The Anguilla Chefs, who will be participating in the Taste of the Caribbean Culinary Competition in Miami from June 20-25, are hoping to bring home gold medals as they did previously.
That’s the burning desire of Manager of the team, Dean Samuel, of Cap Juluca. “I don’t wear silver so I am expecting to bring home gold,” he told The Anguillian. He was speaking after he led the chefs in preparing and serving a thank-you luncheon for sponsors and other supportersat Pimms Restaurant, Cap Juluca, on Monday, June 4.
Samuel said that preparations for the competition had been going very well and there were good and encouraging comments about the three-coursemeal served at Monday’s luncheon. “We only have to do a little tweaking here and there,” he stated. “The chefs are confident that they can do this. After today’s training, it was evident that they had built up a lot of steam. They just want to get into the competition and get it over with.”
Meanwhile, Executive Director with the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association, GildaGumbs-Samuel, said that coordinating the Anguilla Culinary Team was not an easy feat. “It looks like they are just in the kitchen cooking, but when they go toMiamithey will be under a whole amount of pressure,” she remarked.
“Thankfully, Anguilla has been very blessed that one of the chefs, who is actually one of the judges, in the pastry competition, has a passion forAnguillaand he comes at least once or twice a year to assist us.” She hastened to add that such assistance was not a conflict as it was a normal kind of help available to all other chefs from persons associated with the competition.
The person giving the assistance to the Anguilla team is renowned ChefAugusto Schreiner who owns a cooking school and a restaurant in Puerto Rico.
Dean Samuelintroduced the culinary team asfollows: Pastry Chef Shirme Gumbs of Cap Juluca who will be competing for Chef of the Year; Justin Hughes, of Pimms Restaurant, Cap Juluca, and captain of the team who will compete for Chef of the Year; Junior Chef, Joseph Hodge, of Cap Juluca, who will compete for Junior Chef of the Year; Apprentice Chef, Claudio Gumbs, who works at Cap Juluca and Mango’s; Darren Gumbs and JordelGumbs of Viceroy; Casey Reid who works at CuisinArt; and Johnathan Hughes of Viceroy. Gold medalist Glendon Carty is the Cooking Coach.
The team will be accompanied by Executive Sous Chef, Charles Voudouris of Viceroy, and Gilda Gumbs-Samuel who will serve as the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association’s Team Coordinator.
