Freeport chef wins local cooking competition presented by the Invest Grand Bahama Small Business Bureau (IGBSBB) of the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) Limited at the fifth annual Culinary Fusion Expo.
Chef Jasmine Roxbury is the official winner of the first annual Culinary Cook-Off. Roxbury describes what her accomplishment means and says, “This means so much to me because I competed against a top chef and won. I am so proud of myself and grateful to my family and customers who supported me all along the way.” The winning chef remembers watching YouTube clips of Chopped Top Chef Ed Harris and acknowledges that she admires his skills and reflects that it feels surreal to have competed against him and win. Roxbury recalls, “During the announcement of the winner, I heard them call my name and I just stood there in shock. I was not expecting to hear my name, I was in a state of shock because it all seemed too good to be true.”
Chef Roxbury’s award-winning dish featured a butter poached lobster topped with avocado, corn and pineapple salsa, served on top of a coconut curry ginger jasmine rice, along with a Goombay Punch infused vinaigrette. Roxbury says, “Winning the competition shows that we as Bahamians have spectacular talents that need to be supported and showcased. There are creative people with hidden talents who are in the shadows and I hope that my win inspires them to share their talents.”
The Culinary Cook-Off was held on Saturday, November 11 at the Grand Lucayan Hotel. Chef Richmond Fowler II, a member of the award-winning 2016 Taste of The Caribbean Bahamas team also competed in the event.
An expert panel of three judges from the culinary and hospitality field evaluated the competition that comprised of Chef Mario Adderley of the University of The Bahamas, Kirkland Harris of the Grand Lucayan Hotel, and Tim Tibbits of Flying Fish Modern Seafood restaurant. The judges were impressed at the skills of all participants. Adderley outlines “We looked at the participants skills and their abilities to infuse flavors together for a culinary delight and we were all blown away by what was sampled.” Chef Tibbits adds, “We were very surprised at the quality of the dishes and the ingredients that were used in a way that was so unexpected. At the end of it all, we made our final decision based on which dish we would want to eat again, this is how Chef Roxbury came out on top.”
Derek Newbold, Senior Business Manager for IGBSBB and GBPA highlights, “Overall, Culinary Fusion was a success and the Grand Bahama Port Authority was pleased to participate as the partner and key sponsor of the event. Many of our local food and beverage establishments served some delicious samples and the atmosphere throughout the venue was invigorating. Residents and visitors to our island now have new businesses they can support throughout the holidays and well after.” Newbold says, “The Culinary Cook Off exhibits that Grand Bahama is a dining destination where local entrepreneurs can create award winning culinary dishes, and this should encourage more of us to dine out to stimulate our local economy.”
