My Culinary Journey

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I am Barrie Gunning, chef and founder of The Black Urchin, a luxury private chef and gourmet catering experience rooted in contemporary Caribbean cuisine and global culinary influences. My path into food wasn’t conventional. After 15 years in corporate accounting, I made the decision to pursue my passion fully, building a culinary career grounded in instinct, culture, and lived experience.

I began cooking at a young age alongside my mother, developing an early understanding of ingredients and flavour. Growing up in a coastal Barbadian village, I formed a deep connection to the sea, fishing, spearfishing, and preparing my own catch, an influence that remains central to my cuisine today.

In my early twenties, I moved to Europe, where my culinary identity expanded. Time spent in Italy immersed me in regional traditional cooking, while years in London exposed me to a diverse and evolving food scene. There, I founded a supper club "Pop Up Barbados" that became one of East London’s well sought after underground dining experiences, serving up to 35 guests in my Dalston apartment bi-weekly, making pop up appearances at trendy London venues and earning recognition from major media publications.

Travel across Europe, North Africa, and Asia further cultivated my approach, blending techniques, cultures, and ingredients into what now defines my culinary skill and earned me a great reputation in Barbados and abroad.

Today, The Black Urchin offers private chef experiences, bespoke catering, and curated epicurean events across Barbados and upon travel request.

Food, to me, is more than something to eat, it’s something you remember, something you experience with a great story that lives on in your memory and conversations. 

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