Barbados’ culinary team has begun preparations for this year’s Taste Of The Caribbean showcase which takes place in Miami from June 26 to 30.
Team managers – chefs Graham Licorish, Michael Harrison and Peter Edey – along with bar training manager and last year’s Bartender Of The Year, Jamaal Bowen, met other team members recently at the Dining Club for the first training sessions.
The competition is organised by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association which promotes it as “the one annual opportunity to network, polish professional skills and cheer on colleagues in competition, before a large audience of industry peers and consumer culinary enthusiasts”.
Michelle Smith-Mayers, assistant executive vice-president of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association, said that the delegation was hoping to continue Barbados’ fine record in the event.
She said: “Over the years the Barbados team has done extremely well at Taste bringing home a number of medals and titles including Team Of The Year, Chef Of The Year and Most Innovative Menu among others, as well as the first Bartender Of The Year title in 2012.
“This year we are looking to add to that list and training is very vital in achieving this. The sessions not only assist with sharpening and improving the skills of the members, but they also prepare them for the competition arena, which is very different to what they are accustomed to.
“In the arena they have to work as a team, prepare sometimes more than 40 plates all at once and deal with judges, spectators, mystery baskets and time schedules, among other factors.”
Smith-Mayers said that this was why training sessions were very important. (PR)
