BANCO POPULAR
2009 Virgin Islands Ultimate Chef Challenge
The 2009 Banco Popular Ultimate Chef Challenge was a huge success! Hundreds of people gathered around to watch as seven courageous Chefs from St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix, Water Island, and the BVI battled it out with “Virgin Fresh” ingredients for the heralded position of Ultimate Chef and a check for $1000.
Chef Mathayom (Mat) Vacharat!
Chef Mat Vacharat, Chef and Owner of St. John Catering, won with a dish he calls Five-way Papaya Chicken — Seared Chicken Breast caramelized with Fennel Flower and Local Honey, served with Yucca-Potato Gallette, Green Papaya Slaw, Spicy Papaya Sauce, Plantain-Stuffed Papaya Cannoli, and Candied Papaya Seeds.
April 29th at 3:00 pm at the Carnival Cultural Fair
Top chefs from leading Virgin Islands restaurants prepared main courses consisting of an entrée and side dishes to vie for the honor of Ultimate Chef.
Chefs were presented with an array of produce, proteins, spices and herbs with which to showcase their culinary skills in originality, visual appeal, taste and best interpretation of the “Virgin Fresh” theme.
Meet the chefs
The challenge was officiated by Chef Leslie Gumbs, member of the VI Culinary Team, Instructor and Chef for Theo’s Personal Chef Services. A celebrity panel of judges included leading chefs, business leaders and celebrities from the Virgin Islands. Meet the judges
The winning chef, Chef Mat Vacharat, was presented with a $1,000 cash prize and an engraved Versace plate from Banco Popular.
The “Virgin Fresh” theme is a collaborative effort to brand locally grown produce and meats by the VI Department of Agriculture, Department of Tourism and UVI Cooperative Extension Service.
competition rules
YOUR MC FOR THE EVENT
Chef Leslie “Theo” Gumbs
Theo’s Personal Chef Services andTheo’s Caribbean Gourmet Foods, LLC.
Chef Theo is an award-winning, certified Executive Chef and Captain of the regionally competing, award-winning VI Culinary Team since 2006. He serves as the Chef Instructor of the VI Career, Technical, and Adult Education Institute formerly the Raphael O. Wheatley Skill Center. He has served as a judge for the Taste of St. Croix from 2006. He was featured in New York Caribbean Week 2006 and 2007 – making guest appearances on the WB Morning Show, on CBS’ The Early Show, at Bloomingdale’s and at Williams-Sonoma. He has created for Angostura, “Angostura Tomato Jam” featured in the January 2007 issue of Trinidad & Tobago’s The Distiller. With this jam, Chef Leslie won the award “Best Usage of Angostura ® aromatic bitters” in the CHIC Conference in Miami in 2006.
Chef Theo is adventurous and likes to create new unique dishes infusing fruits, herbs and produce indigenous to the Caribbean. In fact, he is a curious entrepreneur of Theo’s Gourmet Caribbean Foods, LLC. He has manufactured his personal line of island sauces and marinades, seasoning blends and vinaigrettes. It was released in Montreal, Canada at the Taste of the Caribbean “Un Goût des Caraïbes” in 2008. He is also a chef participant for the Taste of Montreal and plans to feature sauces at the upcoming May 2009 competition. Coming to a store near you!!
Leslie has worked at fine establishments in Atlanta such as Ansley Golf Club, Sydney’s Casual Fine Dining, Emory University (Airmark), and Moorehouse College (Sodexho). He has catered meals to President Clinton and his family, President Carter, Mike Tyson, Denzel Washington, The Victoria Secret Swim Suit Models, Eddie Murphy and former VI Governor Schneider.
Chef Theo studied at the American Culinary Federation-Atlanta Chapter, under the supervision of Executive Chef Jay Yarborough in a three year apprenticeship and chef certification program at Atlanta’s most affluent private club, Piedmont Driving Club.
