Product Description

This is the true story of a trip to the beach that never ends. It's about a husband and wife who escape civilization to build a small restaurant on an island paradise -- and discover that even paradise has its pitfalls. It's a story filled with calamities and comedy, culinary disasters and triumphs, and indelible portraits of people who live and work on a sliver of beauty set in the Caribbean Sea. It's about the maddening, exhausting, outlandish complications of trying to live the simple life -- and the joy that comes when you somehow pull it off.

The story begins when Bob and Melinda Blanchard sell their successful Vermont food business and decide, perhaps impulsively, to get away from it all. Why not open a beach bar and grill on Anguilla, their favorite Caribbean island? One thing leads to another and the little grill turns into an enchanting restaurant that quickly draws four-star reviews and a celebrity-studded clientele eager for Melinda's delectable cooking. Amid the frenetic pace of the Christmas "high season," the Blanchards and their kitchen staff -- Clinton and Ozzie, the dancing sous-chefs; Shabby, the master lobster-wrangler; Bug, the dish-washing comedian -- come together like a crack drill team. And even in the midst of hilarious pandemonium, there are moments of bliss.

As the Blanchards learn to adapt to island time, they become ever more deeply attached to the quirky rhythms and customs of their new home. Until disaster strikes: Hurricane Luis, a category-4 storm with two-hundred-mile-an-hour gusts, devastates Anguilla. Bob and Melinda survey the wreckage of their beloved restaurant and wonder whether leaving Anguilla, with its innumerable challenges, would be any easier than walking out on each other. Affectionate, seductive, and very funny, A Trip to the Beach is a love letter to a place that becomes both home and escape.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7619 in Books
• Published on: 2001-11-20
• Released on: 2001-11-20
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

From Amazon.com
On a vacation with the family in Barbados, Mel and Bob Blanchard (of the Vermont-based Blanchard & Blanchard specialty foods company) stumble upon a tiny restaurant/shack on a Caribbean beach:

I marveled at the ingenuity of the set-up. A secluded spot, sand like flour, customers arriving in bathing suits. The guy barely lifted a finger, cleared at least $35.00, and gave us a lunch we'd remember forever.... The man had sold us a frame of mind.

So begins the Blanchards' 10-year pursuit of the illusory notion of "island time." In a literary heartbeat, they abandon the "concrete jungle" that was Vermont and open a restaurant on a little-known island in the British West Indies called Anguilla ("rhymes with vanilla"). Narrated by Mel Blanchard, A Trip to the Beach dispels tired notions of the Caribbean--the steel drums, the lush landscapes, and acres of swaying palm trees--and instead focuses on the understated elegance and easy rhythms of the sublimely "flat, and scrubby" island. Though lacking the richness and finesse of Frances Mayes, and the wit and wisdom of Peter Mayle, Mel Blanchard nonetheless forges a new path in travel writing as the Martha Stewart of the Caribbean. A remarkably intuitive and inspired chef, Mel writes poignant passages on running a kitchen in Anguilla. Here she exposes the meat of the story, sharing her many outrageous adventures--how to cater to pampered and demanding guests, how to cook for a full restaurant in the darkest of island night with no electricity, how to prepare for recurring and utterly devastating hurricanes that wipe out your business. In these chapters the writing is as good as her cooking--inspiring, colorful, and easily digestible. Although she sometimes relies heavily on well-worn clichés and expresses naïve and rather privileged assumptions--"Why would anyone choose to live surrounded by concrete and traffic rather than fishing boats, water and palm trees?"--discerning readers will see the true nature of this tiny island--a place of simplistic beauty that struggles to maintain its independence while it depends on tourism for its livelihood. With a strange concoction of anecdotes, island politics, recipes, and sweet memories, the Blanchards seduce readers with the allure of "island time," bringing Anguilla home to the rest of us. --Daphne Durham

From Publishers Weekly
To those weary of the rat race, the prospect of moving to a tropical land and opening a bistro sounds like a dream: balmy weather, blue skies and not a care save for which number sunblock to wear. Melinda and Bob Blanchard couldn't pass up the chance to live out that dream, and their resulting adventure is recounted in this prosaic memoir, presented as a slim volume narrated by Melinda. These two Vermonters, burned out from their ownership of a specialty food company, impulsively decided to go out on a limb and move to the Caribbean island of Anguilla to open a restaurant. Upon their first foray into negotiations with the locals, they nearly scrapped the plan and returned home, but perseverance and their own acceptance of "island time" customs helped them to stick it out. The authors tell of the obstacles involved in launching a business in a place where goats crossing the road can be a town's major daily event. Chapters relate typical issues of negotiating rent, finding building supplies and locating such ingredients as free-range chicken and baby squash, always ending in a sigh as the restaurant staff wraps up yet another fabulous night at Blanchard's. Despite a moderately gripping third section that details a fierce hurricane, the action moves along at a languid pace; even with the inclusion of some savory recipes, this bland tale lacks an original and appealing hook. Author tour. (Oct.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Following their dream, the Blanchards sold their specialty food business, Blanchard & Blanchard, and moved to a favorite Caribbean vacation spot, Anguilla. Here is the story of how the couple ended up running a successful restaurant on Anguilla that is frequented by celebrities. The narrative vividly describes how they set up the restaurant, now simply called Blanchards, from signing a lease, receiving work permits, and trying to locate building and food suppliers to the nervousness and near disasters of the first weeks of business. In one case, the local laundry service marked all of their table linens with black marker to distinguish them from those of other locations, requiring immediate and expensive replacements. Mouth-watering descriptions of old and new recipes that have made Blanchards a popular dining spot are mingled with descriptions of their neighbors, the climate, and their activities. Absorbing and well written, this is most suitable for public libraries.
-DAlison Hopkins, Queens Borough P.L., Jamaica, NY
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Customer Reviews

Blundering into success
This book is a journal of the first year in the lives of a couple who decide to cash in their chips, sell their house in Vermont, and start a restaurant in Anguilla. Although they've had some experience in the food service industry before, having started a reasonably successful company that makes bottled sauces, they had no idea about the challenges that might face them when trying to run a business in a foreign country and culture.

Their first task upon arrival in Anguilla was to find a suitable location for their restaurant. They soon discovered that the way to find a property in Anguilla is not through a real estate office, but through connections and backroom deals, sealed with a handshake. As they moved on to the renovations and supply stage of their business, they were shocked to find out that they couldn't just run down to the local Home Depot to get construction materials. Slowly, they became aware that things are done differently in Anguilla, and one reason why prices for tourists are so high is that most everything must be shipped in from Miami and pass customs at great expense.

It's very fortunate for them that Melinda is a great cook and Robert is handy and knowledgeable in so many areas, and most important of all, that they have a healthy relationship based on trust and wanting to keep each other happy. Many people would never have the courage to even attempt what the Blanchards have done- -they would sit down first, make some calculations on the back of a napkin, check with the local business people to find out about tax laws and suppliers, and give up before they ever got started, realizing that the venture would be hopeless. But the Blanchards aren't planners, they don't agonize over what disasters the future may bring, and as a result, with fortune smiling upon them, their little business venture seems to fit in fine in Anguilla.

Wonderful Book
The Blanchards did a wonderful job relating their experiences (both the good and the not-so-good) as new residents/business owners in Anguilla. Though I have never been to this particular island, I was captivated by their story and the delightful descriptions of the land and people. I had a hard time putting it down and was sad when it ended. I actually found myself entertaining thoughts of picking up and moving to the Caribbean! A great read all around.

A Wonderful Trip to the Beach
This book was well written and gave a fantastic depiction of life in the caribbean. I am a beach lover and enjoyed this book immensely while vacationing in the carribbean. I purchased this book as a "beach book" and was not disappointed. I have recommended this book to numerous family members and friends. Even if you are not able to travel this book will definitely be a great "Trip to the Beach".