Spring in Bermuda doesn’t just change the weather — it changes how we eat. The shift is subtle at first. A craving for something lighter. A reluctance to sit down to anything too heavy. Then suddenly the meals that felt right a few weeks ago feel like too much. The palate resets and with it the way we approach food.

In kitchens across the island that transition is already under way. Chef Damien Griffith, of Huckleberry Restaurant, says: “Spring yields to lighter dishes. We remove comfort foods that are heavy on the palate for more refreshing ones”.

In their place come crisp vegetables, brighter flavours and dishes that feel clean rather than indulgent. Salads return, not as an afterthought, but as something people actually want to eat. And diners are responding.

He continued: “We find that salads and fish dishes become quite popular in spring and summer. It’s not just about eating lighter, it’s about eating differently. Menus shift to reflect that demand, offering more variety in those categories, while the heavier options quietly fall away until the cooler months return.”

The signals of spring aren’t just on the plate, they’re all around it. At Huckleberry, the change is marked visually as much as seasonally.

“We tend to get the signal of spring from the flowers around the property, including crocus, lantanas, and oxalis in bloom. In the kitchen that translates into ingredients like Bermuda onions, green beans and cucumbers, fresh, local and perfectly aligned with the season.”

One dish, in particular, captures that shift: a spring pea casoncelli, a filled pasta layered with Tucker’s Farm goat cheese, carrot bisque, asparagus tips and Grana Padano. It’s light, but not lacking. Refined, but still satisfying. And that’s where the misconception around spring eating often falls apart.

Asked what he thinks people get wrong when it comes to lighter dishes, Mr Griffith says: “Some often think that lighter dishes are not filling as they tend to feature more vegetables than fats — a myth that they may leave the restaurant unsatisfied. They are those that prefer to enjoy a nice steak and they know what they want, so [it’s] quite hard to convince them.

Beyond the food itself, the way we dine begins to shift too as the days get longer.

“Alfresco dining is preferred, we see it both at Huckleberry and Clarabell’s; the longer days and atmosphere makes the dining experience more relaxed. You do see a change in lunch as there is much more to do, for example beach days and boat rides. As a result, the preferred dining time changes and we get more requests for 7:30-8pm when the sun is about to set.

At home, the shift is just as noticeable, but it plays out differently. For Rinelle White, of Umami Bermuda, spring eating is less about presentation and more about practicality.

“Quicker, lighter meals,” she says. “Spending time in the kitchen is easy when it’s cold and rainy, but once the sun comes out, life speeds up.” The goal isn’t to sacrifice quality, it’s to maintain it while spending less time cooking and more time outside.

That shift shows up in what she’s reaching for. “Salads,” she says, without hesitation. “I can turn anything into a salad. I'm going through a red cabbage phase right now, so I'm having lots of that in salads. I’m moving away from heavier, slow cooked meals prepared in the oven, back to the stovetop. I haven't turned on the grill yet, but it could happen literally any day now.”

Her approach to “eating healthy” is equally straightforward and a direct response to the way people tend to overcomplicate it.

“I think people always overcomplicate eating healthy. It all starts with 'the meal plan' and that's where the overwhelm begins. When I think of healthy eating, I think of plenty of vegetables, good quality [bioavailable] protein, and clean healthy fats.”

Spices, in particular, play a central role. Not just for flavour, but for function. “They make food so delicious, you don’t even feel like you’re ‘eating healthy’,” she explains.

It’s a reminder that lighter eating doesn’t have to mean less enjoyable — it just requires a different approach.

If there’s one shift she recommends, it’s simple: eat more vegetables.

“Especially while they are still so abundant locally. Bermudians sometimes treat vegetables like stepchildren. They overcook them and don't season them, or even try to make them taste good. And it's really not hard. Steam them. Drizzle with EVOO. Season with The Herbed Turkey Spice Blend by Umami. It'll change the way you eat vegetables. And less sugar doesn't hurt either.”

As far as her ideal spring dish, Ms White says: “I would have to say local fish. It also becomes more abundant as the weather improves. I'm a white flesh fish girl, so think turbot, hind, snapper, coney. I like mahi mahi too. I like to pan sear it in the Bermuda Fish Spice Blend by Umami Bermuda [or The OCG if you want something lighter]. You want to melt some butter in the pan and a little garlic, and then finish it with lemon. And serve it with a nice garlicky Swiss chard sauté. I really like garlic. And as for setting, I'm always plating on a big white plate, so that my pictures look good. But my table always has a bunch of glass vases that hold white candles. I keep it really simple.”

As for her go to ingredient, Ms White always reaches for coconut milk.

“Coconut milk is my answer to all life's questions. I love making chicken [or fish/seafood] dishes in coconut milk. Sauté some onion & garlic or peppers as well in a pan, add your meat and brown it. And then simmer in coconut milk. Season, taste, season. You can add white beans and veggies to the pan if you want to make it into a one pan meal.”

And that’s what spring eating in Bermuda ultimately comes down to. Not restriction, not reinvention, but refinement. A shift towards meals that feel better to eat, easier to prepare and more in sync with the way life moves this time of year. Less heavy and more fresh. Exactly as it should be.