Taste of Belize honours top foodies

Some were masters, others, aspiring amateurs … but this weekend, they all received the same opportunity to impress the judges in the sixth annual Taste of Belize Competition. On Saturday, some forty-three participants showed off their bartending, cooking, grilling, and cake decorating skills to the sold-out crowd that gathered at the Radisson Fort George Hotel to sample the best in Belizean cuisine. Official judging has named Calbert Santiago of Jaguar Reef Lodge in Hopkins as Professional Chef of the Year and Elma Dominguez of the Radisson as Amateur Chef of the Year. The year’s best bartender is Enrique Luna of Victoria House in San Pedro, while the country’s grill master is David Longsworth. Marilyn Bouloy of SunSpree Resort was crowned queen of the cake decorators, while Channel Five’s own Mary Mangar was a close second. The event also featured entertainment from Kenny Gladden and the New Creation Band and Supa G.