Sauce, Benachin Rice (1L)

For chef, entrepreneur, and St. Lucian native, Chef Victoria Alexander, everything she cooks is a reflection of her St. Lucian childhood.

Chef Alexander grew up in a small house in the lush coastal town of Castries, St. Lucia. With just two rooms for Mother, Father, and fourteen kids, she learned early to savour the riches surrounding her. “There was the azure sea that supplied us with fish, and the hot West Indian sun that ripened the avocado, plantain, peppers, and papaya abounding on our very doorstep. Whatever else the family may have lacked, I never ran short of love, the kindness of neighbours, or the freshest fruits and vegetables. These are the things I remember about my childhood. I put these memories, and Island sunshine, into every sauce I make.”

At the age of 21, she left Castries for Toronto, to attend George Brown College, receiving certificates in Hospitality Management and Haute Cuisine. After graduation, she then returned to St. Lucia where she cooked in several hotels and restaurants. Later, she returned to her Alma Mater to study Food and Nutrition Management.

Chef Alexander’s cooking philosophy is to take the freshest, most natural ingredients and turn them into something healthy, delicious, balanced and almost magical. “With food, there is always a healthier alternative. Quality must never be compromised,” says Chef Alexander.

As a trained Nutritionist, Chef Alexander is committed to making healthy foods, and to achieve an authentic St. Lucian flavor, she uses some imported ingredients, and to keep things fresh, she sources as much as she can locally.

Chef Alexander has cooked in some of the top hotels, restaurants and catering kitchens in both her native St. Lucia and adopted home, Toronto, and in 2019, her culinary skills earned her an invitation to compete on Food Network Canada’s Fire Masters.