Burk Murchison

The father of five, Burk Murchison lives in Dallas, Texas, with his wife Elise and the youngest three children. Mr. Murchison is a graduate of Wesleyan University and is now a partner with his brother Robert in Murchison Capital Partners, L.P., a private equity investment partnership. For relaxation, he vacations at least once a year in the Bahamas where he enjoys hanging out with family, bonefishing, beachcombing, and sipping on a cold Rum Dum or two.

Born in the Bahamas, Beryl Hutchinson moved to the United States following the death of her husband Willard. She is now a naturalized American citizen and lives with her daughter Cora in Tamarac, Florida.

Through most of her career she served as a personal chef for various prominent people, including Clint Murchison, Jr. at Spanish Cay in the Bahamas.

She is retired and serves as the honored matriarch of an extended family that includes seven children, 14 grandchildren, and two great-grandsons.

Beryl Hutchinson

Burk Murchison, along with co-author Beryl Hutchinson, has written an enchanting book...... which is a MUST read! You will surely want to book Burk for a program for your club and hear him tell of a first hand account of life as he lived it in THE ISLAND REMEMBERED! Here are a few details:

"In February of 1952 Clint Murchison, Jr. purchased Spanish Cay, an uninhabited island lying in the northern reaches of the Bahamas, and set about developing it as a retreat for his personal use and enjoyment. Overall his span of ownership exceeded 30 years. It was a place unlike any other, frequented solely by a select group of people of his own choosing - family, friends, and business associates.

From the outset, the cornerstone of the Spanish Cay experience was the delicious food and drink prepared and served by the Bahamian husband and wife team, Willard and Beryl Hutchinson.

The recipes they used, which have been so graciously provided by Beryl, are compiled in The Island Remembered. The Murchison family will be forever grateful for her generous assistance and for her open and loving spirit.

However this volume is more than just a cookbook. It has been written and illustrated to provide the reader with a brief history of the Island under Clint, Jr.'s ownership as well as to offer some insight into its allure. A visit to the Island was an experience like none other. It was truly unique and will always remain vivid in the hearts and minds of those fortunate enough to have lived it.

In an excerpt from THE ISLAND REMEMBERED, sports columnist Blackie Sherrod reflects on his time spent at Spanish Cay with Tom Landry ...

"Nearly as I can remember, Dorothy Lamour was not there. But she certainly would not have been out of place, with a red print sarong and a white hibiscus blossom in her flowing dark tresses. She could have padded barefoot through the lush grass carpet under the rusty old palms, stepped around the fallen coconuts, so long on the ground that they had taken root in the tropical lushness and sent fresh young green shoots through the rotting husks. She could have emerged from the shadows onto the narrow beach, a clean, curving blend of white and beige, with hard coral crests on the jutting flanks.

The Caribbean waters, interrupted by occasional long furl of whitecap, were blue as a baby's eyes. On the horizon, there was a dramatic break to a pale sky. The only signal of man was a sort of primitive umbrella, a thatched bowl atop an upright pole. Underneath, in a lawn chair embedded in sand, was a muscular man in flowery trunks, head bent in hypnotic fascination on an object in his lap. Occasionally, the man would lift his eyes and stare unseeingly at the horizon, then bend again in study.

Dorothy Lamour was missing all right, but had she paraded the beach in slinky seduction, she wouldn't have drawn a flick of notice. The man was Tom Landry of, oh, an eon past, and the object in his lap was a thick, loose leaf binder. It was a Dallas Cowboys' playbook..."

Blackie Sherrod

"Spanish Cay was the most idyllic place I have ever been. My husband, Tom Landry, and I always considered our visits there among our favorite memories. Everything was wonderful from the marvelous Murchison family and their beautiful home and island, to the glorious scenery and ambiance of the setting and of course the food. The food was incomparable and the recipes never revealed.

I can hardly believe that now, at last, they are available. The people who have this book are going to be so lucky both to share these delightful memories and to have these treasured recipes. I can't wait to get started. Enjoy - I will."

Alicia Landry

"The stories and recipes evoke memories of a time gone by; a time that most of us could only fantasize. Yet the rare spirit, high life, and joyous excess that characterizes The Island Remembered, inspire admiration not envy, fondness not resentment."

Dotty Griffith, Dining Editor / Restaurant Critic, The Dallas Morning News

"THE ISLAND REMEMBERED reflects the great spirit of Spanish Cay. Filled with rich history and family stories, this complete cookbook offers a range of recipes for the home cook. I will enjoy mixin' and fixin' up these recipes at my own home. Peppered with historical photos, anecdotes and background, the love of the Bahamas is evident in the creative approach to cooking that offers something for everyone."

Dean Fearing, Chef, The Mansion on Turtle Creek

Speaker, Reviewer & Co-Author of The Island Remembered

Speaker, Reviewer & Co-Author of

The Island Remembered