The hurricanes of September may have diminished the charter yacht fleet for the 2017 BVI Charter Yacht Show and Culinary Contest, but the quality of the food was better than ever! Nanny Cay Marina and Hotel came through with flying colors, opening rooms to accommodate many of us who had traveled a great distance, not only from America but from Croatia, Argentina, and Italy, to participate in the show. Janet Oliver, Show Director, pulled together a great event, in spite of the heavy rains which necessitated some location changes. The Culinary Contest theme for the chefs this year was an IRMARIA Special; a week without normal refrigeration and waning fresh produce. All of the chefs created incredible dishes and the contest was very close. The Judges, Gorvey Henry, Culinary Director at the community college; freelance chef Kanetha Ashton, and foodie Judy Petz, deliberated for some time before choosing the following winners:
First Place – Main Lunch Category
Chef Tyler Dawson, Zingara
Second Place – Main Lunch Category
Chef Rebecca Silva, Anastasia
First Place – Dessert
Chef Angelique Coetzer, Xenia 74
Second Place – Dessert
Chef Rebecca Silva, Anastasia
Overall Winner – Best dish with the ‘wow’ factor
Chef Angelique Coetzer, Xenia 74
Chef Tyler Dawson on the Catamaran Zingara is not new at winning awards. Born in Roadtown, Tortola, the family moved to South Africa when he was six years old. At the tender age of 14, he started as a chef apprentice. Dawson especially loved breads and baking and completed a three-year artisanal bread baking apprenticeship.
Dawson won the main luncheon category with a wild caught grilled Cero, served over stir-fried Calalloo and Ackee with breadfruit sticks, accompanied by freshly baked Foccacia bread.
I asked why he chose this dish.
“After Irma, I went scavenging,” he said. “Usually I love to use local fresh ingredients. I did find a breadfruit that had fallen and caught a wild Cero fish but had to use tinned callaloo and ackee. I like cooking completely from scratch – honest food, honest ingredients.”
Winner in the Dessert category, Angelique ‘Angie’ Coetzer, chef onboard Xenia 74 has such passion and creativity for food that she has now won the BVI Charter Yacht Show Culinary Contest twice; the first time in 2013 and now again in 2017. Not content with winning first place in the desert category, Coetzer also carried off the prize for Best Overall Dish.
Born in the town of Summerset West, on the edge of South Africa’s Stellenbosch Wine Region, Coetzer trained at the Top Nosh Culinary School in Cape Town. I asked Angelique how she became a chef on a charter yacht in the Caribbean?
“Bernie, my husband, has been part of the maritime industry for almost 13 years, and when I graduated from university, he wanted me to take some time off to come and sail with him! This adventure brought us to the BVI, a place where we could sail and charter together as a team.”
Angie loves to prepare anything local. “There is nothing more rewarding then getting fresh produce from the local vendors and preparing a dish with influence in the region. I love hearing the fisherman and farmers stories; learning about the interesting produce, and especially how people create their unique flavors!”
Angie is also a research geologist, has a PhD in Geology and is still currently involved in collaborative research projects with Universities in South Africa and the UK.
Great job chefs!
Capt. Jan Robinson’s Ship to Shore Cookbook Collection is available at your local marine or bookstore. Visit www.shiptoshoreINC.com email CapJan@aol.com.
