Members of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association’s (BHTA) Barbados National Culinary Team left the island on Saturday to compete in the 2024 edition of the Taste of the Caribbean competition in Miami.
The event, organised by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), runs from November 18 to 20 and brings together top culinary talent from across the region.
Representing Barbados this year is Chef Rynaldo Joseph, Junior Chef Dejuan Toppin, Pastry Chef Rickeena Kirton, and Mixologist Alex Chandler. They are supported by Team Manager Adrian Cumberbatch, Assistant Team Manager Javon Cummins and Coaches Damian Leach and Rohan Hackshaw.
Cumberbatch expressed confidence in the team’s preparations, stating, “There has been a lot of preparation over the past few weeks to get everyone ready for the competition. Our focus was on strengthening a number of areas, ranging from time management to concepts and flavour profiles. After weeks of hard work and dedication, I can confidently say that the team members are all ready to showcase their talent and skills and to make Barbados proud.”
Accompanying the team are BHTA officials, including Special Projects Manager Tessalee Moore, Chairman Javon Griffith and CEO Ryan Forde.
Moore emphasised the association’s commitment to supporting the team and highlighted the broader significance of the event.
“We are extremely happy that Taste is back and that Barbados can attend and defend our title as Caribbean Team of the Year,” Moore said. “But beyond that, for the BHTA, Taste is more than a competition. It is also a major training and developmental tool for our chefs and mixologists as it provides educational opportunities by way of seminars, workshops, and demonstrations on the trends and emerging concepts in Food and Beverage.”
Moore noted that while securing the title again would be a proud moment, the event’s value extends beyond competition.
“While we would love Team Barbados to bring home gold and the bragging rights as Team of the Year again, we equally want the members to gain from this experience in a way that will propel their careers and for them to willingly share their knowledge with their peers when they return. This is their opportunity to showcase their skills on an international platform and we want them to take full advantage of that opportunity,” she added. (PR)
