A group of young culinary hopefuls are set to represent the Cayman Islands on the world stage next month at this year’s World Junior BBQ League championship in Southaven, Mississippi.
The World Junior BBQ League is a nonprofit organisation dedicated to bringing the world of competitive barbecue to teenagers through its annual event.
With the support of Cayman’s National Youth Culinary Programme, two teams of youngsters, representing high schools from across all three islands, will battle it out on the smokers with other aspiring chefs from around the world for the chance to become the top junior barbecue masters.
Last year saw some 12 young Caymanian pit masters compete at the barbecue showdown in four categories, including beef brisket, pulled pork, pork ribs and chicken thighs. They secured a fourth-place finish overall, bettering their first appearance in 2023 in which they placed second in one category and fifth place in the others.
Programme director James ‘Jamo’ Myles said they’re hoping to make a bigger impact at the 25 Sept. competition. He said the competitors were chosen from the winners of the regional championships, held earlier this year, and the national championship team, with members from schools including Clifton Hunter High School, Layman E. Scott Sr. High School and UCCI.
The National Youth Culinary Programme seeks to “develop world class leaders and decision makers in and out of the kitchen, and to ensure that young people in the Cayman Islands continue to be part of the tourism and hospitality industry by learning a lifesaving and employable skill”, according to its mission statement.
Myles said the two components of the programme, fine dining and the BBQ League, add to the tourism experience in the Cayman Islands.
The biggest success from the programme, Myles shared, is local chef Brittney Bodden, Cayman’s first female, Michelin-trained chef and a caterer to the Cayman Islands Parliament.
“It gives me goosebumps just thinking about her. There are others, including Tarec Francis, who graduated from Le Cordon Bleu London, the top culinary school on the planet, and Mohyndra Brown, who is back from college with her degree,” Myles said.
“A lot of them are finding their place in life and that’s all that we’re really about – to position our young people to win.”
Myles said Cayman must constantly evolve and create new facets to embrace.
“When we start to see the fruits of the culinary programmes, such as the BBQ League, where young Caymanians are cheffing it up at the hotels, in front of guests, I think it’s a whole different flavour they bring compared to the rest,” he said.
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