CARIBBEAN CUISINE TAKES CENTER STAGE WHEN 12 TEAMS COMPETE FOR TOP HONORS AT TASTE OF THE CARIBBEAN
Culinary Professionals To Share Latest Industry Trends With Their Peers
This year’s Taste of the Caribbean (#CHTATaste2016) competition is shaping up to be a fierce battle among 12 of the region’s premier culinary teams vying for top honors in Caribbean cuisine and beverage preparation and presentation. Taste of the Caribbean brings together food and beverage specialists to share, learn and network about the latest techniques and trends impacting the industry. The event, staged by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), will take place at the Hyatt Regency, Miami, June 6 – 10, 2016.During a series of competitions, chefs and bartenders from participating countries will present a variety of Caribbean entrees and cocktails as they contend for top honors including: Caribbean Culinary Team of the Year, Caribbean Chef of the Year, Caribbean Pastry Chef of the Year, Caribbean Bartender of the Year and Caribbean Junior Chef of the Year.
- The Bahamas defends its 2015 Caribbean National Team of the Year, Caribbean Bartender of the Year and Pastry Chef of the Year titles at this year’s event. The Bahamas’ Tracey Sheldon Sweeting has been named Pastry Chef of the Year four times.
- Trinidad and Tobago return to the competition after a two-year hiatus and look to expand on their five previous Team of the Year wins, which is the most by any country.
- Puerto Rico holds the record with the highest number of Chef of the Year titles with four and will strive to repeat their 2015 victory in this category.
- St. Lucia will defend their 2015 Caribbean Junior Chef of the Year title.
- St. Maarten returns to the competition after a six-year hiatus.
- Anguilla is participating and is training to “go for the gold” following a 2015 silver medal win.
- Barbados is prepping to try and recapture the Team of the Year honor, a title they were awarded in 2013.
- Bonaire is aiming to be a gold medal contender to duplicate their 2015 showing.
- Curacao rejoins the competition after its 2015 absence.
- Jamaica goes for gold in an effort to repeat its 2015 performance.
- Suriname has entered the competition and is working towards besting their silver medal win in 2015.
- U.S. Virgin Islands is striving towards a gold medal performance after taking home a silver medal in 2015.
Fans can display their island pride on social media by downloading the official Taste of the Caribbean badges via http://chtaforms.weebly.com/7—island-pride.html and using the hashtags #IslandPride2016 and #CHTATaste2016.
During Taste of the Caribbean, chefs and bartenders can meet face-to-face with peers from around the industry to discuss industry trends through a series of educational and professional development sessions. Details are being developed and will be announced in the coming weeks.
Registration
Full event registration, applicable to hoteliers, government entities and food/beverage professionals attending the entire duration of the event, is US$125 for CHTA members, US$155 for non-members and US$75 for students. Fully registered delegates can purchase tickets for the Awards Ceremony (US$70 per ticket), Taste of the Islands (US$40 per ticket) and the Competition Lunch and Competition Dinner (US$50 per ticket, per meal). Individual pricing is available by event.
CHTA has arranged a group rate of US$149 plus taxes and service charges, (run of house, single or double occupancy) per night, at the Hyatt Regency Miami. The group rate is available until May 20, 2016 and reservations can be made via this link.
Taste of the Caribbean is staged by CHTA in conjunction with host sponsor Interval International, event sponsor Clear Channel Airport Division, and event and product sponsor Certified Angus Beef.
Companies interested in learning about sponsorship opportunities should contact Matt Cooper, chief marketing officer, via matt@caribbeanhotelandtourism.
For additional information about Taste of the Caribbean, email events@
