History
The name ‘Tan’ is an affectionate name for ‘Aunt’ in the Caribbean - Aunty, Tanty, Tan! ‘Rosie’ is Monica’s grandmother who inspired her to cook, she was known as ‘Tan Rosie’ throughout the family and beyond. Monica is a seasoned cook with a strong Caribbean heritage. She started cooking from an early age in her home country of Carriacou. Since moving to England in the 1960’s she has always tried to mix Caribbean cooking with different cuisines.
“I love combining Caribbean flavours with my favourite foods. I try to bring a taste of ‘back home’ to everything I cook!”
Carriacou is an island parish of Grenada and is situated in the southern part of the Caribbean above Venezuela. It’s a sleepy, sun-kissed island measuring only 13 square miles. The island has many quiet sandy beaches with an array of palm trees facing the turquoise sea. Many of the neighbouring islands are home to many famous celebrities and rock stars! It’s the perfect holiday retreat! Carriacou is a traditional, laid back island with a rich cultural heritage. The original inhabitants were the Caribs and since then the island has been inhabited by Africans brought over during slavery which has been ruled by the French and British consecutively. The island has many French town names from their occupation during the 1800’s. Scottish boat builders were a common sight on the island and traditional boat-building continues today. Carriacou is an English speaking island which has descendants from Caribs, Africa, Scotland and England. The main island of Grenada is affectionately known as ‘The Spice Island.’ It produces spices which include Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Cloves, Turmeric and Ginger. It’s a beautiful island with a wealth of culinary history.
