Inspired by French internship, Rebecca Sammy reopens dessert shop

At age 24 and after seven years working in the dessert industry chef Rebecca Sammy is living her dreams, first by working with pastry chefs in France and now by opening her own brick-and-mortar dessert shop in Trinidad and Tobago.

Coming from a family of entrepreneurs and inspired after returning from a six-month pastry internship at a Michelin-starred restaurant in France, Sammy is in the process of relaunching her business, The Angry Guppy Dessert Shop, which is scheduled to open on May 4 on Austin Street, St Augustine.

The name, she told WMN, stems from a nickname she got after someone told her she looks like an angry fish. And since she loves guppies, she decided to go with The Angry Guppy.

Sammy returned to Trinidad and Tobago from La Celle, a village in the central region of France, in December after interning at the hotel Hostellerie de l'Abbaye de La Celle to complete her associate degree in culinary arts at the Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute (THTI).

She recalled that her teacher, chef Lovelace, shared the link to the internship programme and she applied and was accepted.

“I never envisioned myself in France. I didn’t even consider it as an option. It was the best experience of my life.

“I chose that restaurant because it was Michelin star. Michelin stars are a bit finicky in that they may seem a little bit elitist, but to get a Michelin star is a result of a certain level of work that I wanted to be part of.”

Sammy said she was the only woman in the kitchen for part of those six months, was the only Caribbean person and the only person of colour. She said being dropped into a country where she knew no one and did not speak the language was intense and intimidating, and as a shy person, it took her a while to get comfortable enough to start absorbing the language – of which she still cannot speak much.

But, she learned under amazing chefs, Kevin Raynal and Jérémy Bouin, who loved what they do and are very good at it, and who were kind and patient with her. She saw, tasted and worked with ingredients she only ever read of or saw in books or on TV and enjoyed the creativity of the team. Above all she learned a lot.

When she returned to Trinidad and Tobago she got a job at an established restaurant and quit after four days.

“My heart wasn’t in it. It made me very unhappy. I think I’m over working for people, so I think restarting the business full-time is really where my heart it right now.”

Sammy initially started the part-time business online in 2019, baking from her home in Curepe. But just a year later it all fell apart.

She told WMN when she was younger she wanted to be a veterinarian but it involved too much science so, at a very early age, she put aside that goal.

She was introduced to food by her grandmother who would grind seasoning using asil and
lorha, similar to a mortar and pestle, and her grandmother putting so much effort into it sparked her interest in food.

As a result, by the time she was a form one student at St Augustine High School, her dream was to attend the Trinidad and Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute and work in the culinary industry.

But at her very first culinary job she realised creating savoury food was not for her and that she much preferred making pastries. She found the culinary industry to be “scary” as it was fast-paced and she had to think very quickly. She was drawn to the slower pace of pastry, though the work was more exacting and meticulous.

“And the joke is on me because pastry involves a lot of science, so I didn’t really get away from it.”

After doing several short food courses and starting The Angry Guppy, she started attending the TT Hospitality and Tourism Institute. But in 2020, one year into her associates degree, the school closed and she lost her progress and her money.

In addition, just one month before, her father died. It was a very difficult time for her and she closed The Angry Guppy.

But she remained active on Instagram, through a cafe owner in Tobago contacted her and asked if she would be interested in working at the cafe. Around the same time she accidentally discovered THTI while searching for TTHTI. She applied and was accepted and, the school allowed her to transfer some of her credits.

Sammy recalled that, at the time, she was happy to work for someone else and the owner gave her a lot of free reign to be creative with her desserts. She said Tobago provided a peaceful place for her to catch herself and she was able to focus on what she loved to do without having to consider the other aspects of running a business.

She worked at the cafe for several months in 2021 until she started school at THTI in August of that year. She graduated in January.

“It’s a really good school. That school saved me from drowning. Like any other school they have things that need to be ironed out, but when it comes to the lecturers and the things I learned, going there was the greatest decision of my life.”

With an education and a great deal of experience behind her, when an opportunity presented itself to open “a small food truck type setup” in St Augustine, she took it.

“This was never my plan as I didn't think I could afford rent at this stage in my career. However, as luck would have it, I was able to connect with an old acquaintance who allowed me to open my location. It has always been my dream to have a brick-and-mortar place. I love the idea of meeting my customers face to face and developing regulars.

“My dream has always been to provide a chill place where people can feel comfortable meeting and chatting over high-quality desserts and a humble cup of coffee. I'm excited to see where this year takes me as an almost pastry chef.”

Sammy said she is bringing back a few favourites like eclairs and cheesecake but intends to “stretch her muscles” and see what she can create.

She said France changed how she looks at desserts. She learned they are not just “something sweet” but morsels with different compositions, textures and flavour pairings by using various techniques and more. It also taught her how to better work with people, manage her time and improve her efficiency.

“So the new Angry Guppy, what I hope that it becomes, is a little more elevated than it was before, specifically with the techniques and the flavour pairings. I think those are the most drastic changes that I hope to apply to the menu.”

In addition to the physical shop, Sammy is again being given an opportunity to experience another dream.

She said she has always enjoyed teaching and helping people. Her Instagram page, The Angry Guppy Dessert Shop, gives her an outlet to do that as many people message her to ask questions and she enjoys sharing her experiences.

This year THTI asked her to return to facilitate a class for teenagers during the July/August vacation and she is very excited about the proposition as she hopes to return to the school to teach on a permanent basis.