The audience-favorite Culinary Pavilion will be back for another year at the Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival this November 13th at the Miramar Regional Park. Hosted by the inimitable Chef Irie, the Culinary Pavilion brings together expert chefs, performing informative demonstrations on jerk techniques, and amateur celebrity chefs ready to duke it out in the Celebrity Cook-Off challenge.
Chef Maxcel Hardy
This year, the Culinary Pavilion will host an incredible assortment of chefs. Chef Maxcel Hardy is a restaurateur from Detroit who adds Bahamian flair to everything from flatbread pizza to veggie burgers, earning him endorsements from the Kellogg Company and an appearance on the Food Network.
Chef Ron Duprat
Chef Ron Duprat is a renowned chef trained at the La Varenne Ecole De Cuisine in Paris, France and at the Culinary Institute of America. He combines prestigious French techniques with tried and true Caribbean flavors to create dishes that have captivated palettes on the biggest stages including multiple Food Network appearances and a deep run on Top Chef. Charity is close to the chef’s heart, he’s affiliated with Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign and is part of the “Grown In Haiti” campaign – a grassroots organization that aims to support community empowerment and environmental regeneration in rural communities in Haiti.
Chef Vicky Colas
Chef Vicky Colas rounds out the list. A James Beard Fellow and silver medalist Caribbean Chef of the Year at the Taste of the Islands competition, Chef Colas has good cooking in her blood, having grown up on a family estate that prioritized fresh ingredients and delicious feasts. She brings her experience, and techniques to her cooking and works as a nutritionist.
Celebrity Guest Chefs
Joining these established chefs are celebrity guest chefs Julie Guy of 101.5 FM, a previous champion at the event, and Chernéy Amhara from NBC 6 South. Both will be competing in the mystery box challenge. The challenge goes as follows – Chef Irie crafts a surprise box ahead of time filled with ingredients tailored to the contestants’ dietary preferences. Contestants have to make use of each ingredient in their dish and have around 30 mins allotted time to complete it. It sounds simple, but Chef Irie always throws in a curveball or two; unconventional ingredients for a jerk dish such as goji berries or granola bars, or mischievous antics such as having the contestants switch stations mid-match and cook each other’s dish.
The Culinary Pavilion is the perfect cap to your festival experience blending multiple aspects of Jamaican culture – good food, tons of antics, and lots of comedy.
