NIFCA LIGHTS — Saluting our stars, celebrating our story! 

Celebrating some of the artists, groups, and cultural champions whose talent, creativity, and dedication have shaped NIFCA’s 53-year legacy of Barbadian excellence! 

Chef Ezra Beckles: A Taste of Bajan Creativity 

According to award-winning pastry chef Ezra Beckles, the sweetest creations often begin with the most unexpected ingredients. From Scotch bonnet pepper and jamoon berries to noni fruit, cactus and sargassum seaweed, his imaginative desserts celebrate the possibilities of Barbadian produce while challenging traditional ideas about pastry making. 

The Executive Pastry Chef and Senior Sous Chef at Turtle Beach Resort, Beckles developed his passion for baking while watching his mother in the kitchen. As a schoolboy at Good Shepherd, St. James, he experimented with baking and even sold banana bread. His hospitality career began in 1979 at Barbados Beach Village Hotel, where his determination to learn earned him a position as a trainee pastry chef. 

Chef Ezra Beckles

International training and professional experience, including exposure to the Canadian Culinary Olympic Team and specialised studies in chocolate, sugar craft and confectionery, helped hone his skills. Yet local ingredients remain central to his artistry. 

His journey has been closely linked to the National Independence Festival of Creative Arts (NIFCA), where he has demonstrated that culinary arts are a powerful expression of Barbadian creativity. A multiple top award recipient, Beckles won NIFCA’s prestigious Enid Maxwell Award for Excellence and the Governor General’s Award on three separate occasions — 2003, 2005 and 2009 — earning recognition for his innovative use of indigenous ingredients. 

Among his memorable creations was a Scotch bonnet chocolate lava cake paired with spicy pineapple and Malibu cream cheese ice cream. Developed during the NIFCA Culinary Arts Competition’s final cook-off, the dessert transformed a mystery-basket challenge into an exciting blend of heat, sweetness and rich chocolate. 

For Beckles, local ingredients offer more than novelty; they open doors to culinary discovery and commercial opportunity. 

“I enjoy experimenting with ingredients that people might not normally associate with desserts. We have so much growing right here in Barbados, and I like finding new ways to use them,” he said. 

His experiments include noni flour for chocolate cakes, cactus in cookies, and local fruits in inventive accompaniments. He has also explored jamoon berries, aloe vera and sargassum seaweed, demonstrating how local resources can inspire new flavours, textures and possibilities in confectionery. 

“I’m always looking at what we have around us and wondering what else we can do with it. Take noni, cactus or jamoon berries, for example. Most people may not think of putting them into a dessert, but with a little creativity and the right technique, you can come up with something quite special. I enjoy that challenge,” he stated. 

Beyond his own achievements, Beckles regards NIFCA as an important platform for nurturing talent and encouraging young people to pursue culinary arts. He believes competition, experimentation and exposure to new ideas help emerging chefs build confidence, refine their skills and discover opportunities beyond Barbados. He has also shared his expertise as an instructor in pastry, baking technology, chocolate making, sugar craft and food presentation. 

“NIFCA gives our culinary practitioners an opportunity to showcase their talent, learn from the experience and inspire the next generation. I want young chefs to recognise that they can take Barbadian ingredients, develop their own style and compete confidently on the international stage. There is so much to learn, and knowledge becomes even more valuable when we share it,” he stressed. 

Through his inventive approach, Chef Ezra Beckles continues to bridge tradition and innovation, bringing Barbadian produce into fine pastry. His NIFCA journey celebrates creativity, perseverance and cultural pride, proving that some of the island’s most extraordinary culinary treasures may be found in its own backyard. (PR)