PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – The Trinidad & Tobago Culinary Team was named “Best of the Best” at the 2007 Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Conference (CHTC) last week in Miami by taking home the gold medal in the Culinary Team Competition.
This is the third time Trinidad & Tobago’s national team has won the gold and the first time in Taste of the Caribbean history that a team has brought home the honor three times. Raymond Bernard also brought home the “Bartender of the Year” Award for his mixology expertise.
A panel of culinary officials adjudicated the event and judgment was based upon taste, execution of skills, presentation as well as the ability to maintain a clean, safe and efficient working environment throughout the competition. The Trinidad & Tobago culinary team members are Bernard Long, Sabrina Rosales, Raymond Joseph, Keirha Forde, Kathryn Anne Lander and Raymond Edwards.
“We are proud of our culinary team and their achievement in bringing home this award for a third time,” said Dr. James Hepple, President of the Tourism and Development Company of Trinidad & Tobago. “Trinidad & Tobago has many different cultures that reside on the island and that diverse blend reflects in our deliciously interesting cuisine,” he added.
Held at the Hyatt Regency Miami, the annual Taste of the Caribbean culinary team competition involved a total of 13 teams cooking and presenting food which was judged over the course of two nights. The competition consisted of a dinner preparation where teams worked simultaneously in the competition kitchen.
Trinidad & Tobago competed against Anguilla, Bahamas, Barbados, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Curacao, Grenada, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten/St. Martin, St. Vincent & The Grenadines, Suriname, and the United States Virgin Islands.
