EIGHT CHEFS and one bartender will represent Barbados at this year’s Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s (CHTA) Taste of the Caribbean competition, which takes place in Miami from June 28 to July 2.
They are team captain chef Jason Joseph, chefs Willis Griffith, Marvin Applewaithe and Antonio Sivers; pastry chefs Keisha Nurse, Katrina Depeiza-Hall and Trenel Ifill; junior chef Trevon Stoute and bartender Rohan Hackshaw.
The team will be led by team manager, chef Creig Greenidge and bartender manager Jamaal Bowen. They will be defending the coveted title of Caribbean Teamof the Year, which Barbados walked away with in 2013, along with Team Gold, Gold in the Seafood competition, the Best Use of Seafood and Junior Chef of the Year, among other medals.
Michelle Smith-Mayers, assistant executive-vice president of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association, said that the members of the team have been busy training for the competition for the past few months and are looking forward to an exciting competition:
“They have been practising and training for a while and are ready for the competition. The team is focused on what they want to achieve at competition and each of them will be doing their best to come out on top this year.”
Smith noted that in addition to winning awards at the competition, members of team were also looking forward to the development aspect of Taste.
“This event isn’t only about competition. It is also a major training and development tool for our chefs and bartenders as it also features educational seminars, workshops, tastings and demonstrations created to enhance performance, style and profitability in food and beverage operations.”
She added that the process of training the team was also about more than competition as it was used to build culinary talent on the island as well.
“Chefs like our team manager Creig Greenidge, who runs his own catering company as well as chefs Michael Harrison, Angela Garraway, John Hazzard and Michael Hinds, and this year’s bartender manager Jamaal, have all come through this process and it makes them much stronger food and beverage experts. It has helped them to excel in their careers.” (PR)
