Gratitude is the secret ingredient incorporated in every pastry made by Chef Denval Daley whose journey began in a small classroom in Lionel Town, Clarendon and has taken him far beyond Jamaica to the US Midwest, where he is currently the baking and pastry instructor at Hocking College in Ohio.

His journey hasn’t been easy. But through ups and downs, Daley has learnt that success “is not just about talent—it’s about resilience, mentorship, and always being ready to seize the opportunities placed before you”.

Daley’s story begins at Watsonton Primary School, where he said his sixth grade teacher Flavia Williams played an integral role in shaping his academic foundation.

“She believed in me before I truly believed in myself,” he tells the Jamaica Observer.

With Miss Williams’ encouragement he was able to pass the Grade Six Achievement Test, which earned him a place at Garvey Maceo High School, the chef shares.

Jamaican Denval Daley accepts his diploma in Baking and Pastry Arts from Hocking School President Dr Betty Young.

He says it was at Garvey Maceo, where he did well in both academics and athletics, that his passion for food first took root.

“One Christmas, my assistant coach invited me to help bake fruitcakes at camp. That small experience—mixing, baking, and sharing the final product—was the spark that made me realise I wanted to become a chef,” he says.

Life took another turn for him when his athletics talent got him transferred to St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS). He was supposed to register for the electrical programme, but fate had other plans, he recalls.

“One day, I went to pick up my bag in my form class, which happened to be used for food and nutrition with the late, great Fluorine Carpenter. My classmate Toni Thompson told me it was a food and nutrition class, and when I saw students preparing meals, I decided to stay,” he tells the Observer.

“I was supposed to be in Mr Jermaine McKenzie’s electrical class—he was also my form teacher—but something about that food class just felt right,” he continues. “McKenzie remained a close mentor to me through high school and even after, but that was the day my path shifted for good.”

Denval Daley (back) with Baking and Pastry Arts students at Hocking College, Ohio.

It certainly did. Track and field continued to open doors, but life presented other challenges. Daley’s mother passed away while he was still in high school, and later, during first year of college, he lost his brother and father.

“Through it all, two incredible women— Jennette Berkeley and Mavis Taylor—took me in as if I were their own child… They remain family to me to this day,” he says.

In sixth form, Western Hospitality Institute (WHI) visited STETHS as part of a recruitment drive. Through a past student, Harrain Samuel, Daley met Dr Cecil Cornwall, the president of WHI. He offered him an assistantship that allowed him to study while working at the college, earning a stipend that helped him stay in school.

“At WHI, I gained not only an education but also hands-on experience—running a campus restaurant, catering events, and working alongside international chefs. I graduated with an associate degree in Culinary Chef Management, began teaching in the Career Advancement Programme, and earned a bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management,” Daley shares.

“My career has taken me far beyond Jamaica. I worked in Oregon at Sunriver Resort in breakfast service and pastry, returned home to teach again at WHI, and later went to the Boca Raton Resort in Florida,” he adds.

Denval Daley in pursuit of excellence in pastry making at Hocking College.

However, he felt the need to specialise further in pastry. WHI, he says, helped him find Hocking College in Nelsonville, Ohio, where he pursued a degree in Baking and Pastry Arts.

“There, I had a full-circle moment: I reunited with Chef Terria, who had once taught me an advanced pastry course in Jamaica. She told me she was retiring soon, and that inspired me to apply for the position she would leave behind.

“Looking back, I see how every teacher, mentor, and opportunity shaped me into the chef I am today. From Miss Williams at Watsonton to Mrs Carpenter at STETHS, from Dr Cornwall at WHI to Chef Terria at Hocking—each one poured something into me that helped me grow,” he says.

Daley adds that Western Hospitality Institute gave him the platform, the discipline, and the experience to build his career, for which he is very grateful along with all the other experiences on his journey.

“Even through loss, hardship, and setbacks, I never stopped moving forward. Today, I carry all those lessons with me into every kitchen I step into,” he says.