News

Bahamas, Puerto Rico Top Taste of the Caribbean Competition

By: Caribbean Journal Staff - June 18, 2015

Above: the Bahamas team celebrates their victory

By Dana Niland
CJ Contributor

The Taste of the Caribbean culinary competition brought together some of the region’s top chefs at the Hyatt Regency Miami last weekend.

The competition, presented by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association, included cooking and bartending competitions between 10 culinary teams from Anguilla, The Bahamas, Barbados, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Suriname, and The US Virgin Islands.

The Bahamas National Culinary Team won the award as the Caribbean National Team of the year, with an individual honor to Bahamian Marv Cunningham as Bartender of the Year and Sheldon Tracey Sweeting for Pastry Chef of the Year.

Jonathan Hernandez of Puerto Rico brought home the Caribbean Chef of the year medal, while Edna Butcher of St. Lucia won the Junior Chef of the Year category.

Other winners included Martha Hippolyte of St. Lucia for the Cheesecake Competition, Miguel Saragoza of Bonaire for the Beef/Seafood Competition, among others.

See the full list of winners below:

Caribbean National Team Medals
• Winner: Bahamas
• Gold Medals: Bahamas, Barbados, Bonaire, Jamaica and Puerto Rico
• Silver Medals: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, St. Lucia, Suriname and the U.S. Virgin Islands

Caribbean Bartender of the Year Medals

• Winner: Marv Cunningham, Bahamas
• Gold Medal: Marv Cunningham, Bahamas, and Philip Antoine, Barbados
• Silver Medals: Jamal Hodge, Anguilla, Everson Rawlings, British Virgin Islands, Adrian Johnson, Jamaica, Jorge Olivera, Puerto Rico, Mario Alexander, St. Lucia, David Deul, Suriname, and Frank Robinson, U.S. Virgin Islands
• Bronze Medals: Jay Frans, Bonaire

Caribbean Pastry Chef of the Year Medals

• Winner: Sheldon Tracey Sweeting, Bahamas
• Gold Medals: Jimmie Matthews, Anguilla, and Sheldon Tracey Sweeting, Bahamas
• Silver Medals:Alberto Febo, Puerto Rico, and Gilroy Samuel, St. Lucia
• Bronze Medals: Javon Cummins, Barbados, Junior Janga, Bonaire, and Skehera Cassie, Jamaica
• Honorable Mention: Neville Tucker, British Virgin Islands, Xaviera Mijnhijmer, Suriname, and Anthony Peets, U.S. Virgin Islands

Caribbean Junior Chef of the Year Medals

• Winner: Edna Butcher, St. Lucia
• Gold Medals: Crystal Morley, Bahamas, Suzette Diaz, Puerto Rico, and Edna Butcher, St. Lucia
• Silver Medals: Stephanie Sawyers, Barbados, Giovanie Veld, Bonaire, and Ariq Flaxe British Virgin Islands
• Bronze Medals: Theron Thompson, Anguilla, Marlon Brown, Jamaica, Svaenny Soekotaroeno, Suriname, and Anissa Rhymer, U.S. Virgin Islands
Taste of the Caribbean also featured individual competitions that took place during the event.  Results are as follows:

Best Beef / Seafood Competition
• Winner Beef / Seafood Competition: Miguel Saragoza, Bonaire
• Best Use of Beef, sponsored by Certified Angus Beef: Miguel Saragoza, Bonaire
• Best Seafood: Tatiana Connor, U.S. Virgin Islands
• Gold Medals: Miguel Saragoza, Bonaire
• Silver Medals: Lester Gumbs, Anguilla, Kenneth Molyneaux, British Virgin Islands, Gerald Lugo, Puerto Rico, Caron Jean, St. Lucia, and Tatiana Connor, U.S. Virgin Islands
• Bronze Medals: Charon McKenzie, Bahamas, Michael Thomas, Jamaica, and Lorenzo Harper, Suriname.
• Honorable Mention: Cristian Rebolledo, Turks and Caicos
Cheesecake Competition, Sponsored by Anco, Aloutte and International Dairy Farms
• Winner Cheesecake Competition:Martha Hippolyte, St. Lucia
• Gold Medals: Alberto Febo, Puerto Rico, and Martha Hippolyte, St. Lucia
• Silver Medals: Sheldon Tracey Sweeting, Bahamas, and Tiffany Grant, Jamaica
• Bronze Medals: Ronald Gosepa, Bonaire, Tonya Malone, British Virgin Islands, and Sarah Meehan, U.S. Virgin Islands
• Honorable Mention: Xaviera Mijnhijmer, Suriname

Following are the special awards that were bestowed at Taste of the Caribbean:
• Hans Schenk Commemorative Award for the Most Innovative Dish Utilizing Indigenous Ingredients: Barbados
• Best Rum Drink: Marv Cunningham, Bahamas
• Best Vodka Drink: Frank Robinson, U.S. Virgin Islands
• Best Non Alcoholic Drink: Philip Antoine, Barbados
• Most Creative Bartender:Jamal Hodge, Anguilla
• Tony Mack Spirit of the Competition: Little Bill and the Backenders comprised of Daniel Schweizer, Eric Sywak, Michael Dannecker, Ravi Anne and Steve Sowa; and Junior Chefs Suzette Diaz, Puerto Rico, and Svaenny Soekotaroeno, Suriname.

Popular Posts w punta cana

A New All-Inclusive W Hotel Is Opening This Year in Punta Cana 

The first-ever all-inclusive W Hotel in the Caribbean is opening this year in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Caribbean Journal has learned.  The hotel, part of a broad expansion for parent company Marriott International, is on the list of expected 2024 […]


Why Grenada Is a New Caribbean Luxury Hotspot

beach house silversands

From its world-renowned chocolate to its pristine beaches to a region-leading focus on sustainability, Grenada is as fascinating and unique as destination as you’ll find in the Caribbean.  But in the last few years, the lush Eastern Caribberan island has […]


5 Adults-Only Resorts to Visit Right Now in the Caribbean 

galley bay

Sometimes you just want that extra degree of serenity, of privacy, of seclusion. There is a reason, after all, that adults-only resorts are booming in popularity, particularly in the Caribbean: travelers want to know that when they arrive, they know […]


Related Posts aruba usvi beach

From the US Virgin Islands to Aruba, Caribbean Travel Is Booming

First there was the breakout after restrictions were lifted. Then there was all that pent-up travel demand. Through each phase of the post-pandemic period, travelers have continued flocking to the Caribbean.  It’s the sign of a resilient global destination, and […]


Frontier Is Adding a New Nonstop Flight to Los Cabos 

nobu los cabos

It’s one of the most popular hotel destinations in Mexico: Los Cabos, which has seen a broad boom in recent years with the entry to market of brands like Nobu, Thompson, Marriott and Waldorf Astoria, among others.  That has led, […]


This Former Caribbean Rockefeller Resort Is for Sale

caribbean rockefeller resort

In 1986, Laurance Rockefeller, the founder of Rock Resorts, developed 27 acres of prime beachfront land into what was for decades one of the sought after places to stay in the Caribbean. Now, the four-star, 150-room resort is for sale, […]


SUBSCRIBE!

Sign up for Caribbean Journal's free newsletter for a daily dose of beaches, hotels, rum and the best Caribbean travel information on the net.


No. Thank You