You may know that the Right Excellent Errol Walton Barrow is Barbados’ Father of Independence, a World War II aviator, combat veteran, lawyer and of course a politician, but did you know that he was also a gourmet cook who specialised in preparing and promoting Caribbean cuisine?
The Dipper or Skipper as he was affectionately called was known to cook hearty meals for an annual Christmas morning reception for hundreds of his supporters and close friends at Culloden Farm, the official Prime Minister’s residence which he occupied.
In his prime he co-wrote the cook book Privilege: Cooking in the Caribbean for Men Only (And for Women Who Care). The fellow author was Dr. Kendal Lee of Trinidad and Tobago. Not only did the recipes include food grown in the region, it also reflected cooking styles synonymous with the Caribbean and reflected the two men’s love for that food and their great friendship.
In 2020 as part of the events for We Gatherin’ and in recognition of Mr. Barrow’s skills in the kitchen, the Daryll Jordan Secondary School (located in Barrow’s beloved St. Lucy) participated in a cooking competition where students prepared dishes from Barrow and Lee’s recipe book. The Barbados Advocate reported that, “the dishes presented by the students could rival chefs in the industry. They had good balance of flavours, pleasing fusion of colours and were very appealing to the eye.” The article concluded that Mr. Barrow would have been proud.
The late Errol Walton Barrow died in office on June 01, 1987, he was 67-years old and had been elected Prime Minister for the second time the previous year in 1986.
