Our Story
Founders
Ian & Julie McNeel
Chef-Patron
Sophie Michell
Sophie Michell is a well known Chef and Author from the UK. She has been working in kitchens for 27 years, training & cooking in some of London's top Michelin starred restaurants. Sophie has published eight bestselling & award winning cookbooks, whilst simultaneously also carving out a successful TV career in the UK & Internationally.
Chef Sophie is also an experienced restaurateur. She was Britain's youngest Female Executive Chef taking over the whole food offering at the 5 star Belgraves Hotel, then going on to oversee the food at London’s exclusive private members club Home House. One of Sophie’s proudest achievements was being part of the four female Chef team who opened The Gorgeous Kitchen, Heathrow’s top dining destination that successfully ran for nearly 10 years.
Farm to Table cooking has always been Sophie's passion and building a more solid platform where her whole business would be sustainable and where her living could be in-line with her beliefs and that became vital after the birth of her baby.
Friends for years, when Ian McNeel started his foray into hospitality, it became the logical move for Sophie to become part of the project. When Covid hit, she was working as Food & Drink Director for Byron Burgers UK, overseeing fifty five restaurants. Sophie saw an opportunity to completely transform her & her family's life and move to Barbados just days before the first lockdown! They have lived here ever since & have fallen in love with the Island, energy and people.
Assistant Restaurant Manager
Stefon Barker
Stefon Barker is Barbadian born and his gregarious personality led him to his vibrant and rewarding career in the restaurant industry. Stefon is an enthusiast of cuisine, beverages, and how they connect people and communities to different cultures. With over 8 years in the industry, Stefon’s educational background spans from studies in Culinary Arts, Wines and Spirits and Departmental Training. His front-of-house experience with independently owned hotels, private residences, and restaurants ranging from casual farm to table to fine dining has prepared him to apply a unique combination of skills in all that he does.
Through his work with Slow Food Barbados, Stefon has never been more passionate for community sustainability and the farm-to-table ethos. He worked at the well known Peg Farm and Dockside at 13/59. These practices associated with the company’s ethos have led him to further see the capabilities and possibilities of the local meats and produce that he has grown up around. Stefon also oversaw and coordinated the Chefs & producers for Slow Food Barbados Soup Drive that fed over 15,000 vulnerable people during the Covid crisis.
Stefon recalls the “adventures” he has had as a kid growing up in The Pine, where he climbed trees with friends for Ackees, Mangoes and Golden Apples, to name a few. He recalls Lamb Neck Soup as one of the favorite dishes his mom would make when he was younger, and it is still a current request of his when he visits the family. In his spare time, Stefon enjoys wine tasting events, cooking, traveling, interior design and is a proud plant dad of over 40 ornamental plants. He loves spending time with his family and the banter he has with his mom provides him with hours of joy. Stefon has been with Local & Co. from the start, so he has a wealth of knowledge on how we have progressed.
