Local chef to adjudicate regional culinary contest, Jr team readies

 

Local chef, Kenneth Molyneaux will be among the panel of judges in the upcoming Taste of the Caribbean Competition to be held in Miami on June 22 to 26.

The owner of the Tropical Fusion Restaurant on Tortola and the former captain of the BVI’s National Culinary Team rose to stardom last year when he took home the Chef of the Year and the Beef competition awards.

In that same year, Chef Molyneaux was inducted in the competition’s Hall of Fame and, as such, will not be a part of the BVI’s culinary delegation competing this year.

According to a media release from BVI Chamber of Commerce and Hotel Association, the competition has been labelled as the region’s premier culinary competition, food and beverage educational exchange, and the Caribbean cultural showcase since 1993.

It provides the opportunity for the so-called ‘crème de la crème’ of the Caribbean’s chefs and culinary teams to bond, demonstrate their skills, and learn from each other.

The event also offers attendees an entertaining exhibit of the most delectable culinary treats of the region.

BVI team getting ready

The BVI’s Junior Chef Division is getting set to participate in the yearly contest being hosted by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA).

The team members include Chef Tonya Malone-Smith of BVI Technical Vocational Institute, Junior Chef Radiance Modeste of BVI Technical Vocational Institute, as well as junior chefs Ariq Flax-Clarke, Lakesha Barry, and Lakeisha King of Johnson & Wales University.

Everson Rawlins of Scrub Island Resort & Spa will be the team’s mixologist.

They will compete in the individual competitions of Junior Chef of the Year, Pastry Chef of the Year, Beef, Seafood, Chocolate, and all categories of the bartender’s competition.

The team will, in addition, be a part of the ‘Caribbean Strong’ squad at Caribbean 305, Miami.

The Caribbean 305 showcase, now in its second year, is considered among the biggest Caribbean Celebrations in the US state.

It will be held on June 23 at Miami’s Jungle Island and provides a platform for culinary displays of 17 Caribbean islands, an open bar, music and entertainment, and unlimited tapas-style dishes to more than 1,500 anticipated guests.

The team is expected to leave the territory on Thursday, June 21.

The territory’s senior national team usually attends the competition. However, due to the impact of the 2017 hurricanes on the territory, several venues were destroyed and the senior team was unable to practice together, nor were they able to host pre-competition dinners, fundraising, and other activities.