Bill and Cath Mullarkey came home from a holiday in St Lucia in 2017 to learn they had won a £1m Euromillions prize.
Bill, who is 64, and Cath, who is 63, received €1.2 million in winnings,
Before their win, they had bought a plot of land a few minutes from the beach and used their massive windfall to build a house with mountain views, a swimming pool, and a restaurant on the ground floor called Brigands Hideaway, serving Saint Lucian food.
The restaurant, which opened in November last year, is in Soufriere.
Bill, a French-trained chef, told St. Lucia Times that the business had received good reviews on social media.
Although he is a chef, he described his Saint Lucia-born wife as the one with ‘the magic touch’.
Her specialties are beef stew and goat curry.
“When it comes to local food, she is the expert,” Bill said of his wife.
PHOTO: Courtesy National lottery
Any third-party or user posts, comments, replies, and third-party entries published on the St. Lucia Times website (https://stluciatimes.com) in no way convey the thoughts, sentiments or intents of St. Lucia Times, the author of any said article or post, the website, or the business. St. Lucia Times is not responsible or liable for, and does not endorse, any comments or replies posted by users and third parties, and especially the content therein and whether it is accurate.
St. Lucia Times reserves the right to remove, screen, edit, or reinstate content posted by third parties on this website or any other online platform owned by St. Lucia Times (this includes the said user posts, comments, replies, and third-party entries) at our sole discretion for any reason or no reason, and without notice to you, or any user. For example, we may remove a comment or reply if we believe it violates any part of the St. Lucia Criminal Code, particularly section 313 which pertains to the offence of Libel. Except as required by law, we have no obligation to retain or provide you with copies of any content you as a user may post, or any other post or reply made by any third-party on this website or any other online platform owned by St. Lucia Times. All third-parties and users agree that this is a public forum, and we do not guarantee any confidentiality with respect to any content you as a user may post, or any other post or reply made by any third-party on this website. Any posts made and information disclosed by you is at your own risk.
Good luck to them both. I’m glad to hear some good news. Welcome to paradise. I will visit soon and sample the delights.
Yes, congratulations to them.
I have eaten their fine crusine and found it delicious and nutritious. I had soup, homemade bread, steamed fish, and several side dishes of vegetables. Next time I will try desert. Lovely people, too.
Nice to have a good restaurant.
Cheers.
A feel good story.
What a lovely story! Will.drop in next time in soufriere…
All well and good, but what I’ve been reading on the Island I left behind, I’d have a different idea; GOD’S BLESSINGS TO THEM. It’s good they’ve bought some land and built a home – and after that?
I think it’s great what they have done BUT St Lucian food ?
It would of been great if you did french / English food as well.
Everybody does the same stuff on the island not much choice here. Chicken and pork…. chicken and pork and the odd goat curry.
Has anyone heard about the Friday pie lady in La Tourney……… fantastic pies and desserts WELL DONE TO HER. Something different.
Bravo!
It is so refreshing to get some positive news. The idea of local food is just superb. Aren’t we a tourist destination? Which tourist will come to St Lucia to eat English cuisine? I am looking forward to paying them a visit the next time I’m on the West coast.
So many people like them would want to return home, but the crime situation in St Lucia is utterly frightening. I commend the couple for their bravery and pray that the Lord protects them and their business.
Way to go!!
Ooooooohhhhhh yes I’ve had the pies from the pie lady. Her savoury pies are great but her apple pies are fantastic.
We all like local food but sometimes something different is a bonus and I know that St Lucians, English etc etc and tourists buy her pies in the south.
Good luck to Bill and Kath ,thanks for choosing St. Lucia…treat the staff and the local people with respect and all will be well
Mary Jane please note that I utterly agree the crime situation is bad. However, if you are truthful you would admit that it is hardly directed at ‘normal’ citizens. It is all gang related, targeted and most time retaliatory. Do not give the impression that anyone who visits here are in direct danger. It is not any worse than anywhere else. The chances of being robbed and a crime committed against you is not any different than UK or US etc.
I am tired of these pronouncements which does not reflect the true picture.
@Mary Jane you go open your (A) they like to sensor me…..as if to say it’s all doom and gloom here and it’s not. Just now yow will have the likes of Classic O Really willing to cry a river also. Crime is rampant everywhere these days we are not alone but you have Clowns and agitators spinning that false narrative that it is only us here it pertains to. These two choose to open their mouth about their business, I wish them good luck in their endeavor’s
Congratulations to both of you. But in Saint Lucian we say curried goat not goat curry. Leave goat curry for that country in South America.
These men taking our women
Lucia Lowgrade, you Jack@$$, crime is not rampant everywhere. I am tired of asking you to stop peddling that BS. It shows how ignorant you are.
Well done Lady K. I have known her for a very long time. The lotto winnings are well deserve. This young lady has been through a lot when she was growing up. Her family comes from Barond’s Drive Soufriere. I am related to her. Her grandfather was Mr Desir who was my Grandmother’s brother and so we are cousins.
Her father Mr Loucost was a hard-working fisherman and mother Ritty was also a humble and hardworking lady from Soufriere.
She deserves every penny she got from the EuroMillions. I would like to visit her restaurant the next time I visit the island. I cannot wait to sample some of her culinary delights.. As for that comment from ‘Oh Really’ about crime not being rampant everywhere, that is such a pathetic and absurd comment to make. You are very ignorant of the facts that surrounds us all. Crime is prevalent everywhere in the world. No country is immune from crime… Nowhere is safe on our planet. This is such a preposterous retort and you need to get a grip.
Loucost and Ritty would have been well proud of their daughter Katrinet. They went through a lot to bring up their kids. She has done well and should be applauded for her success. The family used to live near Ma Moise, who lived in Panama for many years before returning to St Lucia. Ma Moise was Rio Ferdinand’s great grandmother. She was his father’s grandmother. They all lived nearby in Barond’s Drive, Soufriere. Katrinet is such a lovely and bubbly woman. She is inviting to talk to and her laugh and smile are infectious. Hats off to her and hubby for doing the honourable thing by returning to St Lucia to set up shop. I wish them all the luck in the world…. Well done Ritty and Loucost’s daughter!!!!Keep it up Cuz…
Oh Really you classic fool…….in your mindset we are still The Children of The Himalayas so we are immune from the ills of the outside world. Crime is rampant everywhere with exception of a few disciplined nations such as China, Singapore, Japan…..but as it pertains to our Caribbean nations the uptick is real
You idiots have no clue. What does rampant mean again? I never mentioned anything about a utopian world. Crime is possible everywhere humans exist. What you are trying to do is compare the state of things in St. Lucia to the rest of the world making it seem like things are as bad and that’s BS. The fact is, the regular person in St. Lucia is 5-10x more likely to be murdered than in the US or UK. The facts show that crime has been decreasing in the US and UK every year post covid while things are sky rocketing in St. Lucia. Keep defending these politicians and I hope it doesn’t land on your door step. If you feel safe in St. Lucia it means you are either naive or part of the problem. This is coming from someone who almost lost a parent recently to this disease, I will not tolerate your fuck3ry and lies Lowgrade Lucian.
Dee Wee, Thank you for sharing such valuable information about this lovely lady. This could not have happened to a nicer person. I too know her and did not realised that it was her all this good fortune has come to. She worked hard to look after her family who did not have much in Soufriere. I knew both her parents which you have described to a Tee. Mr. Loucost and his wife Ms Ritty was resilient folks who worked hard in their respective professions to look after their children and the community. Katrinet was a committed woman who never gave up. Like you said she deserves every penny. I have not been to her restaurant and would like to visit there in the near future.
I remembered she lived in Barond’s Drive like you wrote. Ma Moise was their next door neighbour. A nice little old lady who used to own a shop. She was the mother of Zone and the deacon from the catholic church. She had other children who migrated to the UK. I remember Appitoe and Bones. I knew most of the people in the area. Ma Moise is indeed the paternal great grandmother of the former England footballer Rio Ferdinand. She must have passed away before Rio Ferdinand found football fame. Mr Desir was a bit of a ladies man. The ladies loved him in Soufriere. He had many children including Katrinet’s grandmother. Katrinet is a beautiful soul both inside and out. She has a wonderful personality and a good heart. She is the kind of lady who would give you her last penny and stay without. I am very happy for her and her family.
We should all be singing her praises and encouraging her to carry on and to never give up. She is a darling who have helped put the splendid town of Soufriere on the map thru her winnings. I wish she could share her secret with me so that I can win the lotto one day. The family I am sure are proud of her. Hats off to her and her hubby and may she continue to rise and shine. This is such an uplifting story. We need more of these stories which will help to uplift our spirits and that of our communities. I remember her growing up as a little girl in Soufriere… Big Up Katrinet!
‘Oh Really’, are you for real? Somehow I don’t think so. If St Lucia, a small island nation is steeped in crime, tell me why would a lovely couple uproot themselves from the UK and come set up shop on the island. No one in their right mind will do that. No one will come live in a crime-ridden country to do business. Who does that? Your argument is pretty baseless and is lacking the facts to back it up. Crime is everywhere and there’s no running away from it.
Take the UK which you referred to in your comment. The house of parliament is run by brutes who do all sort of deals which are illegal yet still no one is being prosecuted. The new Labour regime has been found wanting and yet no one has been sanctioned for breaking the rules. If anyone from the working class had committed suck skulduggery then heads would be rolling. There’s always one law for the wealthy and upper classes and another one for the working class. There’s endless crimes taking place in London and the rest of the UK— Much more than in St Lucia. Just this week a police officer was acquitted of killing a young unarmed black man. He was acquitted mainly because he is white and is a police officer. Where is the justice for the Kaba family in London?
Your argument bears no fruits and is pretty vague and inexplicit. The US is awash with criminality. There’s shootings going on everyday. How can you compare our pretty little island with the US? There is absolutely no comparison whatsoever. Instead of making baleful and doleful assertions you should perhaps be congratulating the couple who won the lottery and saw fit to come to St Lucia to invest. They will be providing opportunities to the local community as well as helping the local economy. Hats off to them for choosing St Lucia. They did not seem to think that St Lucia has a crime problem cause St Lucia is simply beautiful and welcoming. Stop putting our beautiful island down. I know the English very well. An Englishman would never come to settle in St Lucia if he knew that it was riddled with crime. This is about the lovely couple who won the lottery, please don’t use this story to spread fear and trepidation and what seems to be your own personal vendetta against the country – At least offer congratulations to the Mullarkey family for coming to St Lucia and settling here. I wish them every success in our beautiful island…. Respect to them and a big large up to St Lucia! Let her inspire you..
Stop the crap, you should do the same. Mrs. Mullarkey is from the area why wouldn’t they come back? Soufriere is a great place to open up a restaurant why wouldn’t they do so? Soufriere has relatively low levels of crime why wouldn’t they settle there. I don’t see your point. Majority of the island is infested with crime.
When comparing countries you cannot use total number of cases because there is a large disparity in population, its all relative. The murder rate per capita for the US and UK in 2023 was 5 and 9 respectively. You know what it was for St. Lucia in that same year? It was over 40, what story does that tell you? It tells you that crime is completely out of control in St. Lucia unlike in the US and the UK. In countries with hundreds of millions of people and guns you will see reports of crime everyday but it does not mean that things are out of control.
I think it’s commendable just not a fan of st Lucian food 3xcept for bakes and drumsticks by miss bernice but goodluck..
I’m so happy to learn of the history of some families in Soufriere. The Town holds a very happy spot in my heart from childhood. My great grand parents were from Soufriere I was told, and that’s where I was sent to spend vacations during Easter and Christmas time. I remember we were not allowed on the beach to swim at easter weekend till a certain time the Church bell would ring.
I remember the names of some of the kids we played with, the sisters Annella and Mitillia, their brother Frank was much older, also Annetta all lived near that Ravine at Quen Lanse (Barond’s Drive) strange how these names have changed. If anyone knows of the ones I’ve mentioned or where they could be found, I’d be happy to know….Soufriere is and has been a very Blessed Town, may the good LORD keep blessing her and her people.
It was with great joy to hear that my old friend Bill had become so succesful as a Chef as he dreamed of learning what the world had to offer through food & restauranting. He was dedicated generous and loyal to those who respected his thoughts and beliefs.
Clearly meeting Cath and landing in St Lucia he had already become a winner ,the lottery was the icing on the dream they had for them ,family and the locals / tourists.
May that dream continue.
Tom
Why have they decided to go public about their winnings? I think they must have done so because people may have known about their lotto win and so they had no choice but to go public. In today’s world it is very unwise to publicize your new found wealth. I would never reveal my wealth to others. There are too many jealous and envious people out there – Both In England and St Lucia. Having said that I am happy for them.
I know the family from Cway Lanse, Soufriere. There were one of them called Mad Max who had another brother who was always travelling over to Martinique. I used to visit the area whenever I was in Soufriere. Mad Max is Cath’s cousin and is a mechanic. Her family were struggling when she was growing up. It would be so nice for her mum and dad to be alive today so she could share the loot with them. It is a pity they are no longer around. I remember that little old lady with the sweet shop next door. Baron’s Drive was a close knit community back in these days. People were looking down on folks from Baron’s Drive. There are lots of talented people from there. one such person is Nancy, Alcoe’s daughter who works for the government of St Lucia – Shas done well for herself and her community. Another man to mention is Sentence, a former teacher and businessman. The list goes on and on. Well done Cath and Hubby! A big shout out to the people of Baron’s Drive. You deserve every pound and quid like we say in London. Big Up!