Anthony Daponte Wins Young Chefs Competition
Anthony Daponte recently won the Chaîne Young Chefs competition and will represent Bermuda in the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs International Young Chef competition to be held in Istanbul, Turkey in early October.
A spokesperson said, “On Friday, May 5, a group of committee members from the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs gathered at Bermuda College to judge the Chaîne Young Chefs competition. The competition was open to young chefs under the age of 27 by October of 2023. Anthony Daponte Sousa represented the Hamilton Princess, while Leanna Estis and Navar Dacosta represented Huckleberry. Participating in this event provided invaluable experience for all three chefs.
Navar DaCosta, Leanna Estis, Anthony Daponte
“The competitors were presented with a challenging task of creating a three-course meal within a four-hour period using a “mystery basket” of ingredients. The basket contained a diverse array of items such as a whole duck, shell-on white shrimp, fresh oysters, dover sole, pomegranates, macadamia nuts, shishito peppers, tricolour quinoa, kohlrabi, and rhubarb. Additionally, they had access to a common par stock with usual kitchen ingredients.
“Before diving into the cooking process, the chefs had half an hour to write their menu. Once the menu was prepared, they entered the kitchen, where they had three and a half hours to bring their vision to life, creating an appetizer, a main course, and a dessert. Their technical skills, cleanliness, timing, preparation, and utilization of the compulsory mystery basket ingredients were evaluated by a seasoned kitchen chef.
“After completing the preparation within the allocated time, the dishes were tasted and assessed by a panel of judges. The judges evaluated the dishes based on their originality, presentation, and taste. Several factors were taken into consideration, including whether the menu accurately described the appearance and flavor of the dish, how well the flavors and ingredients complemented each other, whether the compulsory mystery basket ingredients were incorporated, and the overall presentation of the plated items.
“This event could be incredibly intimidating and nerve-racking for young chefs who were not accustomed to performing under the critical gaze of judges while working against the clock. However, it is a pleasure to announce that all three chefs performed admirably and deserve congratulations for their skill and courage.
“The selection of the ‘mystery basket’ was entrusted to local chef Christopher Malpas, the Executive Chef at the Bank of Butterfield Group. Generously donated by Butterfield & Vallis, these ingredients provided the foundation for the competition. The kitchen judging was skillfully executed by Chef Shaun Ming, Head Culinary Instructor at Bermuda College.
“We extend our gratitude to Bermuda College for providing the venue for this event, as well as to the three culinary students who assisted the young chefs by procuring equipment, cleaning dishes, and delivering the plates for judging. The tasting judges included Josée Roy-Froncioni, Tenika Eve, Simon Carruthers, Philippe Froncioni, James Davis, and Jack Rhind.
“Following the accumulation of points from both the tasting judges and the kitchen judge, the results were not immediately revealed. On Saturday, May 13th, the three young chefs attended a reception at the Hamilton Princess Hotel, where the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs held their annual induction dinner. After the induction ceremony, the young chefs were called to the front, and Anthony Da Ponte Sousa from the Hamilton Princess Hotel was declared the winner.
“All three chefs received participation medals for their outstanding performance.
“As the winner, Anthony will represent Bermuda in the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs International Young Chef competition to be held in Istanbul, Turkey in early October. We extend our best wishes to him in this upcoming event and have every confidence that he will proudly represent Bermuda and gain valuable knowledge and experience throughout the process.”
