Going to different hotels with his mother as a child lit the fire that eventually led Nicoy Williamson into the kitchen. Now a professional chef, the culinary expert says there are always opportunities to make money with his talent.

"My mom would bring us to different hotels every season," the 32-year-old shared with THE STAR.

"We had a lot of fun and the amenities were cool, but what had always stood out for me was the food. Seeing the buffets, different menus or even when chefs cook live, that experience stuck with me."

Today, the young man from Temple Hall is a full-time chef with over a decade experience, and he's confident that he will only grow in his profession.

"People will always eat food, no matter what. As a chef, you can always sell something, if it's even fried chicken. Once the chicken tastes good, money deh deh," he stated.

Williamson, who was born and raised in the hills, has always been surrounded by farms and food production. After leaving Oberlin High School in rural St Andrew, he had his eyes set on information technology and web design, but that path was quickly rerouted.

"The courses I wanted to do were full, so I ended up doing a CAP programme at Greater Portmore High," he explained. "From there, I did workshops in entrepreneurship, business, and food and nutrition, and that's where everything really started."

Williamson continued, "I was a customer attendant, but I kept gravitating to the meat shop. That's where I started to love working with meats, especially beef and barbecue. The whole process of smoking, marinating, and grilling is like art."

His culinary passion grew stronger, leading him to enroll in the College of Hospitality Services in Ocho Rios.

"That's when I knew I wanted to do this full-time. I started getting industry experience working in hotels, catering groups, restaurants, and even doing special events," he stated.

Now with 12 years of honing his craft in the kitchen, Williamson has mastered working under pressure. At a recent brunch event, he whipped up nearly 200 omelets in rapid succession.

"It takes me, like, 45 seconds to do one," he shared.

"I don't know how I do it, it just comes naturally. With these brunch events, there is always a lot of people and everyone wants to eat, so we have to do food that is quick but also tasty."

"I just tackle each customer one by one, make them feel calm, especially because 'a hungry man is a angry man'," he joked.

Williamson continued, "Mi always get good reviews. People always tell me I'm a five-star chef like no other. Or them always a tell me that I should be abroad cooking and starting a branch over there [in the States]."

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when the hospitality industry was hit hard, Williamson found a new hustle - launching his own catering company, Royal Palate Caterers.

"We do weddings, Airbnb services, corporate events, private dinners, walk-ins, everything," he said. "It's been rough, especially with the recession. Food prices going up, people buying less, so mi haffi scale down. But it's still better than before."

Williamson runs the business with help from a small team, occasional assistance from overseas-based chefs, and guidance from his brother - a 20-year veteran in the kitchen.

"Mi can call him any time and him always willing to help. My mother is always supportive, too; she is proud," Williamson said.

Despite the challenges, he has no regrets.

"Mi start from pizza and fried chicken, and now mi doing ribs, pastas...upscale catering," he said.

"I used to worry about not being good, compared to others, and I avoided doing certain dishes; but as time goes by I just started doing everything. The more I do it, the better I get...trying new recipes and adding this and that to excite the taste buds of my clients."

To those dreaming of wearing the chef's coat, Williamson offers this advice: "Absorb everything like a sponge. Never give up on the skill, read more, network more, and do voluntary work. That's how you can introduce people to your unique taste; and if you have a business it will help."

For the future, Williamson plans to grow his business while continuing to cater to people from different cultures with discerning taste. He's also focused on maintaining his reputation for flcreating appealing flavours, especially at brunches, where he's known for serving up quick, tasty meals that leave foodies satisfied.