From WalesOnLine

David Kelly leaves finance industry behind to make West Indian party dream a reality

After 14 years in the finance industry David Kelly has taken the plunge and embarked on a new career as founder of a firm that will deliver as authentic a West Indian party experience as possible.

A bank manager has given up his well-paid job to launch a new business that aims to bring the flavours and sounds of the Caribbean to Cardiff.

After 14 years in the finance industry David Kelly has taken the plunge and embarked on a new career as founder of a firm that will deliver as authentic a West Indian party experience as possible.

David, who lives in Cardiff, has set up Blue Oceans of the Caribbean. He said: “I came up with the idea three years ago when I was working as an assistant bank manager in Jersey.

“One day one of my friends said that one of their relatives was getting married, and they wanted a reception that was different. They wanted a Caribbean theme. So we thought, ‘A Caribbean theme – what can we do?’ There were no food ingredients on the island. So we went on the internet and brought some stuff into the island. We did the reception for them – the food, the canapes, and it went down a storm.

“That touched a grain in me and I thought, ‘If it can work in the Channel Islands with a small population of 30,000 people, would it work in Wales?’ I left the Jersey bank and came back to work for another bank in Wales. All of a sudden I was sat down in my chair at work, listening to the customers having a go at me and I thought, ‘If I don’t do it now I will never do it’. So I resigned from the bank, took a big financial hit, and then I embarked on my journey.”

Blue Oceans caters for weddings, baptisms, birthdays, anniversaries, awards ceremonies, charity and all other kinds of events. As well as what David calls “gourmet food done with a Caribbean flair”, packages include music provided by a steel band.

For more on this story go to:

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/bank-manager-brings-caribbean-cardiff-6802938