A&D: Beth, you have been a familiar face here in Anchor & Den since the beginning; we want to hear a little more about you. Where did you grow up and how did your journey bring you to Cayman?
 
BLH: I was born and bred in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; not too far from Cayman Islands. My mother worked for a security company when I was growing up and on my summer vacations I would work for her to get a little extra pocket money. Her company partnered with a lot of local hotels so I was very familiar with all the staff in and around the hotels we visited. I wasn’t too interested in security systems (laughter) my mom would always find me in the kitchen with all the chefs. I have always been interested in cooking and I was always in the kitchen at home so seeing it in a professional environment was a thrill. I think from there I knew that I wanted to be in this industry.
 
After high school I decided to study Hotel Management and luckily in my last year I was offered an internship here at the Beach House. It was great because I got to experience all departments in Food & Beverage. A couple of weeks before I was supposed to leave they offered me a job in the kitchen as a cook, I couldn’t say no; what a place to work! From then, I worked in the kitchen on the line for over 4 years! It was very hard work but wow, I learnt a lot from the many amazing chefs I worked with over the years. I feel very blessed to have seen this place develop and transform into what it is now, Anchor & Den. It’s beautiful.
 
A&D: What made you gravitate towards juicing after working as a line cook for 4 years? Was it a personal choice?
 
BLH: Well around 4 years ago I had a reality check on day, I started thinking about what I was putting into my body. I was tired all the time, I wasn’t eating healthy and I decided I needed to change this! I made the conscious decision on that day to adjust my lifestyle. I started working out and eating healthy and my energy spiked. I was loving the way I felt and juicing became an everyday thing for me. I was food prepping in the morning and taking them to work with me. I was reading a lot about the nutritional values and it really interested me; I feel like a different person. Everyone at work was asking what I was doing because I was becoming lean-ish (laughter) and I told them about juicing and all the benefits and from there the Juice Bar concept began to take shape.
 
A&D: How do you come up with flavour combinations for your drinks? Where does your inspiration come from?
 
BLH: I am currently studying nutrition so I learn a lot in my studies and I read a lot! Wellness books, nutrition books and articles online – I develop many of my ideas and learn a great deal about balancing flavours with the help of reading books. Social media is very good for keeping up with what everyone in the juice world around the globe is doing, seeing the evolving trends and latest experiments. I travel a lot for inspiration. I visit NYC, Florida and other places around the States to visit juice bars; it’s always good to get another prospective from someone in the same industry as you. A favourite store is JuiceGeneration; their Instagram is amazing.
 
I like to use fruit and vegetables that have general health benefits (example beets are good for your blood pressure etc.) It makes it easier to get your daily dose of fruits and vegetables when it’s in a delicious juice. My top five ingredients are Pineapple, Spinach, Cucumber, Ginger and Green Apple. They are tasty, versatile and very beneficial for your body.
My top five ingredients are Pineapple, Spinach, Cucumber, Ginger and Green Apple. They are tasty, versatile and very beneficial for your body.
 
A&D: And final question… Why do you think it’s so important for people to invest their time and money in juicing and what advice can you give?
 
BLH: Juicing can be very beneficial for your body; it encourages healthy weight loss and digestion. Naturally, humans crave and very much need natural nutrients and juicing is an easy way of consuming them. Just starting your day off with a juice, you retain the vitamins from it all day and reduce the food cravings in between meals. You also feel a lot more awake if you do it on a day-to-day basis; it really is better for your well-being.
 
If you’ve had a heavy weekend you can do a 2 or 3-day juice cleanse afterwards (make sure you do your research first and prepare yourself)! It will help heal and detoxify your body.
 
If you haven’t already hit up our Juice Bar, it is essential you do! Come and meet this fantastic lady; she loves a good chat and she’s happy to answer any juice-related questions. While you’re there you must have to try one of her delicious and refreshing concoctions or maybe a shot of wheatgrass to start your day. 
 
A&D’S Juice Bar is open Monday – Saturday from 7am – 11am and Sundays 7am – 11am. Stop by today!