Adventure
Grenada – The Spice Island
I’ve been to a few Caribbean islands, but this is my first time in Grenada. It’s a tri-island state consisting of itself and two sister islands, Carriacou and Petite Martinique. Grenada, at the bottom of the chain of islands known as the Grenadines, is part of the Windward Islands, Lesser Antilles. So, when This Morning and Sandals Resorts asked me to go, I couldn’t wait. Not only did we make three food-based films, but we also filmed for a competition that would run across all morning shows on ITV. This funds the whole trip and is how commercial television runs these days.
I had done a little research before I left and had earmarked a few places to visit. As you know, I tend to stick to local places that serve local food and drink while on my trips abroad. I’m not interested and have no will to eat pizza or Indian food (no disrespect) in Newfoundland unless necessary, i.e., we arrive late and are famished.
Heading Out to Grenada
However, the trip nearly didn’t happen. It was the end of COVID-19, and everybody was apprehensive about travel, especially on planes and in different countries.
I had to go to London and get tested within 48 hours of travel, then download the results onto my phone, which took two days. Couple that with the fact the NHS didn’t register my first vaccination on the app. All I had was the paper certificate. The second one was on there, so as I argued, how could I have the second (registered as No2) if I still needed to have the first and had documentary evidence? They weren’t playing ball, and the clock was ticking. Finally, at 10 pm the night before, the NHS added the certificate to my app, and we were ready to go.
In hindsight, it was incidental. When we filmed the check-in process at BA, the cheerful young staff member told me, ‘You needn’t worry; we would have let you on.’ So, we filmed the check-in and getting on the plane, and then I could relax and learn my script with a nice glass of wine. This was my first time on a plane in two years, and it was weird.
Stopping briefly in Antigua, the plane empties; the rest of the crew gets upgraded to business class for the final part of the trip. As we landed in the early evening, everybody was a little nervous.
Anyone for Pink Gin?
We set off for the fabulously named Pink Gin Beach and the Sandals resort, only 10 minutes from the airport. The staff are brilliant, and as we sign in, we are ushered to a large room to be tested again for COVID-19. I get the results back in 48 hours so that we can shower or dip in my pool before dinner. However, we are told in no uncertain terms that if any of us test positive, we are taken away and housed in a former prison (er, yes) until we test negative!! The reason was that there was not one positive case on the island then, and they wanted to keep it that way.
I recommend visiting Grenada from December to April, although any time of the year is good.
Month High / Low(°C)
January 30° / 23°
February 30° / 23°
March 30° / 23°
April 31° / 25°
May 31° / 25°
June 31° / 25°
July 31° / 25°
August31° / 25°
September 32° / 25°
October 31° / 25°
November 31° / 24°
December 30° / 24°
The First Day
I meet up with Colin Watson, the executive chef of Sandals Worldwide, for a beer, thinking it could be my last one for a while. He was going to help us set up all the cookery slots. I first met him when we filmed in Turks & Caicos (see blog) before COVID-19, and he is one of the most accomplished chefs I have ever worked with. His creativity and knowledge are astounding, and I deeply respect the man, so I know we are in capable hands.
Dinner that night was in their excellent Soy restaurant, and the sushi was amazing. I feasted on crispy tuna and a superb glazed eel. After a few beers, we were off to bed because we had a long day tomorrow.
On the Beach
After another early start, coffee and a quick bite, we set off to the beach. Colin is already fully set up and ready for my first cook, so we can hit the ground running. First up is a pork dish that uses the fillet sautéed with nutmeg, rum, and Callaloo (A green leafy vegetable similar to Swiss chard or Kale). I finish with baked sweet potatoes or yams. Like all these things, it takes three hours to set, cook, and film on the first day. Ultimately, I’m chuffed, and the food looked and tasted spot on. Next, whilst there, we film early sunrise pieces to camera and a few drone shots.
"Simple things done properly are a joy and cannot be beaten."
Oil Down on the Barbeque
Lunch at the resort restaurant Spices is casual with local specialities, but as always, we are in a rush. Janice (the boss) hassles me into putting on my trunks so we can film me eating an ice cream in the swimming pool. I know, someone has to do it. By the time we faff about getting the shots, it’s mid-afternoon, and my other boss, Harry, is getting fidgety. He wants to film the second cook on the same beach in the late afternoon sun as we cooked the pork dish earlier. I was going to cook Grenada’s national dish, Oil Down, a rather long and complicated dish, but thank the lord, Colin had all 27, yes! 27 ingredients ready. He had also lit an open fire and procured an old car wheel we use as a barbeque grill, saving us hours of preparation.
We filmed the cook, and it all went well. However, it took a few hours, by which time the sun had almost set, meaning we couldn’t film the drone end shot. Never mind; we did manage to get the shot the next day.
After a dip in my pool, I was refreshed and ready for dinner at Kimonos. It’s a Teppanyaki restaurant serving good food from the Far East, cooked on a large hot plate right before you. The chef is fun and does more clever things with eggs than you could imagine. With attentive staff, the evening was fun.
Cocktails in the Pool
After breakfast the following day, we film cocktail drinking in and out of the pool. Guests think I’m either mad or a raging alcoholic and are rather curious. The 3rd and final cook of the trip is filmed out front on a small pier. Pineapples, like most Caribbean islands, are abundant here. Grenada produces some superb chocolate, so I decided to combine them. Pineapple fritters with hot chocolate sauce, rock figs (small apple bananas), and a dash of rum. The end shot says it all; it was a perfect combination, plus the backdrop makes it look even better. There is no rest here, and as Colin deconstructs the cooking station, we decant the kit along the pier for my massage and a piece to camera.
Lunch today is in the Skypool Suite, a plush top-end room with a sea view and butler! Yep, a butler. Janice also wants to film a few bits for the competition that ITV will run once we are back in Blighty.
The Chophouse
Dinner this evening is in the Chophouse; as you can guess, it’s a meat eaters paradise. From Wagyu strip and New York strip via New Zealand lamb and veal chops, it’s all here, the whole nine yards, including Lobster Mac & Cheese, which is excellent. So, stuffed, I waddle back to my room and collapse.
Taking the Plunge
Never having scuba-dived or wanting to, I couldn’t see the point. I even got bored with snorkelling as a kid. The bloody mask is constantly filling with water or misting up, and add to that a lung full of seawater when I get the breathing wrong. Nah, not for me. So, when the boss told me we would film underwater, I wasn’t impressed.
Van packed, we set off to Grand Anse Beach to meet our dive instructor, Christine. This is one of Grenada’s top spots for diving. Heading to the hotel swimming pool, we are all put through our paces and have to, by law, take a diving course before we are allowed to dive in the ocean. Well, after the first 20 minutes or so, when you realise that you can breathe through your mouth without panicking and you’re not going to drown, it was okay. In fact, I rather enjoyed the whole experience.
We all pass and are ready to dive into the underwater sculpture park across the bay. First up, we film me arriving and meeting Christine, plus putting on all the kit. We also filmed Christine (a fab dive instructor and a top marine biologist), who explained how important the sea and coral reefs are and how not to touch them. We filmed back to front, so I got on the boat and then got off the boat, so we didn’t have to do this when we got back later from the dive.
Inland Adventure
The next day, we had a lie-in ’til 7 am boom. After brekky, we packed the car and set off to film in Grand Etang National Park, high up in the hills surrounding the capital, St Georges. The roads are tiny and full of potholes. It takes a good hour to get there. The first stop is to meet some furry friends and also chat with Simon Greene, the park ranger. Filming with the Mona monkeys is fun; Simon explains they are protected, extremely friendly, and originally from West Africa. There are about 20 troops spread over the 3,800 acres, and once we bring out the bananas, they appear from everywhere.
At the next stop, we are on the other side of the island to film the lush rainforest in search of the Seven Sisters’ waterfalls. As the name suggests, a series of 7 cascading falls with the most refreshing water ending with one large pool, and we all dip to cool off. It’s a stunning, peaceful paradise.
We get back to the hotel reasonably early for once, and I have a chance to catch up with emails and texts. Dinner is at the Hotel Cucina Romana.
Paradise End
It is the last day in paradise, and we are up early and drive into Grenada’s capital, St Georges. We filmed in the market here as I wanted to learn more about what the locals call black gold and nutmeg. I met chef Belinda Bishop, a local chef and author, and she explained the whole story. It’s so revered here that it’s on the national flag, and Grenada produces a third of the world’s nutmeg. Nutmeg is in pretty much every dish here; not only that but it’s also used in numerous remedies and cosmetics.
After that, we head off to the Belmond Estate, which has been here for over 300 years and is Grenada’s largest producer. After a lovely lunch of local delicacies, Callaloo Soup, Grilled Chicken with Potato Salad, rice, and Cassava. Lunch finished, we filmed nutmeg trees in various ripening stages, met locals, and chatted about all things nutmeg. We are allowed to film in the vast warehouses full of nutmeg drying, with the heady aroma almost overpowering. We even have a guided tour and taste some of Belmond’s fledgling chocolate-producing facilities, all top quality and very good.
We say our goodbyes and travel back to the resort, where the director says the immortal words, “That’s a wrap.” We spend the next few hours packing and relaxing with a drink or two. The bus arrives, and we head off to the airport. As we do, I reflect on another great trip and wonder if I’ll ever return. I genuinely hope so.
Find out more about Sandals
- Telelphoe: 08000 22 3030
- Website: https://www.sandals.co.uk/grenada/
Inspired Recipes
Some recipes inspired by my all-too-brief trip to Grenada, the Spice Island
Succulent Pork Fillet with Nutmeg Rum Cream
Succulent Pork Fillet with Nutmeg Rum Cream is a flavourful recipe from Grenada. The dish features seared pork fillets with a creamy sauce made with Grenadian nutmeg and a splash of rum. The result is decadent and satisfying.
View RecipeMy Version of Oil Down
Oil Down is the national dish of Grenada, often served at special occasions and celebrations. It is a stew made with breadfruit, salted meat, callaloo, onions, garlic, thyme, turmeric, and hot pepper, cooked down in coconut milk.
View RecipePineapple Rum Fritters with Hot Bitter Chocolate Sauce
This Grenadian dessert has pineapple chunkscoated in rum batter and fried until golden brown and served with a hot bitterchocolate creamy sauce. It's a unique and flavourful dessert that is perfectfor satisfying your sweet cravings.
View Recipe