BIO

Arlene started cooking at the age of 7 years. Taught by her mom and grandmother, she cherishes her memories of growing up in an extended family home, where food was the vessel used to show love.

Arlene discovered her true calling years later when in 2008 she committed all to pursue a catering business with a difference. Determined to give her clients a culinary adventure, Intriguing Ideas was born.

This then fueled her ambitions of becoming a restauranteur, to further expand her creative energy. The proud island girl spirit channeled her focus on the use of local ingredients, creating what she now describes as trendy Caribbean cuisine.

Further, Arlene’s passion for business always existed as she would recall selling treats made by her grandmother to her primary school classmates. This business-savvy skillset would shine through as she embarked on opening her 4 restaurant locations.

Determined to create a gourmet Caribbean food experience, she conceptualized and executed established the following restaurants: Intriguing Ideas – Gourmet by design, set in 3 locations all with amazing ambiance and out of the box food experiences and, The Octopus Grill, the closest to her dream establishment as she could get. The Octopus Grill was set to make its mark on Tobago’s restaurant landscape.

Business challenges being a reality, while these locations no longer exist, the culinary memories provided are still spoken about with delight by customers. Many describe their experience as a privilege and certainly the best food they’ve had. Arlene remains proud and marks these as accomplishments, coupled with the benefit of experience.

Arlene’s love for creating food never wavered and has found expression in other food projects. She created Executive Private Chef Services, as well as Catering Services for both intimate and major events.

With these services, Arlene has been able to show her skill and determination to be a key player in the food industry. She has executed catering from 2- 1500 covers, creating recipes and exhibiting at major events, creating miniature local dishes to serve at high end functions, providing intimate dining experiences for families and local celebrities, as well as consulting for food businesses.

Arlene went on to become the main host of a cooking show – Spice…island in the Pot on the local TV Station and a frequent guest chef on the highly rated You Tube series Foodie Nation. She also created The Food Room, an Instagram series that highlights both local and international food news as well as Food Business by the Plateful, in which she shares her experiences in the food business arena.

Arlene has a passion for sharing her knowledge of cooking, food and life adventures. Now Pursuing a food and lifestyle brand, she hopes to inspire everyone to make their way into the kitchen and enjoy food and life the way it’s designed to be.

Welcome to the Gourmet Lifestyle.