Anguilla’s cuisine continues to be a significant part of the island’s tourism product and once again Anguilla will be represented at the ‘Taste of the Caribbean’ culinary competition in Miami, Florida. The Anguilla Culinary Team which departed the island on Wednesday 10th June, from the pier in Blowing Point, is all fired up and ready to go and get gold. According to the Team Manager, Dean Samuel, they are talented, ready and able to bring back gold in the various categories of the competition. They have developed the necessary team spirit over the past years – and for the new ones, months – and they have a mix of tension and skill which makes for the competitive edge necessary for winning. It is a mostly experienced, closely knit team, with only two new members and they all feel confident that they have what it takes to win. The team members are: Manager – Chef Dean Samuel; Bartender – Jamal Hodge; Pastry Chef – Jimme Matthews; Senior Chef – Jonathan Hughes; Junior Chef – Teron Thompson, Senior Chef – Karima Carty and Senior Chef – Lester Gumbs.
One of the positives of the competition is the exposure that our local team will get from cultural interaction with the other countries competing. This is particularly true with the Taster Competition where each country will produce some of its street food or local dishes. This could serve as an inspiration for the creation of new or improved dishes.
Coaching was provided by a number of stakeholders including veteran chef Darren Connor, and chefs from CuisinArt, Cap Juluca and Viceroy.
The culinary team is once again looking to make Anguilla proud.
The team is being supported by Parliamentary Secretary, Tourism, Mr. Cardigan Connor; Permanent Secretary, Tourism, Mr. Foster Rogers; and Director of Tourism, Mrs. Candis Niles.
