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British
celebrity chef Antony Worrall Thompson recently took on Jamaica's top
jerk chefs in an audacious bid to prove he had taken the island's
signature dish to a new level at Jamaica Inn in Ochos Rios.
He came tantalisingly close but,
in the end, chefs Rupert Bourne and Mark 'Max' Miller were crowned
joint winners of the first ever International Jamaica Jerk Challenge.
Bourne and Miller, the two Jamaican jerk specialists, took on two of
the world's leading chefs, Worrall Thompson from London, and Cheryl
Smith of New York, to win the auspicious title.
Mr. John Lynch, Director of
Tourism, Jamaica Tourist Board commented: "Jerk is our most
famous dish, so when Antony said he had the best jerk recipe it
seemed like a great idea to put him to the test with some of
Jamaica's most famous jerk chefs on one of our best beaches."
Rupert Bourne has been jerking
meats in Boston Beach, the birthplace of this unique cooking method,
for over 30 years. According to him, the result was never in doubt:
"We are the original jerk cooks in Boston. It's great that jerk
is popular all over the world but no matter how good these chefs are,
it all started with us."
Max Miller is head chef at
Scotchies the leading jerk restaurant in Ocho Rios. He was equally
pleased with his win: "I was quietly confident because this
is something I do every day and I am passionate about it. We stay
true to the traditional way of jerking meat."
The judging panel included
celebrated food authors and key industry players; Virginia Burke,
Gariel Ferguson and Dennis McIntosh. This highly esteemed team of
judges conducted a blind tasting before announcing the winner of the
Jamaica Jerk Challenge.
Virginia Burke commented: "The
standard of jerking was extremely high today. Rupert has been doing
this for 30 years and Scotchies is the leading jerk restaurant, yet
Antony and Cheryl were brave enough to take them on."
Mary Phillips, General Manager of
Jamaica Inn was delighted with the result: "This initiative
will highlight authentic Jamaican food to travellers who may stay in
hotels like ours but want to sample fabulous roadside cuisine during
a trip to Jamaica".
"As one of the finest
resorts in the Caribbean, we are known for our cuisine but our guests
couldn't wait to sample the wonderfully spicy jerk pork and chicken
served by these world-class chefs straight from fiery pit barbecues
on the beach."
Having instigated the Challenge
with his claim to having the best jerk recipe, Antony Worrall
Thompson was thrilled at his own performance: "No one
expected a British chef to win here but the result was surprisingly
close. The Jamaicans had 50 years of experience between them, while
this was my first time cooking in a jerk pit. I thoroughly enjoyed
the experience and it has only enhanced my love for Jamaica and its cuisine."
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