Barbadian chefs won the People’s Choice Award at the DC Embassy Chef Challenge, a culinary competition showcasing cuisines from around the world, held on March 7 at Washington’s Union Station.
Chefs Damian Leach of Cocktail Kitchen, Ann-Marie Leach, a vegan chef and wellness coach at Yummy Mummies, and mixologist Dameain Williams brought home the award – the third time for Barbados at the annual event.
“We remain proud of our island’s incredible culinary talent,” said Tenisha Holder, Senior Business Development Officer with Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI), who attended the event. “Our talented chefs and mixologist did an excellent job highlighting all the elements that make Barbados such a special place and reinforcing why we are the culinary capital of the Caribbean.”
Holder promoted the October 24-27 Barbados Food and Rum Festival, the annual celebration of the island’s culinary scene. She said the Chef Challenge provides a platform to showcase Barbadian food and rum drinks, as Barbados is the birthplace of rum.
BTMI has focused promotional efforts on the Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia area – known as the DMV – which Holder called “an important market” for attracting visitors to Barbados. United Airlines offers a year-round non-stop flight from Dulles Airport in Virginia with other carriers providing service with layovers in Charlotte, North Carolina and Miami, Florida.
As part of its strategic efforts, BTMI has targeted the DMV as a key market for drawing visitors to Barbados. BTMI representatives frequently travel to the US capital region to organise media events, meet with tour operators, and promote Barbadian culture through various initiatives and events like the DC Embassy Chef Challenge, helping to maintain air service and attract tourists from this market.
(PR/BT)
