IT'S SILVER!

The 2004 gold-award winning chefs of Barbados silver-plated their dishes this year, copping a silver medal in what was a keenly contested Taste Of The Caribbean Competition during the Caribbean Hotel Association's Caribbean Hotel Industry Conference (CHIC), here at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Miami.

Of the 13 countries which contested, only two took home gold – Puerto Rico and St Maarten. Last year four countries won gold.

Along with Barbados, St Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, The Cayman Islands, Anguilla, Aruba and Curacao won silver.

Bronze went to The Bahamas and Bonaire.

The Barbados team of Michael Harrison, Henderson Butcher, Greig Greenidge, Ezra Beckles (pastry chef) and Jacqueline Proverbs (bartender), who also copped silver in the Bartenders Category and made it through to the finals, were highly commended by team managers, Graham Licorish, Peter Edey and Max Benz.

The local chefs produced an exotic three-course meal comprising pan-fried grouper and pineapple roulade served on a corn and tomato salsa and cucumber pickle with a Gruyére crisp; Caribbean "spice-rub" pork loin paired with curry infused scallop, ginger-scented marked vegetables, Oistins potatoes with a rum and Angostura bitter sauce and Avocado and Mango Terrine, black pepper ice-cream in a cinnamon nutmeg tulip basket, passion fruit and blue Curacao coulis.

Executive director of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association Sue Springer, told the WEEKEND NATION she was pleased with the team's win.

"The competition has gone to another level. The standard is very high this year. The team has worked very hard and the dedication of the managers has been exemplary. We are happy with the bartender's win also, and hope that she would do
well in the Bartender Of The Year category," Springer said.