Acclaimed Female Chefs Wow Guests at Culinary Month Dinner

By Latrishka Thomas

Five celebrated female chefs from across the Caribbean came together on Friday evening for a standout culinary event that put Caribbean food, local ingredients and female talent firmly in the spotlight.

Held at  Hodges Bay Resort and Spa’s NaCI restaurant as part of Antigua and Barbuda’s annual Culinary Month, the multi-course dinner featured dishes crafted by Chef Keshia Sakarah, Chef Maurine Bowers, Chef Brigette Joseph, Chef Suzanne Barr, and Chef Nina Compton, each paired with specially created cocktails featuring English Harbour Rum from the Antigua Distillery.

The evening opened with an Amuse-Bouche from Sakarah — a tuna ceviche made with passionfruit, green plantain and annatto oil, paired with an English Harbour 5-year Passionfruit Mojito. She is an acclaimed chef, food writer, author and food educator born and raised in Leicester, England, of Montserratian and Barbudan heritage. She used freshly caught local tuna and built the dish entirely around local fruits and ingredients.

Sakarah said the week spent cooking alongside the other chefs was a highlight in itself. “Cooking with the ladies for the last two days has been the best. This is a lovely event,” she remarked.

The first course belonged to Antiguan culinary pioneer Maurine Bowers, whose “Boozy Pumpkin” served with sweet pepper sugo and pumpkin seed dressing and paired with an English Harbour Madeira Cask Spritz, drew on her deep passion for local produce.

“Pumpkin is widely available on the island but I find that we do not do much with it except boiling, roasting, sautéing, and mashing,” Bowers explained. “I wanted to give an elevated look, mouthfeel — something out of the ballpark in terms of the different ways we can utilise not just the local pumpkins but also the local ingredients available in Antigua.”

For Bowers, the evening held a deeper significance beyond the food. She said: “I don’t normally share the platform with other women. It’s normally men because we all realise that the culinary field is dominated by men. So to be able to share this platform with other professional female chefs, I can’t explain how overjoyed I am to be here representing Antigua; showcasing what we can do, the local talent that is here, and also sharing the platform with the international chefs that came in.”

Bowers is a highly accomplished culinary leader with nearly 30 years of experience in the luxury hospitality industry and is widely regarded as one of the country’s top culinary figures, having made history as a female chef in Antigua and Barbuda’s competitive resort sector. She currently serves as an Executive Chef at the Moon Gate Hotel and Spa.

The second course was served by award-winning Trinidadian executive chef Brigette Joseph, who reimagined one of Trinidad and Tobago’s most beloved dishes. Her curry crab and dumpling,  presented as Crumb Agnolotti with curry corn velouté, chadon beni pistou, sweet mango chutney and crispy sourdough crumbs was paired with an English Harbour 10-year Masala cocktail.

“Usually the whole crab is curried and we really fight with all the shells,” Joseph said. “But this time I just got the meat, stuffed the curry crab in the pasta, and I’m serving it with a curry corn velouté — a nice thick sauce — topped with mango chutney, shadow beni, and some toasted breadcrumbs just to get a little crunch,” she explained.

For Joseph, the event also carried personal meaning, describing her return to Antigua as a full circle moment. “When I first started in the industry as an intern, I did my first internship in Antigua. So being back here is really like a full circle moment and I’m really happy to be here. The hotel has been beautiful — honestly, it’s a gorgeous resort.”

The third course came from Suzanne Barr, a visionary award-winning chef, author and resident judge on Food Network Canada’s cooking competition show Wall of Chefs, who was also prominently featured in the acclaimed documentary film ‘The Heat: A Kitchen (R)evolution.’ Her pan-seared snapper with coconut rum butter sauce and charred local vegetables was paired with an English Harbour 5-year Market Street Daiquiri. Barr said the rum itself was the soul of the entire dish. “That sweetness, the aromatics, all the caramelisation from the rum, all put in the sauce and that is the heart of this dish.”

Visiting Antigua for the second time, Barr said the island had once again left a lasting impression on her. “It is a stone in my heart once again. We’ve just missed the busy season and everyone’s getting ready for carnival, but we’re right in the middle of it and it feels that real, real Caribbean slowdown. For me, coming from a busy city, I need that slowdown anytime.”

James Beard Award-winning Saint Lucian chef, restaurateur and author Nina Compton closed the dinner on a sweet note with her mango and rum upside-down cake — served with rum caramel and mango and pineapple ice cream — paired with an English Harbour 90th Anniversary expression. Best known as the runner-up and fan favourite on Bravo’s Top Chef: New Orleans Season 11, Compton said she drew on the best of what the season had to offer using mangoes as well as the Antigua Black Pineapple.

Compton, who was visiting Antigua for the first time, said the island immediately felt like home. “I’m from Saint Lucia so it reminds me a lot of home. Small island people — we understand. We welcome people and the people have been really nice.”

The five chefs spent days at the resort ahead of the dinner, preparing and refining their dishes in the NaCI kitchen. They were assisted by culinary students from Antigua and Barbuda — an experience that gave the next generation of local talent a rare and invaluable opportunity to work side by side with some of the Caribbean’s most accomplished culinary professionals.

Hodges Bay Resort and Spa General Manager Christopher Eastmond, who recently returned to Antigua after seven years away, said the event was exactly what the industry needed.

“Most of the hotels I’ve had the opportunity to work in have events like this, where we invite amazing talent from the region to showcase what we can do, not only in the Caribbean but in the world. I’m a strong believer that we must support each other and continue to support each other within this industry and make it stronger and stronger,” he said. Culinary Month is an annual series organised by the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority and has been running since 2023. The festival has helped earn Antigua and Barbuda the title of the Caribbean’s Best Emerging Culinary City Destination. Friday’s dinner at Hodges Bay was one of many events held across the island throughout May.By Latrishka Thomas

Five celebrated female chefs from across the Caribbean came together on Friday evening for a standout culinary event that put Caribbean food, local ingredients and female talent firmly in the spotlight.

Held at  Hodges Bay Resort and Spa’s NaCI restaurant as part of Antigua and Barbuda’s annual Culinary Month, the multi-course dinner featured dishes crafted by Chef Keshia Sakarah, Chef Maurine Bowers, Chef Brigette Joseph, Chef Suzanne Barr, and Chef Nina Compton, each paired with specially created cocktails featuring English Harbour Rum from the Antigua Distillery.

The evening opened with an Amuse-Bouche from Sakarah — a tuna ceviche made with passionfruit, green plantain and annatto oil, paired with an English Harbour 5-year Passionfruit Mojito. She is an acclaimed chef, food writer, author and food educator born and raised in Leicester, England, of Montserratian and Barbudan heritage. She used freshly caught local tuna and built the dish entirely around local fruits and ingredients.

Sakarah said the week spent cooking alongside the other chefs was a highlight in itself. “Cooking with the ladies for the last two days has been the best. This is a lovely event,” she remarked.

The first course belonged to Antiguan culinary pioneer Maurine Bowers, whose “Boozy Pumpkin” served with sweet pepper sugo and pumpkin seed dressing and paired with an English Harbour Madeira Cask Spritz, drew on her deep passion for local produce.

“Pumpkin is widely available on the island but I find that we do not do much with it except boiling, roasting, sautéing, and mashing,” Bowers explained. “I wanted to give an elevated look, mouthfeel — something out of the ballpark in terms of the different ways we can utilise not just the local pumpkins but also the local ingredients available in Antigua.”

For Bowers, the evening held a deeper significance beyond the food. She said: “I don’t normally share the platform with other women. It’s normally men because we all realise that the culinary field is dominated by men. So to be able to share this platform with other professional female chefs, I can’t explain how overjoyed I am to be here representing Antigua; showcasing what we can do, the local talent that is here, and also sharing the platform with the international chefs that came in.”

Bowers is a highly accomplished culinary leader with nearly 30 years of experience in the luxury hospitality industry and is widely regarded as one of the country’s top culinary figures, having made history as a female chef in Antigua and Barbuda’s competitive resort sector. She currently serves as an Executive Chef at the Moon Gate Hotel and Spa.

The second course was served by award-winning Trinidadian executive chef Brigette Joseph, who reimagined one of Trinidad and Tobago’s most beloved dishes. Her curry crab and dumpling,  presented as Crumb Agnolotti with curry corn velouté, chadon beni pistou, sweet mango chutney and crispy sourdough crumbs was paired with an English Harbour 10-year Masala cocktail.

“Usually the whole crab is curried and we really fight with all the shells,” Joseph said. “But this time I just got the meat, stuffed the curry crab in the pasta, and I’m serving it with a curry corn velouté — a nice thick sauce — topped with mango chutney, shadow beni, and some toasted breadcrumbs just to get a little crunch,” she explained.

For Joseph, the event also carried personal meaning, describing her return to Antigua as a full circle moment. “When I first started in the industry as an intern, I did my first internship in Antigua. So being back here is really like a full circle moment and I’m really happy to be here. The hotel has been beautiful — honestly, it’s a gorgeous resort.”

The third course came from Suzanne Barr, a visionary award-winning chef, author and resident judge on Food Network Canada’s cooking competition show Wall of Chefs, who was also prominently featured in the acclaimed documentary film ‘The Heat: A Kitchen (R)evolution.’ Her pan-seared snapper with coconut rum butter sauce and charred local vegetables was paired with an English Harbour 5-year Market Street Daiquiri. Barr said the rum itself was the soul of the entire dish. “That sweetness, the aromatics, all the caramelisation from the rum, all put in the sauce and that is the heart of this dish.”

Visiting Antigua for the second time, Barr said the island had once again left a lasting impression on her. “It is a stone in my heart once again. We’ve just missed the busy season and everyone’s getting ready for carnival, but we’re right in the middle of it and it feels that real, real Caribbean slowdown. For me, coming from a busy city, I need that slowdown anytime.”

James Beard Award-winning Saint Lucian chef, restaurateur and author Nina Compton closed the dinner on a sweet note with her mango and rum upside-down cake — served with rum caramel and mango and pineapple ice cream — paired with an English Harbour 90th Anniversary expression. Best known as the runner-up and fan favourite on Bravo’s Top Chef: New Orleans Season 11, Compton said she drew on the best of what the season had to offer using mangoes as well as the Antigua Black Pineapple.

Compton, who was visiting Antigua for the first time, said the island immediately felt like home. “I’m from Saint Lucia so it reminds me a lot of home. Small island people — we understand. We welcome people and the people have been really nice.”

The five chefs spent days at the resort ahead of the dinner, preparing and refining their dishes in the NaCI kitchen. They were assisted by culinary students from Antigua and Barbuda — an experience that gave the next generation of local talent a rare and invaluable opportunity to work side by side with some of the Caribbean’s most accomplished culinary professionals.

Hodges Bay Resort and Spa General Manager Christopher Eastmond, who recently returned to Antigua after seven years away, said the event was exactly what the industry needed.

“Most of the hotels I’ve had the opportunity to work in have events like this, where we invite amazing talent from the region to showcase what we can do, not only in the Caribbean but in the world. I’m a strong believer that we must support each other and continue to support each other within this industry and make it stronger and stronger,” he said. Culinary Month is an annual series organised by the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority and has been running since 2023. The festival has helped earn Antigua and Barbuda the title of the Caribbean’s Best Emerging Culinary City Destination. Friday’s dinner at Hodges Bay was one of many events held across the island throughout May.