Three young hospitality professionals are heading to Singapore this November after winning the 2024 Young Chef Young Waiter and Young Mixologist Cayman Islands competition this month.
Brittany Bodden, Steff Mcdermot and Kody Wright respectively showcased their top culinary, service and mixology skills during the finale at Government House on 2 Sept.
The event, hosted in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Cayman’s local farming community, The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, and other local businesses, celebrated the best young waiters, chefs and mixologists in Cayman’s hospitality industry. The young talent worked as teams but were judged as individuals.
The winners were announced at an awards ceremony held on 3 Sept. The winners each received a cash prize of $1,150 donated by Sean Collins of Mise En Place, a first for the competition in Cayman, along with an all-expenses-paid trip to the World Young Chef Young Waiter and Young Mixologist finals.
Bodden, McDermot and Wright will represent the Cayman Islands at the competition in Singapore from 15-17 Nov. They will compete against the best young professionals from around the globe for the ultimate award of $15,000 for the winning team.
‘A different level of pressure’
For Cayman’s first female, Michelin-trained chef, Brittney Bodden, this was the second time she had entered the local competition.
Having previously won the competition in 2022 and acting as a judge at the event last year, Bodden told the Compass, this year, it was “a completely different level of pressure”.
Bodden decided to enter “because Caymanians don’t take these opportunities as seriously as they should, and after months of not seeing enough participants, I joined two weeks before the competition date.”
The challenge was to create a three-course meal, which included an appetiser, entree and dessert from local, sustainable ingredients, plus a ‘sustainable’ snack made from excess scraps from the other dishes.
“I was so nervous. A lot of people expected me to win … so, when they called my name, I nearly dropped to the floor,” Bodden said.
Since the age of 3, Bodden has had an interest in cooking and helping her parents cook. She cooked her first meal at age 7 and entered her first competition at age 10.
“I always knew deep down I was good at cooking, and I loved it, so I kept going,” she said.
During 15 years in the culinary world, Bodden said the profession has allowed her to assist celebrity chefs like Jeff Mauro and Emeril Lagasse, travel twice to Barbados for the Junior Duelling Challenge, and travel to Miami for the Taste of the Caribbean for three consecutive years.
Bodden said she put her heart and soul into this competition and is “very pleased with this year’s win. Everything is set in place and now we can have a real team to go and represent us in Singapore.”
‘A dream come true’
Wright, 25, who works at Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa, told the Compass it was a push from his colleagues and superiors that helped him make the decision to enter the competition for the first time.
“They’ve always seen the potential and passion I have for the industry, especially mixology. I’ve always been stagnant about it until I decided to take a risk and get out of my comfort zone,” Wright said.
Wright emerged victorious in the competition after navigating various bartender challenges, including communication and teamwork with chefs and servers, “anticipation and understanding of guests’ needs when not knowing what to order, creativity and adaptability when everything is going wrong, like missing equipment or ingredients”.
He said, “The competition was a little intimidating at first with all that was happening but after a while, I realised that I was just having fun with my fellow Caymanians, and it felt like a normal day at work”.
Wright said he is “pleased the win has put me into a position in life where I’ve only dreamed to be in”.
Wright has been working in and out of the industry for over eight years, serving in various professions such as the medical field, security, plumbing and construction, but “for some reason, every time I find myself back in hospitality”.
“I’ve been consistent now for two years as a bartender and I never looked back since,” he said.
“I really enjoy the people and connections I get to make on the daily. The appreciation you feel when you make something a guest really [enjoys], and the moments and memories I get to keep with me.”
He hopes to start a business one day and continue his career in the hospitality industry.
‘I had so much fun’
Mcdermot, 23, from At Sea Charters, told the Compass, she is “pleased” to have won the competition.
During the competition, her role as the waiter was to “set up the table to fine dining standards; open, introduce and serve champagne and wine. Most importantly my role was to run service by tending to the guests, introducing the dishes and serving the plates of food”.
She said, “The competition was outside of my comfort zone and was a lot more challenging than anticipated; however, after overcoming the nerves, I had so much fun.”
At just 14 years old, Mcdermot’s first job was a food runner and server at Czech Inn Grill.
“I loved interacting with tourists and sharing the chef’s passion for food with the guests. This wasn’t something I originally wanted to do as a career but my passion for ocean conservation, travelling and connecting with others led me into this career path,” she said.
For McDermot, the career has taken her all around the world.
“I would work and save for six months and travel for six months,” she said.
“It allowed me to work in Germany, to become a boat owner and it’s now taking me to Singapore. It also taught me incredible people skills, which has been the foundation of all of my accomplishments.”
The local competition is open to Caymanian nationals and naturalised Caymanians aged 28 and under, and provides “a vital platform for young chefs, waiters and mixologists to demonstrate their expertise and earn their place on the global stage,” according to a ministry press release.
Competition chairman Robert Walton said, “Hosting this event in the Cayman Islands highlights our commitment to discovering and nurturing the next generation of culinary and hospitality leaders worldwide.”
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