Culinary aficionados may now join food & beverage professionals at Taste of the Caribbean, to be held October 2-5, 2003, at the Renaissance Jamaica Grande Hotel, in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, the regional culinary competition hosted by the Caribbean Culinary Federation (CCF), culinary arm of the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA), now features a registration option for individual delegates.

“The main goal of Taste of the Caribbean is still to further the professional development of food and beverage professionals in the Caribbean,” said CCF Chairman Peter Rousseau, of Jamaica. “However, we are witnessing the rediscovery of our grandmothers` cuisine, reinvented, with a growing following of aficionados in the Caribbean and abroad.
At Taste of the Caribbean they will have the opportunity to experience different interpretations of Contemporary Caribbean Cuisine from across the region.” In addition to the culinary competitions for teams and individual chefs, the event will feature seminars such as “Wine & Caribbean Food Pairing” and “Baking Bread,” for enthusiasts of fine dining. 
The further development of a cuisine so intertwined in the Region`s own roots seeks to become not only a vehicle for the professional development of Caribbean nationals, but also an instrument to strengthen and expand other economic sectors, such as agriculture and manufacture, through the increased demand for Caribbean goods, indigenous ingredients, and cooking principles traditional to our region`s cultures.

Meanwhile, event organisers report significant interest from Caribbean nationals who wish to attend Taste of the Caribbean to cheer for their respective national teams. “The culinary competition is a very grassroots event, where each team has the creative liberty to display their culinary mastery, while reflecting the culinary tradition of their island nation. There is a lot of enthusiasm from the hospitality and the food & beverage communities in the Caribbean, especially from those countries that have a national team competing at Taste,” added Rousseau.

Twelve national teams are expected to date:  Anguilla, Aruba, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Curaçao, Grenada, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, St. Thomas/St. John, USVI; Trinidad & Tobago. In addition, Belize and St. Vincent & the Grenadines will also be competing in the individual categories.

Affordable registration has been made available for non-competing individuals, such as food lovers, hoteliers, and food & beverage professionals. The fee of US$100.00 per person includes access to the workshops, trade show, and the cocktail awards ceremony. Entrance to the competition meals must be purchased separately.

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