- Some people will live their lives and never find their passion, while others find theirs and live out all of their wildest dreams. Chef Creig Greenidge is the latter with an inspiring story of a young person who is living their dream and pursuing their passion diligently.
Coming from humble beginnings, when Creig was a child he thought he'd either be a barber or a chef. But he also had a love for cars and saw himself possibly making a career of it... and like all young West Indian boys, he also considered being a cricketer. His interest in the culinary arts innocently grew through his household chores. As a young boy he cooked meals such as breakfast and Sunday lunch in order to help out his mother around the house, and this is where his love story with cooking began! By the age of twelve, his aspiration to be a chef was cemented and he made his first step towards making it a reality when he was introduced to the home economics class at Christ Church Foundation School.
In 2000, after leaving secondary school, he pursued and successfully attained an Associate of Arts degree in Culinary Arts from the Barbados Hospitality Institute, Hotel PomMarine. While at PomMarine, Creig worked part-time to fund his school tuition and took on an internship at The Dining Club. Immediately after graduation, there was a permanent position at The Dining Club waiting for him and he worked there for three years, excelling in every area. Creig’s amazing culinary skills have graced the kitchens of several upscale restaurants across Barbados including Sea Breeze Hotel, the Sugar Cane Club and the Sandridge Hotel and South Beach, among others.
Creig's culinary experience has even taken him beyond the borders of our island. Serving as a Culinary Ambassador for the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association, he has had the privilege of showcasing Caribbean cuisine to the world, visiting places like Brazil, England, Ireland, Belgium and the United States of America. He has been featured at many exclusive events across the globe in various capacities such as celebrity chef, cooking demonstrator, and international competitor.
Passionate about both his work and representing Barbados on the international stage, he boasts that the pride and joy gained from putting Barbados “on the map” is unlike any other feeling!
Fulfilling Dreams and Passions
In 2008, after many years of a successful career in the hotel industry, Creig fulfilled his long-time dream by launching his own catering company and restaurant - CM Catering. A family-man at heart, he loves working for himself because he sets his own hours which gives him the chance to spend quality time with his family, especially his daughter.
Known to captivate people with his warm personality and his food, Creig loves engaging with every audience while delighting their taste buds and spirits. His cooking style can be described as an elegant blend of Caribbean, infused with international tastes. Using his master skills, he takes ordinary meals and every day ingredients and innovatively creates sensational mouth-watering flavours and profiles that leave you wanting even more, every time.
Building a Legacy
Creig thoroughly enjoys competing in culinary challenges and experiencing the camaraderie and electric atmosphere that come with competition. Throughout his career, Creig has gained a range of accolades in the culinary world, including the 2016 Caribbean Tourism Organization’s Rum and Rhythm Chef of the Year, and winner of The Embassy Chef Challenge. With several local, regional and international culinary awards and titles attached to his name, he is also the youngest person to be named Barbados Chef of the Year in the Barbados Culinary challenge in 2005!
An experienced chef, his resume is built with notable achievements. He was the Host of the show ‘Living Well Caribbean’, and has been a regularly featured chef at local national events such as the Independence Gala and the annual Barbados Food & Rum Festival where he cooked alongside the likes of international chefs Craig Harding and Tom Aikens, just to name a few.
Appreciative of the many opportunities throughout his journey, Creig is always keen on giving back. Over the years he has mentored several budding chefs, helping to jumpstart their culinary careers.