“Bimshire” Wins Top Team, Bartender and Seafood Honors; BVI Takes Chef of the Year Category at Taste of the Caribbean 2017
MIAMI – Barbados is the Caribbean National Culinary Team of the Year at the 2017 Taste of the Caribbean competition in Miami.
The Bajan team won the top honors in the finale of the 2017 Taste of the Caribbean culinary competition at the Hyatt Regency in Miami yesterday evening, after also bagging individual honors for Ryan Adamson, Caribbean Bartender of the Year, and Damian Leach for Seafood.
Kenneth Molyneaux from the British Virgin Islands was crowned Caribbean Chef of the Year and also took home the top prize in the Beef Competition.
The Cayman Islands’ Melissa Logan was Caribbean Pastry Chef of the Year, while Kenria Taylor from The Bahamas was Caribbean Junior Chef of the Year. The Chocolate winner was Bonaire’s Sherundly Bernabela.
“We really applaud all these Taste of the Caribbean participants, their national hotel and tourism associations, team managers and sponsors for developing 14 astounding Caribbean national teams to compete at this event,” said Frank Comito, Director General and CEO of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA). “The teams’ commitment to the region showed in the heart and soul that each of the participants invested in their presentations,” he added.
Presented by CHTA, Taste of the Caribbean hosted cooking and bartending competitions between teams from The Bahamas, Barbados, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curaçao, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
This year’s event was held June 2-6 at the Hyatt Regency Miami.
2017 Taste of the Caribbean culinary competition winners
WINNER
Barbados
GOLD
Barbados
Cayman Islands
Turks and Caicos
SILVER
Bahamas
Bonaire
Curaçao
Jamaica
Puerto Rico
St. Lucia
St. Maarten
Suriname
Trinidad & Tobago
USVI
BRONZE
BVI
CARIBBEAN CHEF OF THE YEAR
WINNER
BVI: Kenneth Molyneaux
GOLD
Bahamas: Emmanuel Gibson
Barbados: Willis Griffith
Bonaire: Miguel Saragoza
BVI: Kenneth Molyneaux
Cayman Islands: Joshua Saldanha
Turks & Caicos: Edwin Gallardo
SILVER
Curaçao: Adriyel Lourens
Puerto Rico: Juan Nieves
St. Maarten: Dino Jagtiani
Trinidad & Tobago: Brandon Maharaj
USVI: Tatiana Connor-Peets
BRONZE
Jamaica: Dwayne Lamont
St. Lucia: Niguel Gerald
Suriname: Lorenzo Harper
CARIBBEAN BARTENDER OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Angostura
WINNER
Barbados: Ryan Adamson
GOLD
Barbados: Ryan Adamson
Cayman Islands: Angela Robeedo
St. Maarten: Paul Peterson
Trinidad & Tobago: Clinton Ramdhan
SILVER
Bahamas: Gino Wilson
BVI: Everson Rawlins
Puerto Rico: Joafner Marrero
USVI: Christopher Bahash
BRONZE
Bonaire: Kelvin Ventura
Curaçao: Fabian Cleopa
Jamaica: Kemoya Livingston
St. Lucia: Germain Sydney
Suriname: Stefano Greb
Turks & Caicos: Jean Tissiant
CARIBBEAN PASTRY CHEF OF THE YEAR
WINNER
Cayman Islands: Melissa Logan
GOLD
Barbados: Javon Cummins
Cayman Islands: Melissa Logan
Trinidad & Tobago: Anasuya Jackson
Turks & Caicos: Yoginder Singh
SILVER
Bahamas: Angel R. Bentacourt
Curaçao: Carlos Anthonij
Puerto Rico: Zuleika Rivera Reices
Suriname: Xaviera Mijnhijmer
USVI: Natalie Buckner
BRONZE
BVI: Neville Tucker
Jamaica: Dexter Singh
St. Lucia: Robert McDonald
St. Maarten: Ronald Estephane
HONORARY MENTION
Bonaire: Maria Mastrangelo
CARIBBEAN JUNIOR CHEF OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Johnson & Wales University
WINNER
Bahamas: Kenria Taylor
GOLD
Bahamas: Kenria Taylor
Barbados: Nicholas Ifill
Bonaire: Dustin Libiee
Cayman Islands: Brittney Bodden
Puerto Rico: Efrain Marquez
Suriname: Yamuro Zuiverloon
Trinidad & Tobago: Rondell Thompson
Turks & Caicos: Martin Wilkiens
SILVER
BVI: Ariq Flax-Clarke
Curaçao: Dane Ribeiro Rodriguez
Jamaica: Mathew Bancroft
St. Lucia: Billy Mauricette
St. Maarten: Suzirea Adoptie
HONOARY MENTION
USVI: Nandi Furet
BEEF COMPETITION
Sponsored by Certified Angus Beef
WINNER
BVI: Kenneth Molyneaux
GOLD
BVI: Kenneth Molyneaux
St. Maarten: Suzirea Adoptie
SILVER
Bahamas: Jamal Petty
Barbados: Kirk Ruck
Bonaire: Miguel Saragoza
Cayman Islands: Raiesh Govindasamy
Curaçao: Dane Ribeiro Rodriguez
Jamaica: Khalil Campbell
Puerto Rico: Juan Lebrón
St. Lucia: Nissa Paul
Suriname: Raktnil Mahes
Trinidad & Tobago: Ridge Juman
Turks & Caicos: Joseph Charles
USVI: Shawn Riley
SEAFOOD COMPETITION
WINNER
Barbados: Damian Leach
GOLD
Barbados: Damian Leach
SILVER
Bahamas: Kevyn Pratt
Cayman Islands: Jordy Rankin
Jamaica: Damion Gordon
Suriname: Gilbert Wirjomoenawi
Turks & Caicos: Edwin Gallardo
USVI: Norman McPherson
BRONZE
Bonaire: Sherundly Bernabela
BVI: Caswall Ponte
Curaçao: Jereld Balentien
Puerto Rico: Alejandro Torres
St. Lucia: Klent Abel
St. Maarten: Justin Assendelft
HONORARY MENTION
Trinidad & Tobago: Aswad Forde
CHOCOLATE COMPETITION
Sponsored by Valrhona
WINNER
Bonaire: Sherundly Bernabela
SILVER
Bonaire: Sherundly Bernabela
St. Maarten: Ronald Estephane
Turks & Caicos: Yoginder Singh
BRONZE
BVI: Ansony Salmon
Curaçao: Carlos Anthonij
St. Lucia: Kisha Prosper
USVI: Natalie Buckner
HONORARY MENTION
Barbados: Ron Maynard
Jamaica: Alicia Baker-Wray
Puerto Rico: Zuleika Rivera Reices
SPECIAL AWARDS
Andre Niederhauser Visionary Leadership Award
Augusto Schreiner
Hans Schenk Commemorative Award for the Most Innovative Dish utilizing Indigenous Ingredients
Winner – Yamuro Zuiverloon, Suriname, Junior Chef
Tony Mack Spirit of the Competition
Winner – Team Anguilla
Winner – Our Bartender Judges: Ira Claxton, Marv Cunningham and our Bartender Head Judge, Raakesh Madoo
Best Rum Drink
Winner – Barbados, Ryan Adamson
Best Vodka Drink
Winner – Trinidad & Tobago, Clinton Ramdhan
Best Non Alcoholic Drink
Winner – St. Maarten, Paul Petterson
