UPDATE

Secret Bay and Fort Young Hotel & Dive Resort’s “Koudmen Kitchen,” an initiative committed to serving the Nature Island during the COVID-19 global pandemic, provided 1,454 meals to Dominica’s healthcare workers both in Portsmouth and Roseau since launching in early April. In addition to Koudmen Kitchen, Fort Young Hotel & Dive Resort donated 210 room nights to members of the healthcare community during the month of April and provided 10 rooms for emergency accommodations. We are incredibly honoured to have been able to thank and support our frontline responders through this initiative.

As our world collectively navigates how to best support one another during this time, Fort Young Hotel has refocused its efforts towards serving workers on the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19. 

Remaining operational amid the global pandemic and committed to serving the “Nature Island”, Fort Young Hotel & Dive Resort is working hand-in-hand with sister-property Secret Bay to shift from catering to overnight guests to feeding Dominica’s frontline healthcare workers in an initiative dubbed “Koudmen Kitchen.” The word “koudmen” is an homage to the Creole term that translates to ‘helping hand.’ 

The collaboration, led by Fort Young Chefs’ Delma Cenac and Minavia Hazel along with Secret Bay’s Executive Chef Grant Lynott, was launched on April 3 and is designed to supply COVID-19 frontline workers and healthcare professionals with 50 no-cost meals a day at four locations across the island for at least the next thirty days. 

A community effort, Koudmen Kitchen would not be possible without special support from Archipelago Trading, which is supplying food inputs, and 100% Green, which is providing biodegradable containers, as well as local farmers and fishermen, and the delivery teams in Roseau and Portsmouth. 

How you can help

The meals being prepared for Koudmen Kitchen will be featured as the ‘Meal of the Day’ and available for purchase as part of Palisades Restaurant’s new takeout, curbside pickup and delivery service. Proceeds from those meals will be reinvested in Koudmen Kitchen so as to allow the program to keep going. To view the menu, visit here.