Foodie Tip – Local Haven for Meat Lovers and Luxury Travellers in ‘Provo’, Turks & Caicos.
As someone regularly called upon by luxury travellers to advise them on culinary destinations in Provo, I’m thrilled to finally be able to guide them to a new butcher shop that offers more than just the best cuts of meat.
Island Prime Butchers has a great story to go with its exquisite meat and poultry selection. It’s Turks and Caicos’ newest and only neighborhood butcher shop. Founded by a food-loving husband-and-wife team, it frankly, has revolutionized the Islands, which, for the longest time, had limited access to elite-level products for locals, visitors, part-time residents, and premium restaurants. From USDA prime rib, to delicate filets, the grass-fed options are complemented by a variety of spice rubs and culinary tools favoured by the finest chefs. It’s truly exciting and mouth-watering for those of us who love food – and that’s most of us I presume.
The shop originated from a market gap identified by James Van Dyke, owner, managing partner, and a seasoned chef with a rich background in high-end cuisine. I enjoyed hearing his story; falling in love with kitchen adventures at the age of 13 as a dishwasher in Seattle. James earned his chef’s hat a Le Cordon Bleu culinary school, then working at Chicago Michelin Star restaurants. His journey also included prestigious stints in Bahamas’s Pink Sands Resort, and the ultra-exclusive, members only, Bakers Bay Golf and Ocean Club. After opening five restaurants and spending four years in Turks and Caicos, James (thankfully) saw the need for quality meat products that the islands were missing.
What I also admire about this charming “farm-to-fork” new business is its commitment to education and community. The knowledgeable staff are food enthusiasts eager to share their expertise. Turks and Caicos is a place to celebrate the art of good eating, and that’s only enhanced by the presence of a butcher shop that welcomes questions, conversations, and offers tips you can’t get anywhere else.
Delphine Hartshorn, James’s wife and a born-and-raised Turks and Caicos local, who’s also an expert in adventure fishing, owning a fleet of luxury fishing vessels. She knows TCI and everything a luxury traveller desires to get the most out of time in the islands.
One more thing: Island Prime’s name is a tribute to Provo’s first major supermarket, “Island Pride”, which opened in the late ’80s and ‘90s.
I could go on – can you tell I’m excited to finally have a supplier of the mouth-watering steaks many of us crave at least once in a while? if you’re in the islands, ask me about Island Prime or check it out for yourself. It’s definitely a destination for anyone who loves good food, or even a good conversation.