The Brick Oven welcomes Kegan Brookes

A Flame is Born

Long ago, in Carrot Bay of the British Virgin Islands, a young girl named Shyril grew up watching her grandmother bake bread in a humble brick oven. The scent of fresh loaves filled the air, mingling with laughter, stories, and the soft rhythm of island life. Those moments, steeped in warmth and wisdom that lit a spark within her, one that would never fade

Kegan loves the scent of fresh coconut bread coming out of the oven. It was a wonderful experience at The Brick Oven in Carrot Bay on the island of Tortola. One he will always remember.

The roots of Tradition

As the years passed, Shyril's love for cooking blossomed into a lifelong passion, she embraced the flavors of her homeland, coconut bread, fish cakes and sweet coconut tarts. Each dish a story of resilience and pride. When she became a Home Economics Teacher, she carried these traditions into her classroom, teaching students not just how to cook, but how to connect with their roots. 

For over two decades, her classroom became a place where heritage was as important as ingredients, and every recipe carried a tale of the Virgin Islands.

Rebuilding the Fire

After retiring from teaching, Shyril felt a calling. The island's younger generation was losing touch with its heritage, trading handmade traditions for fast-paced modern living. Determined to change that, she rebuilt the Brick Oven, a stone by stone, as a living monument to the Islands culinary past. 

The fire that once warmed her grandmother's hands now burned again, not just in the oven, but in the hearts of everyone who came to learn besides it.

The taste of Tradition

Under the sunlit skies of the Virgin Islands, the Brick Oven became more than a Kitchen, it became a classroom, a gathering place, a living museum. Visitors and locals alike came to experience the "Taste of Tradition", where every meal told a story, and every story tasted like home. Through her efforts, Shyril reminded everyone that history isn't just written in books, it's baked into bread, whispered into recipes, and shared around the fire.