In the heart of back-of-town, there lies a pot of gold. Well, more like a potpourri of friendship, fun, festivity and, yep, food.

Located on the corner of Union Street and Angle Street, there sits a building painted in gold.

On any given day, you will find a congregation of persons from all walks of life: painters, police officers, professionals or a steady stream of local “preachers”, sitting outside discussing topics such as music, documentaries, sport, politics, family and relationship issues.

Inside, you will find a sea of humanity lined up patiently awaiting to place or pick up an order of food.

Not just any food, but what is arguably some of the best Caribbean food in Bermuda. Palates are both tantalised and satisfied with delicacies such as carrot cake, carrot juice, cow foot, oxtail, fried dumplings, hard doughbread, etc. The list goes on and on.

Without a doubt, the most crucial attractions of this mecca are the warmth and love the staff show every single customer who walks through the door. At any given hour between 8am and 10pm, they serve between 50 and 100 persons.

Whether it be the army of chefs hidden in the back or the courteous frontline staff, there is something there that captivates thousands each day. At a time when Bermudians are looking for ways to cut down on expenses while receiving fast, friendly service, this cultural hub would be the place to go.

I write all of this for a few reasons. Primarily, to showcase a Bermudian-owned and operated business that has grown over the short span of a decade or so from a small idea into a culinary centre of our community.

Like any other business, they may have faced challenging times, but with vision and perseverance, they have done more than just survived; they have flourished.

Second, to highlight that there are still places in Bermuda that serve not only as a business entity but also as a spot that draws people in simply to come and hang around and unwind, regardless one’s social or economic station in life.

Far too often, we let many of our traditions fall by the wayside as we attempt to fit into global trends.

We have watched hundreds of mom-and-pop shops fall victim to supermarkets. We have watched many of our traditional restaurants such as Richardson’s or Green Lantern fall victim to the latest fast-food chain.

We think we are progressing, yet when we look back we wonder what happened to the fabric of our community. We spend millions of dollars portraying ourselves to potential visitors as being unique. Yet we do not treasure our unique establishments.

Thankfully, there are other places in Bermuda that still hold on to the values a small, family-run shop has to offer. Subsequently, it is incumbent on us to continue to support our local establishments.

Now, I am off to taste the rainbow and get myself a chicken patty at that pot of gold in back-of-town — Fish and Tings.