Warwick Paradise Island Bahamas has appointed Basil Dean as Executive Chef. A native of Nassau, Bahamas, Dean will oversee the dining experiences at the resort’s four dining establishments when the hotel opens later this year as The Bahamas’ premier adults-only, all-inclusive resort.
Dean brings over 30 years of culinary experience to his position with the last 12 years as an executive chef. For the past two years, he was the executive chef at Grand Lucayan Resort and its all-inclusive Lighthouse Pointe Resort and Spa, both located on Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas. While at the two hotels, he was part of the pre-opening team for Lighthouse Pointe, oversaw the operations of eight food and beverage outlets – including menu creation, departmental training, coaching and standardization – managed special events, banquets and catering, and employee training in HAACP and food safety.
“Basil Dean’s culinary expertise will raise the bar on our dining experiences as he will infuse Bahamian culinary influences with international recipes resulting in delicious creations to please the most discerning palates,” said Benjamin Davis, general manager of Warwick Paradise Island Bahamas.
Dean will be responsible for four dining options at Warwick Paradise Island Bahamas, including The Verandah, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner with indoor or outdoor al fresco seating seven days a week, plus two a la carte restaurants open in the evening – Tings on a Stick, an á la carte shish kebob eatery serving a variety of fresh meat, seafood and vegetable kebobs, and Abbiocco, an Italian fine dining restaurant set-in a casual atmosphere. Dean will also oversee the poolside Chickcharnies Pizzeria & Grille, serving pizza, burgers, chicken and local favorites for lunch daily.
Prior to Grand Lucayan, Dean built up his resume at many of the Bahamas’ renowned resorts including a stint as executive chef at Sheraton Cable Beach Resort (now Melia Nassau Beach Resort), Sandals Emerald Bay Resort & Spa in Great Exuma, SuperClubs Breezes Resort in Nassau and Ginn Sur Mer Old Bahama Bay Resort on Grand Bahama Island. He was executive sous chef at One & Only Ocean Club Golf Resort & Estates on Paradise Island after honing his culinary skills at Coconut Cove Hotel in Exuma and Radisson Cable Beach & Golf Resort in Nassau.
Outside of the Bahamas, Dean has worked as executive chef at Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort & Spa (Turks & Caicos), Sandals Royal Caribbean Resort & Spa (Jamaica), and Royal Plantation Spa & Golf Resort (Jamaica). Dean spent some of his culinary career in Europe where he learned his craft at Arcade in Baden, Switzerland.
Dean’s additional experience includes owner operator/chef at Texas 12 Spice BBQ ‘N’ Smoke Pit in Nassau, yacht chef at Blue Guitar Motor Yacht and director of culinary operations at Three Restaurant Management Group, Ltd.
Dean completed his Culinary Arts certification and National Apprentice Chef Program at the Bahamas Hotel Training College. He studied food and beverage management at the University of the West Indies in Nassau and attended the Culinary Institute of America for advanced ice carving.
He is a member of the Bahamas Culinary Association, American Culinary Association, Caribbean Culinary Federation and the World Association of Cooks.
Dean is known for his creative ice carvings and competitive spirit. He has participated in numerous culinary competitions around the world where he has won gold, silver and bronze medals including the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s (CHTA) “Taste of the Caribbean” culinary competition, the “Great Bahamas Seafood Festival,” the “Bahamas Culinary Classic,” the “American Culinary Classic,” and “World Culinary Olympics.”
