The Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA) has launched a new competition called “Young Chefs, Young Mixologists” featuring 10 aspiring chefs and 5 aspiring mixologists who were selected after a very competitive application process.
Each competitor submitted video testimonials that proved to be thoughtful and compelling to the judges and displayed a passion for culinary excellence.
The competition was conceptualised with the goal of developing the skills of aspiring chefs and mixologists and will allow them the opportunity to work with some of the best chefs in the industry and gain invaluable on-the-job experience.
The competition will take place over a period of 4 days under the guidance of Chef Belinda Bishop of Flavours of Grenada. Key judges/Chefs of this competition will include Executive Chef Warwick of Sandals Grenada, Chef Nelcia of Silversands Grenada, Chef Ramces of the Calabash Boutique Hotel, Chef Andre of RTA Services and Chef Andre of St George’s University Club.
Training areas will include menu design, soups and sauces, etiquette training, media training and the practical side of culinary arts such as plating and knife skills.
Grenada, having been recently designated the world’s first culinary capital by the World Food Travel Association (WFTA), has been recognised due to our food being firmly attached to our cultural heritage and the spices we are known for has resulted in an overall robust and flavourful national food profile. In this regard the competition will focus heavily on sustainability and the use of local produce in the recipes and mixology creations.
The Grenada Tourism Authority is excited about the development of the island’s food tourism offerings and sees this as an opportunity to hone and nurture upcoming talent. CEO of the GTA Petra Roach believes that, “The hospitality sector can only flourish with a sustainable workforce who are well qualified and passionate. The Grenada Tourism Authority is working to ensure that there is a stronger and strategic approach to talent development in the industry. We want to have a transformative impact and we know that education and training will lead to better performance and better commercial success.”
GTA
