JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – If you're looking for a vacation getaway and a chance to meet and learn from some of the best chefs in the country we have an event for you.
The inaugural Minority Chef Summit will be held in Bahamas this May. The four-day event will showcase the talents and creativity of some of the leading minority professionals in the food and beverage industry.
There are several chefs in our area taking part. One of those is Executive Chef DeJuan Roy of Alhambra Theatre & Dining.
The inaugural Minority Chef Summit is a four-day event that will showcase the talents and creativity of some of the leading minority professionals in the food and beverage industry world-wide.
Taking place at the College of The Bahamas in Nassau, organizers say the summit will include an array of seminars, hands-on classes and competitions, as well as a culinary market. Organizer say the Minority Chef Summit is a conference for culinarians to come together to network, educate and to support the minority culinary community.
The Minority Chef Summit was founded by chef and chocolatier Erika Davis. Erika formerly served as Creative Director for Graycliff Chocolatier in Nassau. Organizers say Chef Erika's time spent in Nassau working with and teaching aspiring Bahamian chefs lies at the heart of her inspiration for creating the Minority Chef Summit.
"This is a unique opportunity to come together," Davis says. "Recognizing not only our individual craft, but the true excellence of our culinary community."
The 2014 Minority Chef Summit keynote speaker is Chef Jeff Henderson, an award-winning chef, public speaker and author of the New York Times Best Seller Cooked.
Organizers say additional featured culinary artists include:
- Chef Asha Gomez, owner, chef of Cardamom Hill Restaurant and Third Space in Atlanta
- Cardamom Hill was a 2013 James Beard nominee for Best New Restaurant
- Chef Jerome Brown, a celebrity private chef whose clientele include Shaquille O'Neal, Colin Powell and Priscilla Presley, to name a few. Chef Brown also has his own TV show, "Cooking with Rome."
- Chef Guy Wong, owner/chef of Miso Izakaya, and recently named one of Atlanta's 2012 Rising Stars
- Chef Ron Duprat, a fierce competitor on season six of Bravo's "Top Chef." Chef Duprat is author of "My Journey of Cooking" and if affiliated with organizations that contribute and give back to the community and people all over the world, including First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move.
- Chef Keith Rhodes, voted Wilmington, N.C.'s best chef for three consecutive years
- Chef Hugh Sinclair, executive chef and owner of Irie Spice personal catering in south Florida
- Chef Bryant Terry, eco-chef, food justice activist, and author. Terry was a 2008-2010 Food and Society Policy Fellow, a national Program of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
- Chef Dana Herbert, owner of Desserts by Dana and winner of TLC's "Cake Boss Next Great Baker."
- Chef Kenny Gilbert, executive chef of Plainfield Country Club and contestant on season seven of Bravo's "Top Chef."
- Chef Nedal Mardini, chef de cuisine of Matthews Restaurant in Jacksonville
- Chef Thierry Delourneaux, executive pastry chef at Fairmont Singapore & Swissotel The Stamford in Singapore
- Chefarmer Matthew Raiford, a sixth-generation farmer behind Gilliard Farms and executive chef of Little St. Simons Island a private resort
- Chef Dwight Evans, recently awarded chef of the year by the American Culinary Federation
- Chef Duane Nutter, chef at One Flew South, voted one of the best airport restaurants
- Mixologists Tiffanie Barriere and Tokiwa Sears from One Flew South
The Minority Chef Summit 2014 is made possible through the assistance and support of The College of The Bahamas, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Graycliff Chocolatier, Graycliff Hotel & Restaurant and countless other corporate sponsors.