The Anguilla National Culinary Team left the island on Monday this week to compete in the annual Taste of the Caribbean Culinary Competition in Miami. The event will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel during the period June 26-30.
The Anguilla team is under the management of Dean Samuels who has twenty years experience with specialisation in pastry. He is currently the Executive Sous Chef at Cap Juluca. The others members of the team are Lester Gumbs, Sous Chef at CuisinArt Resort and Spa and winner of the title Chef of the Year; Lavon Richardson, Bartender at Altamer Resort, who won the title of Bartender of the Year; Jonathan Hughes of CuisinArt Resort & Spa; Lashaunda Davis of Viceroy Anguilla, Pastry Chef of the Year;Mtima Daniels, also of Viceroy Anguilla and Junior Chef of the Year; LaureenAnique Perkins, a private chef for Black Orchard Florist Villas and Anique’s Delicacies and Culinary Services, who will be participating in the individual seafood competition; and Claudio Gumbs who will be competing in the individual beef competition.
The Anguilla Culinary Team will be among over ten teams from the Caribbean competing in theculinary competition; bartender competition and pastry competition. Each participating team represents a Caribbean island which has held individual competitions to select its national team. Each team is composed of two senior chefs, one juniorchef, one bartender, one pastry chef and one manager.
The participating team members represent hotels, restaurants and educational institutions which are members of theCaribbean Hotel and Tourism Association.
Meanwhile, the members of the Anguilla culinary team held an appreciation luncheon at Cap Julucafor their supporters and sponsors on Friday, June 21. The luncheon comprised samples of the food and beverage which the team will present at the culinary competition in Miami.
