The members of the Anguilla National Culinary Team held their second Mothers’ Day event on May 12, in the run-up to their participation in the 2013 Taste of the Caribbean Culinary Competition in Miami next month.
That event was a brunch – involving two sittings, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon – at Coba Restaurant at Viceroy Anguilla.
Manager of the Culinary Team, Dean Samuels, (Executive Sous Chef at Cap Juluca), said the annual Mothers’ Day brunch was an effort by the chefs, from various properties, to entertain the mothers and their families at the delightful event.
According to him, the culinary team had taken much pleasure in hosting the function attended by some one hundred and fifty persons.
Gilda Gumbs-Samuel, Executive Director of the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association, who works closely with the chefs, was very much involved in organising the event. “Last year we had many people waiting for tables, for two hours, and so this time we decided to do two sittings,” she said. “We did a seating at 11 o’clock for persons who went to church very early, and then we did another seating at 1 o’clock. Obviously we had larger family groups at that last hour.”
Mrs.Gumbs-Samuel continued: “This year the event has grown very much. I printed more tickets, ran out and printed a number of others – but ran out again. The difference this year is that we had more grown-ups. Last year, we had many children but this year we had more adult persons and fewer children. Viceroy had their guests from 7-11 and then they switched the restaurant over to the culinary team to cook for the community mothers and families. The event was very well received and was a success.”
The AHTA Executive Director was particularly grateful to Viceroy for its leading sponsorship role, to Merchant Market for providing the products for the brunch and to the Anguilla Tourist Board for its support. She also acknowledged the assistance of a number of restaurants.
Speaking on behalf of Merchant Market, Rebecca Webster said: “We have to support the local art form. I think the Mothers’ Day brunch was a fabulous idea. It is a great fundraiser and lots of people came out to support the event. We have to encourage our chefs to represent Anguilla, and Merchant Market was happy to be part of the event.”
The first event – a Taste of Anguilla fundraising function – was held at Aleta Restaurant at Viceroy on April 28. The third event – another fund-raising function – will be held at Ripples Restaurant, at Sandy Ground, two weeks prior to the departure of the culinary teamfor Miami to participate in the June 26-30 competition.
