Backyard Café’s unique dining experience

By Gibron Rahim
THE Christmas season brings with it mouth-watering delicacies that are authentically Guyanese. We have every reason to be proud of our local cuisine which is unique, not just in the Caribbean, but around the globe. This was a key part of the rationale for the establishment of the Backyard Café. This unique eating establishment, though, is more than a restaurant.

Located in West Ruimveldt in Georgetown, the Café is unconventional in several senses. For one thing, it is located in a backyard (hence the name). Whilst sitting amongst the trees and underneath the passion fruit arbour while sipping cold sorrel juice, its magnetic draw was clear. Over fruit salad, omelettes, fried plantains and wurst, the Pepperpot Magazine caught up with Delven Adams, one of the owners, and his mother-in-law and fellow team member Lynette James.

Delven explained that the concept of the Backyard Café did not begin with the idea of a restaurant. It began, he said, with farming. He and his family had invested in farming. The difficulties they faced, including finding a market for the produce from the farm, eventually took a toll. That led him to return to the first thing he knew – cooking. “Why not prepare the stuff that we got from the farm, or other people’s farms, and show our Guyanese people how this can really work?” he asked himself. Thus, the Backyard Café was born from this farm-to-table concept.

The effort put forward by Delven and the other members of his team has borne fruit – Backyard Café has recently won an award at the Guyana Tourism Authority’s Annual Tourism Awards in the Food and Beverage Establishment category. The award is the result of a team effort and Delven was sure to credit his fellow team members for their hard work. Delven’s wife Malini Jaikarran is Backyard Café’s co-owner. He noted that she also takes care of all the café’s desserts and baked goods under the label “MJsMoistDelights”. Lynette takes care of the preparation of dishes such as pepperpot and homemade bread.

Another member of the team is French chef, Ezekiel Carbon who has been a big part of introducing the team to new flavours and techniques. Chef Carbon, who has roots in Guyana, has been returning to Guyana every year for the last three years to instruct the team and give them pointers. “Bringing different flavours and cultures together helped us to win the award,” Delven said. Winning an award for being the best food and beverage establishment in Guyana means a lot to him, especially as he noted that if he was not mistaken, the award was people’s choice. “After four years of hard, back-breaking work, we did it as a team.” He expressed gratitude to everyone, both locals and visitors, who made it possible.

Backyard Café’s success is undoubtedly related to its unique dining experience. Delven explained that technically he is a personal chef. The café operates on a reservation only basis. There is no menu – the client who makes the call to the café tells the team what they wish to see on the plate. There is a reason for that, Delven explained. The concept is one of providing value for the customer’s money. Indeed, Delven takes care to use fresh ingredients. None of the meat served at the Backyard Café has been frozen – it is all prepared fresh. “We want people to be happy spending their money,” he said.

For this holiday season, traditional Guyanese Christmas cuisine will be available to clients. There will be pepperpot with homemade bread and garlic pork. There will also be garlic chicken and beef on offer for those who do not eat pork.
Considering the hustle and bustle that always accompanies the Christmas season, Backyard Café acts as a getaway from it all. That idea is built into the café’s concept. Customers can feel free to have their meals in a hammock. They are encouraged to take their shoes off and eat with their hands without any worries.

“You come, you relax and enjoy life as it is,” Delven said. We as Guyanese go to other countries and enjoy relaxation there. Delven noted that Backyard Café is happy to offer a service that can be enjoyed right here at home.
The idea behind Backyard Café is more than simply food. Delven is passionately devoted to Guyana. It is for this reason that he returned to the community where he was born and grew up to start his business. The house itself had been bought when Delven was a child.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
He explained that the establishment is a community-based project. Pointing out the plantains on the plate, he noted that they were bought from a vendor down the street. This is one of the ways that he and others in the community are working to keep money within the community. He explained that at a recent community meeting, he and other community members resolved to attempt to keep their money in the community for at least 30 days. Such redirection within the community helps the development of the community, for the benefit of all.

The café’s team also plays a role in the lives of the students of the Ascension Secondary School. They helped the school to start its own vegetable garden. “By next year we’re going to be buying the kids’ vegetables, cooking them in the Backyard Café and putting it on the plate,” Delven said. That, he explained to the Pepperpot Magazine, will open a whole new door for the children. It teaches them farming and entrepreneurship.

The help is not limited to that avenue, however. Delven was in the midst of helping out with preparations for the school’s graduation at which he was to make an appearance. Earlier that morning he had gone to help with putting up a sign. Lynette noted that Backyard Café also gives back to the community by offering free meals. She also mentioned that a project they will be working on for the holiday season is preparing hampers to distribute. They are deeply involved in the community.

Backyard Café is only the beginning of where Delven and his fellow team members want to see the idea going. “Technically we are in the food industry, not the restaurant business,” he said. He expressed interest in packaging and putting their name to everything that they prepare and having it on shelves all over the world.

“That is our goal,” he stated. The restaurant and farm are just parts of the overall business. He emphasised that he truly believes that the cuisine served at Backyard Café and indeed, Guyanese cuisine, can reach a five-star level. The most important point Delven would like the public to know is that we need to be proud of ourselves and our culture. “Embrace yourself. Love yourself. Love your culture,” he said. Backyard Café’s slogan he said is “Live. Laugh. Love” to which they have added, “Eat”. “Live once, laugh plenty and love a whole lot.”