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)
Bahamas News
Get your laugh on, March On, family drama by Gea Pierre, debut this weekend in Turks and Caicos
This is the sixth edition of the relays and the fourth time that The Bahamas has hosted the event, which actually made its debut in The Bahamas in 2014.
President, World Athletics, Sabastian Coe said after three very successful editions from 2014 to 2017, the World Athletics Relays has quickly become one of the World Athletics vibrant competitions, developing a culture of fun and innovation that gives it a unique flavour.
He thanked the Bahamas Government, the local World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 committee and the Bahamian people for agreeing to host the relays. However, his main thanks were to the “world’s best sprinters” travelling from all the continents to compete in preparation for the road to Paris, France, in two months’ time.
During the opening ceremony, the athletes were given words of advice from Carl Lewis, one of only four Olympic athletes to have won nine Olympic gold medals, who is widely recognized as one of the greatest athletes of all time.
He said, “Keep it simple, do not try to do anything extra. Do what your coaches said. Leave on time, leave on time, leave on time.”
The athletes and crowds were treated to the sounds and sights of Junkanoo at the end of the opening ceremony. The Junkanoo performers stuck around for the two days of competitions, playing for the sprinters as they competed on the track.
Teams competed in the Women’s and men’s 4x100m, and the women’s men’s and mixed 4x400m. A total of 14 teams at the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 automatically qualified for places at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Both days of competition were important, as day two offered another chance for qualifications for those teams unsuccessful on day one.
Bahamians were made proud as the country set a new national record during the mixed 4x400m relays thanks to the efforts of 16-year-old Shania Adderley, a student of Tabernacle Baptist Academy.
The team came first in their heat on Sunday evening after not being able to gain a spot for the Paris Olympics on the first day of competition.
Other sprinters on the team included Alonzo Russell, as well as Olympic champions Steven Gardiner and Shaunae Miller-Uibo.
NASSAU, The Bahamas – During his remarks at the Opening Ceremony for the World Athletics Relays 2024, on May 4, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance the Hon. Philip Davis welcomed the special guests, athletes, officials, and “all lovers of athletics from around the world” to the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium here in the “vibrant heart” of Nassau, Bahamas.
“This weekend, the world’s finest athletes gather on our shores to embark on a journey that is not only about speed and strength but also about dreams and determination,” Prime Minister Davis said. “From the serene beauty of our islands to the historic grandeur of Paris, this event marks a crucial path to the Olympic Games in Paris 2024.”
He added: “Here in The Bahamas, we are no strangers to world-class athletics or the warmth and exuberance that such international gatherings bring. It is a distinct honor to once again welcome the World Athletics Relays back to our islands. This event holds a special place in our hearts, symbolizing a bridge between nations brought together by the universal language of sport.”
Prime Minister Davis noted that that year’s theme, “Paradise to Paris,” captured the essence of that journey.
“It is here, amidst the splendor of our sun-kissed beaches and the rhythmic sway of our palms that the chase towards Olympic glory begins anew,” he stated. “We are thrilled to offer a backdrop of unparalleled beauty, where every sprint, every baton pass, and every victory lap is set against the picture-perfect canvas of our islands.”
He added: “To our athletes, I say this: as you stand on the precipice of your dreams, ready to catapult yourself into the annals of history, know that you are part of a legacy of excellence and determination. This weekend, you are not only competitors but also ambassadors of your countries and the spirit of sport. We are especially proud of Team Bahamas, who carry the weight of their performance and the hopes and pride of our nation. You embody the spirit of The Bahamian people, and we are behind you every step of the way.”
Prime Minister said that to the international visitors, he extended “the warmest Bahamian welcome”.
“Over the next few days, as you revel in the thrill of competition, take a moment to bask in the beauty of our island,” he stated. “Discover why we proudly say, “It’s Better in The Bahamas.” Whether it’s the hospitality of our people, the tranquility of our waters, or the rhythm of our culture, you are in for an experience that captures the heart and rejuvenates the soul.”
“Let us celebrate the unity and friendship that sports foster, cheering every athlete and savoring the spectacle of human potential at its best,” Prime Minister Davis added. “I hope the races are swift, the results are inspiring, and the memories are lasting.
“Welcome to The Bahamas, the paradise where champions chase their dreams to Paris. As your host, it is my immense pleasure to declare the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 2024 officially open. Let the games begin.”
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