Plantation House: Morne Fendue

There are several places to stop and eat in the north: we have already featured Helvellyn in our previous Tip. This time we feature somewhere that has been known for longer, and has been well established in the hearts, minds (and stomachs) of visitors for many years.

The House

The house is properly called 'Morne Fendue', though if you phone to make a reservation, it will answer 'Plantation House'. To most locals, it is known as "Betty's", after the previous owner / occupant, Betty Mascoll, who died about two years ago. The plantation house (which, strictly speaking, never was a plantation house: Betty's mother had it built because the real plantation house she lived in was too remote for her) has been bought and given a new breath of life by a local doctor, Dr Thompson, who is usually there to greet diners personally.

Under the new regime, the decor has been revived: gently and with the minimum of alteration, fortunately, because there are so many period features that it would have been a travesty to alter them. The glass above the doors bears the same harp motif that Guinness bottles have; and indeed it comes from Ireland. There are some attractive pieces of furniture, bought in Grenada from auction sales at other plantation houses. Tiles everywhere speak of an English imports.

The house itself was built early in the twentieth century of stone from the local river, held together by a mixture of lime and molasses, which was strong enough to withstand the 1955 hurricane Janet unscathed. The ladies' WC is a masterpiece of plumbing make-and-do: one looks everywhere for heath-Robinson's signature. There are pictures of Herefordshire, England, where Betty worked in the second world war. The house and its contents are, in other words, a little piece of Grenadian history and biography.

The Food

The food itself has also undergone a revival. The current cook, Helena, is one of those calmly capable people who with one assistant can rustle up a banquet for thirty without seeming to get ruffled.The food is distinctly 'local': We cannot predict what you will get on the day you visit, but callaloo soup is a virtual certainty, followed by chicken, salad, and then whatever is in season. Expect to find some combination of yams, plantain, 'rice & peas', coo-coo (made from maize flour), pumpkin.....

For those of you who do not like your food too exotic or foreign, do not worry: it is not too 'extreme': indeed many a cautious European or American, including those staying in prestigious hotels, have said that it's as good as any food that they've encountered on Grenada. After the soup course, there is a buffet, so you can self-select and go back for more of whatever appealed.

Betty Mascoll

The house is still redolent of Betty. She was decorated by Queen Elizabeth for services to the community: Betty used the house as a food storage depot after the 1955 hurricane, and herself distributed food to the neediest. She also prioritised local people's medical needs, dispatching the most severely wounded to hospital by boat (the roads being impassible.) After this, she was a lifelong member of the Grenada Red Cross. As if this was not service enough, she supported the American troops in 1983 by organizing local women into cooking a thanksgiving dinner for them to allay homesickness.

You will find evidence of all these good deeds, and of the Florence Nightingale Award (Betty being so far the only Grenadian to receive this) in the plaques, citations and letters on the walls of the dining room. You will, incidentally, almost certainly share the dining room (but not necessarily your lunch) with a cat or two.

The Garden

After lunch, why not stroll through the garden at the rear of the house? There are some magnificent valley views, and if you have an interest in local fruit trees (which have usually provided the dessert), you will find them: cherries, sugar apples, plums, pawpaws, golden apple, coconut, a variety of banana types, as well as callaloo, avocado, and a fair selection of flowers.

At Christmas, the garden is even more attractive, because of the white 'snow in the mountains' and the red poinsettia amid the nutmeg shell driveway by which you approach the house.

Location & Contact

Find Morne Fendue just south of Sauteurs, on the Grenville road. You must call to reserve: 442 9330. Or include it as part of a tour (e.g. Sunsation's 'Cocoa, Cane & Callaloo', so-called partly because of "Betty's" soup!)

(written & photos by Ian Blaikie - Sunsation Tours
http://grenadasunsation.com)

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