USVI Culinary Team to Compete at Taste of the Caribbean After Seven-Year Hiatus

For the first time in seven years, the USVI will be fielding a team to compete in the annual Taste of the Caribbean culinary competition in Miami, Florida. The competition runs from Monday until Wednesday, November 20. The culinary team, consisting of Chef Kerish Robles, Pastry Chef Azamat Sabyrkulov, and Bartender Putrice Bush, will showcase the colors and flavors of Virgin Islands cuisine in a series of timed challenges “that test their ingenuity, presentation, showmanship, and more,” according to a statement from the USVI Hotel and Tourism Association, which has sponsored the territory's culinary team at Taste of the Caribbean competitions for 13 years. This year, VIHTA President Lisa Hamilton says the territory will be represented by a team of “dedicated professionals who have evolved their expertise in numerous settings spanning the globe.” St. Thomian Chef Robles is an award-winning certified professional chef and culinary educator with over 20 years of experience. She is a cer...