Jeff and Jinx Morgan
Jeff and Jinx Morgan have lived for nearly twenty years in a house overlooking Brewers Bay, Tortola. They previously lived, for their first eleven years on Tortola, in an apartment in their boutique hotel, The Sugar Mill. Indeed, as we shall see, it is almost impossible to separate this profile of Jeff and Jinx from the story of “The Sugar Mill” (www.sugarmillhotel.com), which is located on Apple Bay about 3.5 “Crow Flies Miles” from their home – but much farther when using Tortola’s occasionally tortuous road system.The Morgans met at high school in the “Bay Area” of California (although Jeff was born in the Midwest of the USA). Despite going to different universities (Cal – the University of California, Berkeley - for Jeff, and Stanford for Jinx), and thus supporting different collegiate sports teams, they stayed together. They both became writers. Jeff was, for a time, a journalist, but for most of their careers they have worked “freelance”. They wrote for numerous publications, and although their 30 years with Bon Appetit Magazine (www.bonappetit.com) is undoubtedly their major claim to fame, Jeff and Jinx have also produced several cookbooks, and Jinx was for some time a contributing food and wine editor for American Airlines in-flight magazine, and also wrote for The National Observer , which was a weekly American newspaper published by Dow Jones & Company from 1962 until 1977. Jinx is also a well-known watercolour artist. Computers and electronic communications aided them in this work, and they owned two of the first computers on Tortola in the mid-1980s (Commodore CBM 8032s with less memory – 32K RAM - than Jeff’s latest wristwatch!). Before such advances they had to submit their articles for Bon Appetit three weeks in advance to travel via fish-boat and taxi before being mailed on St. Thomas.
In 1982 the Morgans were judges at a “food and beverage” conference in Nassau, Bahamas, and heard about a small hotel – The Sugar Mill - for sale on Tortola. They were ready for a life change and moved to the Virgin Islands from California in November 1982. Initially they managed the hotel, to test the waters, but soon bought it. The centerpiece of the estate, and the reason for the hotel’s name is a 370+ year-old ruin that has been partially restored to provide a unique hotel and restaurant setting. It was built in 1640 as an oxen-powered rum distillery and some of the old equipment remains on the grounds (The Island Sun, 21 January 2012: 16). Although most of the estate has been reworked, and most of the buildings rebuilt over the past three decades, the Sugar Mill remains a boutique hotel (with 23 rooms, a bar and two excellent restaurants). The Morgans have deliberately avoided any temptation to grow their operation significantly larger (it had 21 rooms when they bought it). Many of the structural changes came courtesy of Hurricane Hugo -- which struck in September 1989 -- and thus the Morgans’ insurance company. As the classic idiom goes, “It’s an ill wind (that blows nobody any good)”. A little work with “Google” (I got 96,300 “hits”, but admit I did not peruse them all, and no doubt some refer to other places!!) will quickly demonstrate the success of Jeff’s and Jinx’ work at The Sugar Mill
(e.g. www.tortola-beaches.com/Sugar-Mill-Hotel.html).In addition to the local acclaim that has been received, The Sugar Mill has won numerous international awards (The Island Sun, 21 January 2012: 16). Most recently “it has been named in Travel and Leisure magazines 16th annual World’s Best Awards readers’ survey as one of the 500 best hotels in the world”. It has also been rated as one of the ten best hotels in the Caribbean (Condé Nast Traveler), one of the twelve most romantic hotels in the world (Condé Nast Traveler’s Concierge), and as having one of the three best restaurants in the Caribbean and Mexico (Celebrated Living’s Platinum List). Although Jeff and Jinx have had to work extremely hard to receive these accolades (in addition to others) – they didn’t get away from Tortola for their first five years – the Morgans modestly credit their “wonderful staff” with much of the resultant success.
Over the past thirty years Jeff and Jinx have, of course, witnessed tremendous changes in and to the Virgin Islands. And these developments have for them been much more positive, on balance, than negative. There has been a growth of the infrastructure, with for instance, more and improved roads, increased telephone service, enhanced air service (Air BVI used to run the famous DC3/Dakota), a better electricity system, a larger police force, and the implementation of a fire department. Of particular note has been the growth of, and increased accessibility to the World Wide Web and the Internet. Now their previous lifesavers of Telex, Telegram, and even Fax are largely things of the past. Today some 90% of their professional communication is via the Internet. Prosperity has had its downsides, of course, with an increase in the number of vehicles, with the attendant traffic and parking problems, and with an increase in the number and size of buildings. But a definite plus has been an improvement in the educational system with the College (HLSCC) being a particular bonus. Education has been encouraged in the Virgin Islands and the improved economy has meant that an increasing number of those who leave to better their education, are able to return homes and get good jobs. In large part this has been able to happen because of growth in the two economic “pillars” of tourism and the financial sector – both of which have also benefited The Sugar Mill in either its hotel section or in the restaurants.
Other changes that have helped the Morgans over the years include much better access to borrowing money (through the improved banking system), and a considerably improved retail sector. It used to be, and all of the “old hands” have similar stories, that regular travel to St. Thomas was required in order to get necessities as well as luxury items for all walks of life. Now such commuting (and this word is apt as it was a question of very regular ferry travel to the USVI) is largely a thing of the past thanks to the growth of such operations as Clarence Thomas Ltd., Riteway/RTW, and Bobby’s. The Morgans do admit – and this a tip from the “horse’s mouth” - to still bringing in large packs of “Pampers” when they go St. Thomas, which they use to absorb surplus rainwater during the hurricanes. Jeff and Jinx and some of their staff have also experimented with “growing their own” herbs and vegetables in the hotel compound. The “development” of the Virgin Islands has led to greater competition (such as a larger nearby Long Bay Resort) but even this has been a positive for the Morgans as it has led to increased restaurant bookings.
Jeff and Jinks admit they “got lucky” when they chose their move to the Virgin Islands. Its size suits them very well. Although they have traveled extensively in the Caribbean, they still think they are living in the best place. “The BVI is the best (country), Tortola is the best (island)”. If they were doing things over, they would change little, although Jinx grants that she would have done more research on the country before arriving. They will probably stay here forever.
Draft of February 16th of interview of February 15th, 2012