Perhaps it was ‘written’ in the tea leaves or – more specifically – the bushes around Great Pond, Ocho Rios, where Ainsley Lambie grew up, that he would become a chef, and an extraordinary one to boot.

Lambie grew up in a community that was rich not only in the natural herbs essential for preparing good food, but also the farm animals that he would later be required to carve expertly in the kitchen.

His fate was sealed in his final year at Ocho Rios High School, from which he graduated with a certificate in Food & Nutrition. He went to the Runaway Bay HEART Academy, emerging after intensive training a certified Culinary Institute of America/HEART Academy Pro Chef.

Earning his stripes at some of Jamaica’s premier hotels, Ainsley has chalked up a cabinet of awards including Jamaica Cultural Development Commission Culinary Competition medals in the “Team Hot”, “Best Use of Goat”, “Best Use of Beef” and “Best Dessert” categories.

Those skills were further honed in Rhode Island, USA, where Ainsley worked at the popular Castle Hill Restaurant, assisting in menu development and the execution of the fine dishes for which the restaurant is wellknown.

Lambie has also had on-the-job training in Naples and Coconut Grove, Florida.

Lambie has come to roost at Half Moon’s prestigious Sugar Mill Restaurant. Here he will continue the restaurant’s tradition of fine cuisine, infusing the best of local and international ingredients to impress even the most discerning gourmand.