The Week at the SLHTA - SLHTA Preps National Culinary Team for Taste of the Caribbean Competition

Come support the National Culinary Team at their final team dinner before they leave for Miami. These culinary artists will entice you with Fusions of Saint Lucian Flavours created from medleys of local ingredients.

Look forward to being engaged in a cocktail presentation that will add flare to your fine dining. Let the team’s Bartender compliment your evening with his charisma and delectable cocktails.

Come to critique the dishes and cocktails and leave your feedback with the team, feedback that they will use to bring home the GOLD.

**SAVE THE DATE**

SLHTA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Thursday 19th July 2018

SLHTA Preps National Culinary Team for Taste of the Caribbean Competition

The St. Lucia Hotel & Tourism Association is gearing up for the 2018 edition of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) Taste of the Caribbean Culinary Competition.

An eight-member National Culinary Team comprising of seven chefs and a bartender has already been selected, and the SLHTA is going full steam ahead with preparations for the competition which is scheduled to take place in Miami from June 22 – 26, 2018.

The Tourism Enhancement Fund is the main sponsor of St. Lucia’s National Culinary Team and all local events associated with the (CHTA) Taste of the Caribbean Culinary Competition.

The competition is open to hotel and restaurant chefs and bartenders who are members of the SLHTA.

As the big day draws near, there is growing anticipation within the hospitality sector for what is considered to be one of the most spectacular and sought-after culinary events in the Caribbean.

The SLHTA will be hosting a series of preparatory dinners, practice sessions, tastings and public culinary demonstrations that will be open to both invited guests and the general public. These sessions will allow for direct interaction with the National Culinary Team members, thus enabling them to receive critical feedback, while progressively honing their competitive skills.

Taste of the Caribbean is a hot-food competition where the competitors cook and present meals to be judged on presentation, taste and execution of skills.

“The SLHTA and the Tourism Enhancement Fund take great pride in supporting the (CHTA) Taste of the Caribbean Competition,” said SLHTA CEO, Roderick Cherry. “What delights us all the more is that the competition provides great educational opportunities and inspiration to the chefs who participate in the various workshops, dinners and demonstrations that we host to help them improve their skills and performance. Over the years we have prepared and sponsored several National Culinary Teams who went on to represent St. Lucia quite successfully in the competition, and put the island on the map in regional and international culinary circles. We look forward to another great performance from our national team this year,” he added.

Last year St. Lucia’s National Culinary Team won a silver medal in the Best Team Dinner category, along with a number of individual awards in the winners’ respective fields.

This year’s team is also being sponsored by LUCELEC, Dilly’s Supermarket, Massy Stores, Trans Caribbean, Saint Lucia Distillers, Crown Foods, RJB Supplies and CPJ.

Saint Lucia Summer of Discovery

This promotion runs from June 1 to September 30, 2018 with the draw scheduled for October 8, 2018. The promotion encourages visitors to explore the island to increase their chances of winning a US$10,000 prize. The premise is for persons to visit and engage with the over 20 iconic sites and attractions which showcases the island in the areas of Family, Adventure, Dive, Health & Wellness, Romance, and Culinary.

In order to make this promotion a success, we are kindly soliciting your assistance in sharing the attached flyer with your mailing list, social media platforms and website to further encourage persons to participate. Should you have any additional questions, please feel free to reach out via email or call us at 1758 458 7101.

Local Hotels and Restaurants Continues Support for Developing Culinary in Secondary Schools

The Saint Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association expresses heartfelt gratitude to all the Chefs who continue to take time off of their busy schedules to visit the schools and also coach students for the competition.

We have had continued support from chefs from Bay Gardens Resorts, Windjammer Landing Villa Beach Resort, Cap Maison Hotel, Jade Mountain, Coconut Bay Beach Resort, Big Chef Steakhouse, Sandals Resorts, Tapas on the Bay, Caribbean Pirates Restaurant, The Landings Resort to name a few.

Over the years, the Chefs and partners have dedicated their time, resources and expertise to train young aspiring chefs for the industry and have had many success stories thus faa.

As we gear up for an even more exciting Cook Off, the SLHTA would like to Thank all our hotel/restaurant partners as well our sponsors coming on board this year.

Salvation Army Child Care Centre and Faces of Cancer to Benefit from Vibes on the Island

Local Not for Profit organizations, The Salvation Army Child Care Centre and Faces of Cancer St. Lucia, are both looking forward to the financial support they are to receive from proceeds from Vibes on the Island, a benefit concert put on by the Sandals Foundation.

The Salvation Army Child Care Centre, located in Castries, is in need of major upgrades to meet the requirements of the Ministry of Health and the needs of the children it serves. The centre and school are part of the expansive community-related programs offered by the Salvation Army in St. Lucia. The centre caters to children between 0 – 5 years old from the inner city community and has a current student population of over 60. They receive daycare services and early childhood education from a small team of five teachers.

Chairman of the Salvation Army Advisory Board, Malcolm Burns, said the support of the Sandals Foundation will further facilitate the operations of the Salvation Army Child Care Centre for the benefit of the communities they serve.

“Interpreting Key Financial Statements to Improve Your Bottom Line”

Training will be held on the 7 th June 2018, at the SLHTA Training Centre from 9:00 am to 4.00 pm. Cost of the training course is $465.00 EC plus VAT which includes morning break and lunch.

This is a very pragmatic and interactive workshop, designed for new and existing supervisors and managers, who are looking to improve their basic understanding of the key financial statements that they are likely to come across in the running of their teams and departments.

Many new supervisors and managers are confident in their ability to undertake the operational tasks of their department but frequently shy away from understanding the underlying financial numbers of their departments.

This course seeks to reduce the fear of using ‘numbers’ in operating their department. It provides a very pragmatic and contextualized approach, including the use of real world examples, to demystify the key financial statements, allowing them to apply what is learned to improve the operations of their department. It also gives them the confidence to discuss the information contained within financial reports with other managers including the General Manager and the business’s Financial Controller.

Topics to be covered include… READ MORE

“Disaster Mitigation in a New Climate: Business Continuity and Insurance Symposium”

The imminent threat posed by the increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events places the business community, as well as the entire island of Saint Lucia in a very vulnerable and precarious position. Bearing this in mind the Chamber of Commerce Industry and Agriculture on Tuesday, 8 th May, held a one day Symposium which seek to create a heightened level of sensitivity, awareness and understanding of the nature and threat of the risk exposure faced by the business community.

The objective of the seminar was to inform and educate the public on how risk management measures, in particular insurance, can be used as effective tools in mitigating the risks faced and recovering from them.

Topics discussed includes; The Dominica Experience: A Personal Testimonial, Practical Risk Management Strategies for Business Owners, Insurance as a Tool for Economic Recovery and Business Continuity and The Human Factor: Health and Medical Risks.

Guest speakers included Mr. Claudius Francis, President of the Saint Lucia Insurance Council and Professional Loss Adjuster, Ms. Velda Joseph, Director of the National Emergency Management Organization, Mr. Leathon Khan, Insurance Professional and other representatives from various insurance agencies island wide.

Representing the SLHTA at that event was the Linkages Officer, Ms. Donette Ismael.