Wouldn’t it be great to have a local product that makes whipping up satisfying meals easier? Anthony Barrett thought so. He had cooked dinners and birthday celebrations for friends who continually raved about the food. They told him he should be doing private events. He was cooking just for fun and wasn’t sure about turning it into a business, but during the winter of 2020 he catered his first private dinner party, and it was a huge success.
After this, his private chef business grew by word of mouth for birthday parties, small weddings, family gatherings or just a celebration for two. Then came requests for meal preparation so that busy people could create tasty and healthy cooked meals with freshly-prepared ingredients in less time. One client was in the middle of a kitchen renovation, so Barrett’s meal prep alleviated some of their disruption. From this, he saw a need for ready-to-use sauces, marinades, flavor-infused butters and handmade seasonings, and Refined by Anthony Barrett was launched. The demand, and thus his offerings, have grown each year.
Barrett has a cousin and an uncle who are executive chefs on the Cape, and Barrett has worked with both to learn the fundamentals and – ahem– refine his skills. He’s worked in French, Italian and Asian restaurants over the years. Although originally from Jamaica, his inspiration is not Caribbean, though he is open to creating any custom spice, or menu, a client might request.
“I love being a private chef, and I enjoy the thought and the process of working with a client to bring an elevated experience to their dinner party,” Barrett said. He’s never enjoyed working with personality-driven chefs, as he likes to keep a calm exterior, while inside he is busy calculating and preparing for what’s next.“It is so satisfactory to be part of the planning process, such as fora wedding, and taking some of the pressure off the family. And it is extremely satisfying to see people go back for seconds… and thirds,” he added. He has always received excellent post-event feedback.
This writer did some refining with Barrett’s velvety Basil Pesto Sauce, using it on meatloaf, baked eggs and tortellini. It worked with all three dishes and was flawless on focaccia as well. The sauce is a perfect blend of EVOO, salt, basil, parsley and Parmesan cheese, and comes with and without pine nuts. The rich and creamy Red Pepper Pesto, which I also used on tortellini and the baked eggs, contains roasted red peppers, garlic oil, basil, parsley, white wine vinegar and salt and pepper, and it was lush and flavorful. I froze the remainder as there are no added preservatives and they have a shelf life. Barrett’s Fresh Herb Marinade – olive and vegetable oils, roasted garlic, cloves, shallots, fresh basil and fresh parsley – worked perfectly for a sheet pan of roasted vegetables.
“I aim to always keep the experience about the food, not the personality of the chef, for a refined approach to entertaining,” Barrett promised.
Barrett also teaches cooking classes where he enjoys sharing his expertise and broad culinary background to raise and refine participants’ creations and meal-prep know-how. On occasion he organizes a pop-up dinner at a local restaurant. Refined by Anthony Barrett products can be purchased on his website or in person at various markets such as the Amplify POC vendor markets held several times a year in Hyannis. Classes, markets, and pop-up dinners will be posted on his social media.
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