we deliver. So everyday you have to call us and tell us what you want because we don’t cook and put down for it to spoil, so we do it in particular quantity.
“Sometimes in life you want to make a start, but the financial part is weak, so sometimes if you can get the help it would be even better. So I am trying to save to build and expand my business and brand even bigger and that is my aim,” Edwards added.
— Sherdon Cowan