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Going for gold

Published:Sunday | July 7, 2013 | 12:00 AM
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Pastry chef Lincoln Peterkin walked away with a bronze in the pastry chef category and a silver in the ice-carving competition.
Members of Team Jamaica (from left): Team Manager Kenrick Stewart, Gian Stewart, Aaron Thwaites, Teresa Clarke, Brian Lumley, Damion Myers, Melissa Fletcher, Lincoln Peterkin and Dennis McIntosh.-Contributed Photos
Silver medalists Rochelle Grindley from Usain Bolt's Track & Records and Gian Stewart from Sandals Royal Plantation join ranks after their win. Grindley and Stewart placed second in the cheesecake and seafood categories, respectively.
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Garfene Grandison, Assistant Lifestyle Coordinator

IT WAS truly chefs on show as 10 Caribbean islands battled it out in a series of culinary competitions to vie for the Caribbean's best. For one week, the Hyatt Regency in Miami was ground zero as Team Jamaica, headed by team manager, Kenrick Stewart, was a force to be reckoned with. This year, the team bested last year's performance as they managed to walk away with 13 medals - two gold, five bronze and six silver. Standing tall at the end of the awards ceremony were Jamaican cheesecake champion Teresa Clarke and Brian Lumley, who snatched the Chef of the Year title and the only one in his category to receive gold.

In a glitzy ceremony on Sunday in the Regency Ballroom, members of the Caribbean culinary contingency converged to show their respects to some of the region's best.

President of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association, Richard Doumeng, welcomed the guests and, shortly after, the parade of nations commenced with last year's winning team Puerto Rico leading the pack with their flag proudly hoisted. The remaining participating countries followed in alphabetical order. The parade was an intoxicating fusion of Caribbean culture as patrons jumped, shouted and cheered when their respective team representatives paraded around the ballroom waving their country's flag high.

The four-hour ceremony, which began at 7 p.m., had patrons on the edge, as no one really had a clue as to the judges' decisions. For many, the critiques were fair all across the board. But it was very difficult to impress the judges who have seen it all. You had to be on your top game. As the guests enjoyed their three-course meal, courtesy of the Hyatt, the winners in each category were announced and cheers erupted in between bites and sips of bubbly, courtesy of Henkell and Company.

The Gleaner's coverage of Taste of the Caribbean was sponsored by Carreras Limted.