Well-known community service advocate, Ms. Jacqueline “Jacquie” Ruan, has informed The Anguillian newspaper that Mixologist Taffy Hodge-Roland placed third in the Cointreau Liqueurs Competition in France on Wednesday 5th July, 2023.
Taffy placed third from among ten (10) finalists in the Competition. Initially there had been a full field of four hundred and fifty (450) competitors, but the completion was shortlisted to the ten.
Jacquie has expressed her great admiration for Taffy, one of Anguilla’s budding professionals in the hospitality industry.
“I have been admiring the progress of Taffy who has progressed as a graduate from the Morris Vanterpool School in 1988, then from the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School, and right on into the hospitality field as a serious mixologist at the now defunct Mariners Hotel,” Jacquie said.
“After a short stint at Mariners, Taffy transferred to Ripples Restaurant and exhibited the qualities of a young, impressionable eighteen-year-old who was recognized for her hard work and diligence in the field,” Jacquie continued. “She realized her talent as a mixologist early and decided to make it a path to her professional career.”
As owner of the former Ripples Restaurant, Jacquie reflected on Taffy’s outgoing personality and her ambitions: “Taffy’s friendship with the Ripples team has been always strong and she continued to move forward in her career to join the bartending team at the Malliouhana Hotel where Sam and Smiles encouraged her to continue enhancing her cocktail creations,” she said.
“Finally, Taffy was selected by the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association to represent Anguilla in annual culinary competitions, and became Bartender of the Year 2011,” Jacquie said.
She noted that most of the other bartenders were males, so this win served as a great feat for Taffy. “As a female among the lot,” Jacquie said, “Taffy was not shaken or deterred by her challenges. Her style, her balance, her taste, and her incredible passion impelled her to use the freshest of ingredients to achieve a silver medal.”
“Now, Taffy is a seasoned mixologist,” Jacquie boasted. “Throughout the years she has shared her expertise and her talents with hotels and beverage outlets like Viceroy, Tipsy Turtle, and Cap Juluca.”
Speaking just before Taffy left for Paris, France, Jacquie, said: “Encouraged by her mentor Edouardo of the Savi Beach Club, and inspired by her support from Cap Juluca, Taffy is now off to Paris, having won a place with her ‘Bone China Tea Cup Cocktail’, which is quite a unique feature as her creativity and a masterpiece of her art in blending.”
“In Paris,” Jacquie noted, “Taffy will participate in a Mixologist Competition produced by Cointreau Liqueurs. I feel confident that the hosts will be pleasantly surprised when they realise that this young lady hails from the Caribbean Island of Anguilla. We wish Taffy every success on her truly exciting journey.”
The Anguillian wishes Taffy great success in her future endeavours.
