Bahamas News
Valerie Rolle Tonny – The Bread Lady of Sandals Emerald Bay, Every loaf in a Bahamian outdoor brick oven baked with heart
#TheBahamas, April 5, 2023 – In an age when real homemade bread baked in an outdoor brick oven is as rare as a trace metal, Valerie Rolle Tonny is reviving the tradition, treating hundreds of visitors every week to the edible treasure.
Tonny is the Bread Lady of Sandals Emerald Bay, Exuma. She’s a one-woman tourism ambassador who fed a family
of 13 when she was young, following in her dad’s footsteps.
“I never knew how he could make bread that tasted so good, but I was going to stay by his side until I learned,” she said. And did she learn. With a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye, Tonny whips up loaf after loaf, bun after bun, twist and tart after twist and tart of the sweetest breads this side of heaven, each with a distinct Bahamian taste – coconut, guava, dilly, potato, banana, pumpkin. There’s just about nothing she hasn’t tried and no day she doesn’t want to create something guests will devour.
She’s also a mother of four, grandmother of 12, great-grandmother of eight, still an athlete, a softball player, coach of the volleyball team in Nassau in the last Bahamas Games, and she’s participating in the celebrations leading up to the 50th anniversary of independence.
Tonny’s energy puts those Eveready bunnies to the test.
But most of all, she is the sweetness, the smile and the genuine warmth behind that bread that draws guests at the Sandals resort to line up on the days they know she is firing up the brick oven halfway between the beach and pool. They inhale the aroma as steam escapes from the oven and the loaf or twist of bread begins to rise.
“The guests love it and I bake for them even when it’s raining. Mr. Mutton (General Manager Jeremy Mutton) will tell me, ‘Ms. Valerie, don’t you go out there now, I don’t want you getting wet.’ But I just tell him I’m going because I love what I do. I tell him the rain’s going to let up by the time I am ready to serve, and I love seeing the smiles on my guests’ faces when I hand them the warm loaf. I do corn bread, guava, coconut, dilly, whatever is in season, and they tell me, ‘Ms. Valerie, this is the best bread I ever tasted in my life.’”
Tonny can’t remember a time she did not feel most at home in the kitchen. She left school at 14 to help out on the family farm in Exuma but every meal she was right there back from the field into the kitchen to help cook and serve and when it seemed there was just not enough food to go around for her parents, siblings, a sister who moved in with
her children, young Valerie would take a little piece from each portion until she had enough to fill that thirteenth plate. She grew the corn, picked it, shucked the cob and ground it on a mill right in the kitchen for grits and corn bread. Farm to table wasn’t a fad or a novelty. For Exumians like Tonny and other Family Islanders, it was just the way things were. It was what you did and how you ate. She once served 300 on the farm.
Born a Rolle, she’s been married now for 55 years and though she attempted to retire in 2016 to look after her husband, a mason who was injured in a truck accident that has severely limited his mobility, it wasn’t long before she was itching to work again. Sandals was happy to have her back at the brick oven they built for her in 2012 and in the pantry where she rules.
“I meet people from all walks of life and from all over the world,” says Tonny, one of hundreds of Bahamian staff members at the sprawling resort and one of a handful of Sandals superstars. “Baking the bread is what I love. It’s a piece of cake.”
Photo Caption: The bread lady of Sandals Emerald Bay, Exuma, Valerie Rolle Tonny is a Sandals superstar, a standout who guests adore and a great-grandmother who came out of retirement to go back to doing what she loves – baking bread in an authentic brick oven Sandals built just for her.
(Photo, Diane Phillips)
NASSAU, Bahamas — More Bahamians are accessing HIV and sexually transmitted infection-related healthcare through National Health Insurance, a trend the NHI Authority says should be viewed positively.
NHIA stressed in an August 6 statement that its 2025 figures measure healthcare utilisation, not newly diagnosed infections. They include beneficiaries screened, treated, monitored or receiving follow-up care, including people diagnosed previously.
“Increased utilisation of these services should be viewed as a positive development,” NHIA said.
The Authority pointed to “greater enrolment and use of NHI, improved access to screening and testing, continued treatment and monitoring of existing conditions, and increased willingness to seek medical care.”
The development comes amid a mixed three-year HIV picture. New diagnoses rose from 130 in 2023 to 156 in 2024, before declining to 142 in 2025.
NHIA said increased utilisation demonstrates that more beneficiaries are accessing needed healthcare and actively managing their health, reinforcing the importance of screening, early diagnosis and continued treatment.
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Wines & Spirits (CWS), The Bahamas’ premier wines and spirits distributor is proud to announce the launch of Monument Beverage Co., its newest 100% locally produced ready-to-drink alcoholic cocktail.
Monument, “Made to Celebrate”, perfectly encapsulates everything the brand represents. Created and distributed by CWS, Monument is
inspired by culture, crafted with excellence and bursting with innovation.
This unique beverage celebrates island living with three bold flavors, Ginger Lime, Peach Passion and Melon Fizz. All of which can be enjoyed at an ABV of five-point-two percent.
The brand’s creativity really shines through each can’s packaging. Bold colored stripes, cherished native flora and fauna and of course, national monuments can all be found on each can.
The beverage’s two year plus development is a testament to CWS’ dedication to quality and innovation. Countless hours of tastings, reformulations, focus groups and package design reviews all paid off with the creation of Monument.
Karla Wells-Lisgaris, Chief Commercial Officer of Caribbean Wines & Spirits and Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers of Coca-Cola and Dasani products, shared what this authentically Bahamian made product launch means for the company.
“When we were conceptualizing Monument, we wanted to create a product that not only tasted like The Bahamas but would be an ode to the
nation as well. With those two thoughts in mind, I, along with a team of experts, created three incredible flavors we believe really connect with and celebrate the essence of island living,” she said.
“Additionally, being that Monument is the first product to be 100% manufactured by Caribbean Wines & Spirits, we really wanted to ensure that both the flavors and packaging honored our rich heritage. On each of the cans, you can find various monuments such as the Nassau Public Library in New Providence, the Garden of the Grove in Grand Bahama and the Hatchet Bay Silos in Eleuthera; all of which pay homage to our diverse Bahamian heritage.” Wells-Lisgaris concluded.”
The historic monuments found throughout our islands are more than places we pass every day; they are reminders of who we are, where we’ve come from and the stories that connect us as Bahamians.
Monument is perfectly formulated with quality ingredients, and each can celebrates a collection of these cultural icons from across The Bahamas.
Whether chilling solo beachside, gathered around a family table or backyard a grill with friends, make Monument your sip of choice. Monument is made to celebrate, visit www.cwsbahamas.com today for more details.
NASSAU, Bahamas —– Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers of Coca-Cola and Dasani products, is proud to crown Lady
Kayla of Exuma as this year’s annual Bahamas Goombay Punch Cup winner.
CBC created the Bahamas Goombay Punch Cup to further the advancement of sailing and Bahamian culture through monetary and social support. The competition judges the skipper’s performance across three regattas, The Best of the Best, the National Family Island and Long Island Regattas.
The winning sloop led by Kianno Hutchinson and Joss Knowles showcased their skillmanship in the E-Class category across each round of competition. In addition to winning the trophy, the skippers were awarded a $5,000 donation, an $8,000 stipend to the junior sailing club of their island and a limited-edition Lady Kayla Bahamas Goombay Punch commemorative can, which will be released soon.
Jonathan Thronebury, Marketing Director of CBC shared the significance behind The Bahamas Goombay Punch Cup.
“The Bahamas Goombay Punch is more than a beloved local brand; it’s a vibrant part of our cultural fabric. Just like sailing, our national sport, it carries a rich legacy that spans generations. Recognizing this shared history, we’re proud to support initiatives that celebrate and advance Bahamian culture,” he said.
Hutchinson and Knowles shared what this win meant for them.
“I felt super proud when I realized we won. I am grateful and thankful to God, for good coaches and Joss. It was really an honor winning the
Bahamas Goombay Punch Cup,” Hutchinson expressed.
“I am very honored to have been able to compete in the Bahamas Goombay Punch Cup, I think it is a great concept and idea for a competition and really adds a new motive throughout the regattas. The whole championship was super competitive, and every single race was a fight. Alvington McKenzie was extremely competitive and had us until the Long Island regatta, which made it a very fun and tough competition. Very excited to have been the winner of a super close championship,” Knowles revealed.
Lady Kayla’s owner, Dallas Knowles, shared the team’s winning strategy.
“In sailing consistency is key and our guys in Lady Kayla are some of the best in the business at staying near the top. In the end, that was enough to secure their first Bahamas Goombay Punch Cup win. We are so proud of Joss and Kianno for what they have done in Lady Kayla. Thank you to Caribbean Bottling Company for such an amazing and forward-thinking initiative,” Knowles shared.
The Bahamas Goombay Punch Cup is proud to continue its impact on sailing and community building through clean and fair competition.
For more updates on the Bahamas Goombay Punch Cup and Caribbean Bottling Company visit the website www.cbcbahamas.com today.
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