Barbados Leads Winners at Taste of the Caribbean Competition

Above: the Barbados culinary team

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Barbados’ culinary team took home the award for Caribbean Culinary Team of the Year this weekend at the Taste of the Caribbean competition.

The event, which was held at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Miami, featured 10 teams from across the Caribbean.

Other winners included Jamaica’s Brian Lumley, who took home Chef of the Year honours, Puerto Rico’s Roberto Rodriguez, who won Bartender of the Year, the Bahamas’ Sheldon Tracey Sweeting, who won the Caribbean Pastry Chef honour and Trinidad, which won the gold medal at the people’s choice Taste of the Islands event.

For the full list of winners and awards, see below:”

Caribbean National Team Medals sponsored by Alouette, Anco and International Dairy Farms
•Winner: Barbados
•Gold Medals: Bahamas, Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago
•Silver Medals: Anguilla, Curacao, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Suriname and the U.S. Virgin Islands
•Bronze Medals: Bonaire

Caribbean Chef Medals sponsored by PRG Solutions
•Winner: Jamaica – Brian Lumley, Embassy of France in Jamaica
•Gold Medals: Jamaica – Brian Lumley
•Silver Medals: Anguilla – Lester Gumbs; Bahamas – Emmanuel Gibson; Barbados – Andre Nurse; Curacao – Adriyel Lourens; Puerto Rico – Joel Rodriguez; Suriname – Jethro Daniel Wirth; and U.S. Virgin Islands – Dennis Vanterpool
•Bronze Medals: Bonaire – Robertico Bernabela and Trinidad & Tobago – Jeremy Lovell

Caribbean Bartender Medals sponsored by Rums of Puerto Rico
•Winner: Puerto Rico – Roberto Rodriguez, Instituto De Banca San Juan
•Gold Medal: Puerto Rico – Roberto Rodriguez; Trinidad & Tobago – Clinton Ramdhan; and U. S. Virgin Islands – Brandon DeCloux
•Silver Medals: Anguilla – Levon Richardson; Bahamas – Charon McKenzie; Barbados – Rohan Hackshaw; Bonaire – Tarimar Thom; Curacao – Glenn Kemp; Jamaica – Melissa Fletcher; and Suriname – Michel Marlon Blackson

Caribbean Pastry Chef Medals sponsored by AUI – Albert Uster Imports
•Winner: Bahamas – Sheldon Tracey Sweeting, Private Chef
•Gold Medals: Bahamas – Sheldon Tracey Sweeting; and U. S. Virgin Islands – Eric “Bernie” Burrell III
•Silver Medals:Anguilla – Lashaunda Davis; Barbados – Julian Broome; Puerto Rico – Pablo Colon; and Trinidad & Tobago – Cheryl-Ann Shortt Charles
•Bronze Medals:Jamaica – Lincoln Peterkin; and Suriname – Giovanni Ismael Asmo
•Honorable Mention: Bonaire – Junior Janga; and Curacao – Carlos Anthonij

Caribbean Junior Chef Medals
•Winner: Trinidad & Tobago – Naomi Lovell, student of the Trinidad and Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute
•Gold Medals:Dwayne Sinclair; Barbados – Javon Cummins; and Trinidad & Tobago – Naomi Lovell
•Silver Medals:Anguilla – Mtima Daniels; Curacao – Ashohary Julian; Jamaica – Jay Samuda-Thomas; Puerto Rico – Julio Lamberty; and Suriname – Vanina Candes Tjon a Tjoen
•Bronze Medals: Bonaire – Giovannie Veld; and U. S. Virgin Islands – Ilejah Crabbe

Individual Competitions
Following are the results of the individual competitions that took place during Taste of the Caribbean:

Caribbean Ice Carving Competition
•Silver Medal & Ice Carver of the Year: Jamaica – Hamac Palms
•Bronze Medal: Bahamas  –  Ancilleno Solomon; and Jamaica  – Dwight Cross

Seafood Competition
•Winner Seafood Competition: Barbados – Nathan Crichlow
•Gold Medals: Barbados  – Nathan Crichlow; and Suriname  – Sherwin Alexander
•Silver Medals:Anguilla  – Laureen Anique Perkins; Jamaica – Gian Stewart; Jamaica – Rochelle Grindley; and Trinidad & Tobago – Jeremy Lovell
•Bronze Medals:Bahamas – Ron Johnson; Curacao – Shanot Ocalia; Puerto Rico – Joel Rodriguez; and U. S. Virgin Islands – Gary Klinefelter

Certified Angus Beef Competition sponsored by Certified Angus Beef®
•Gold Medal and Winner Beef Competition: Bahamas – Jamal Small
•Silver Medals:Barbados – Kenneth Whittington; Curacao – Adriyel Lourens; Suriname – Randy O’Brien Smith; Suriname – Tirsa Semaja Braumuller; Trinidad & Tobago – Adrian Cumberbatch; and U. S. Virgin Islands – Dennis Vanterpool
•Bronze Medals: Anguilla – Claudio Gumbs; Jamaica – Dwight Cross; and Puerto Rico – Angel Santiago

Rums of Puerto Rico Mystery Basket Competition
•Winner Rums of Puerto Rico Mystery Basket Competition: Puerto Rico
•Gold Medals: Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands
•Silver Medals:Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago
•Bronze Medals:Anguilla, Bahamas, Bonaire, Curacao, Jamaica and Suriname

Cheesecake Competition sponsored by Alouette, Anco and International Dairy Farms
•Winner Cheesecake Competition:Jamaica – Teresa Clarke
•Gold Medals: Curacao – Carlos Antonij; Jamaica – Teresa Clarke; Puerto Rico – Pablo Colon; and Trinidad & Tobago – Janelle Olliviere
•Silver Medals: Bahamas – Ron Johnson; Barbados – Julian Broome; Barbados – Michael Harrison; and Jamaica – Rochelle Grindley
•Bronze Medals: Suriname – Giovanni Asmo; and U. S. Virgin Islands – George Sittig
•Honorable Mention: Bonaire – Norison Conquet

•Best Team for Taste of the Islands: Trinidad & Tobago
•Taste of the Islands People’s Choice, sponsored by Ask Me Inc: Puerto Rico
•Best Use of Chocolate, sponsored by Albert Uster Imports: Team Bahamas for their team dessert Chocolate with Caribbean Flavors White, Dark Chocolate, Lime and Passion Fruit Bavarian, Banana Ice Cream, Caramel White Chocolate Cream Cheese Ganache, Chocolate Cake, Spiced Mango Sauce, Ginger Pudding, Buttered Chocolate Crumble, Cinnamon Tuille
•Best Use of Certified Angus Beef – Sponsored by Certified Angus Beef®: Barbados – Nathan Crichlow
•Hans Schenk Commemorative Award for the Most Innovative Dish Utilizing Indigenous Ingredients: Team Bonaire for Fresh Mango Mousse Topped Carrot Cake served with Candied Red Pepper and Spicy Smoked Mango Salad, Red Pepper Paint and Cocoa Tuille Sticks
•Most Impressive/Creative Menu for a Gastronomy Event, Sponsored by Media Blast: Team Anguilla
•Best Rum Drink: Puerto Rico
•Best Vodka Drink: Trinidad & Tobago
•Best Non Alcoholic Drink: Puerto Rico
•Most Creative Cocktail: Chutney Bacchanal – Barbados
•Tony Mack Spirit of the Competition: Team Bahamas