BHTA’s culinary showdown returns

Barbados’ premier culinary contest is to return after a four-year break, setting the stage for a mouth-watering showdown among culinary artists and mixologists. The Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) has announced that it was reviving its National Culinary Team Competition, which will help local culinary artists prepare for Caribbean glory in the regional competition.

During a launch ceremony held at its headquarters in Belleville, St Michael on Thursday, BHTA officials revealed that the winners would form a 10 to 15-member squad to represent Barbados at the prestigious Taste of the Caribbean culinary contest organised by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA).

Set to take place in late August, the national competition is open to both professional chefs and passionate amateurs, including chefs and bartenders. Ryan Forde, chief executive officer of the BHTA, clarified that entrants need not be affiliated with the hotel industry.

“You do have to either do one of the two things, which is work for a company that is a member of the BHTA, which is automatically a member of CHTA, or you can register your individual business as well,” Forde explained.

The application deadline is Friday, August 2, with Forde emphasising the competition’s value as a learning experience for all participants.

The Caribbean-wide Taste of the Caribbean final is scheduled for November in Miami. Barbados enters as the Caribbean national culinary team of the year, having clinched the title in 2019.

Javon Griffith, chairman of the BHTA, highlighted the competition’s role in nurturing talent. “The culinary team has produced some of the best chefs and bartenders on island, all of whom have grown professionally as a result of the process and who are currently leaders in the culinary industry in Barbados,”

Griffith said. “The training that chefs and bartenders receive as part of the Barbados culinary team is invaluable to give them the ability to do mass catering as well as outdoor catering for several promotional events.”