Chef Ladanna Bennett of Big Time Restaurant Group: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became a Chef
An Interview With Martita Mestey
I didn’t realize I would have to repeat myself numerous times while training. I’m very particular which most chefs are and if you want your kitchen run a certain way repetition is key!
As part of our series about the lessons from influential ‘TasteMakers’, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Chef Ladanna Bennett.
Ladanna Bennett, the culinary force behind the iconic 25-year-old Big City Tavern in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida hails from Jamaica. Ladanna’s journey to becoming an executive chef is a testament to her unwavering passion and dedication to the culinary arts. Through sheer determination and talent, she swiftly ascended the ranks, serving as a line supervisor, key manager, sous chef, executive sous chef, and ultimately, executive chef. As one of the few female executive chefs in South Florida, Ladanna is committed to inspiring other women to pursue their culinary ambitions. For her, the kitchen isn’t just a place of work — it’s a canvas where she can express herself and inspire others through her food.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to ‘get to know’ you a bit. Can you share with our readers a story about what inspired you to become a restauranteur or chef?
That’s an easy one to answer. My grandma, whom I spent a lot of time with growing up in Jamaica inspired me to become a chef. She was paralyzed and couldn’t cook like she used to anymore, so I decided to help her. She would teach me her recipes and exactly how to cook them. She taught me everything I know about Jamaican food and lit the fire inside me for my passion for the culinary arts.
Do you have a specific type of food that you focus on? What was it that first drew you to cooking that type of food? Can you share a story about that with us?
I really love all cuisines, but my main focuses are Jamaican and Italian. When I came to America for further education, I learned how to cook all types of American food, but Italian food I fell in love with right away.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that has happened to you since you became a chef? What was the lesson or take away you took out of that story?
The restaurant industry is not for everyone. The hours and days are long, and the atmosphere is very fast paced. My funniest story is when I told my boss I was pregnant with my son. She thought I was joking and couldn’t believe me. To this day we joke about it but it’s the best thing that ever happened to me. My son has taught me to slow down at times and use patience in and out of the kitchen.
Can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey? How did you overcome this obstacle?
One of my first jobs in Jamaica as an executive chef turned out to be completely different from what I had expected. I’ll never forget it. I went to the restaurant every day, seven days a week, and cooked both breakfast and dinner, then after doing all that work, they expected me to take out a huge garbage can, dragging it almost two blocks away. I knew I was saving up and learning everything I could in order to make the move to America. My determination kept me going!
In your experience, what is the key to creating a dish that customers are crazy about?
I think the key to making a dish that a customer will love is that I have to be happy and have my passion shine through. Everything needs to be right that day, so that my creativity and love for the food and presentation really shows.
Personally, what is the ‘perfect meal for you’?
I keep it simple. Chicken with a flavorful rice. I eat chicken almost every day.
Where does your inspiration for creating come from? Is there something that you turn to for a daily creativity boost?
When I come to work, I look at what I have in my fridge and pantry. I create daily specials based on what we have available. The specials I make are made with seasonal ingredients, and that’s what inspires me to make something new each time.
Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? What impact do you think this will have?
Every week I have the small goal to continue making new specials that the customers will love. I find that my small goal can really effect someone’s day in the most positive way.
What advice would you give to other chefs or restaurateurs to thrive and avoid burnout?
Don’t overthink! And remember to have fun with everything you do.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started as a Chef” and why?
1. I never knew I’d work such long hours — 12 hours 5–6 days a week. You must have passion for this field!
2. I never knew I would have so much responsibility of taking care of other people. Treat your staff with the upmost respect.
3. I didn’t realize the amount of patience needed. This applies to staff and patrons and a very important one!
4. I didn’t realize it would be this hard, I thought it would be easier. The pressure to create new but also to stay consistent is tough to juggle.
5. I didn’t realize I would have to repeat myself numerous times while training. I’m very particular which most chefs are and if you want your kitchen run a certain way repetition is key!
What’s the one dish people have to try if they visit your establishment?
I will always recommend the Caribbean Rundown. It comes from a place of nostalgia for me as it’s a very popular meal from where I grew up. This dish is fresh mahi, shrimp, jasmine rice, onion, tomato, jalapeño with a curry coconut sauce.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I always feel inspiring high school students through passion and the art of cooking is truly impactful. That age range is so important and the perfect time to help shape our young adults to be outstanding citizens. I didn’t have the opportunities that those in America have and I want to really shine a light on that.
Thank you so much for these insights. This was very inspirational!
Chef Ladanna Bennett of Big Time Restaurant Group: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.