Enhancing Barbadian Cuisine: Urgent Call for Authentic Local Dishes in Menus

There is a pressing need to include authentic local dishes on the menu for visitors to Barbados, according to members of the management team for the Barbados National Culinary Team Competition and the Taste of the Caribbean.

On the second and final day of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association’s culinary competition, held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, team manager Adrian Cumberbatch observed that while there had been a marked improvement in the inclusion of local dishes in restaurant menus, there remained a pressing need to further augment the presence of indigenous delicacies. “We have to dig deeper into giving them 100 per cent Bajan, and into supporting our local farmers and our local artisans that create products from Barbadians,” Cumberbatch remarked.

Echoing this sentiment, Damian Leach, the culinary coach, pointed out the unique appeal of Barbadian cuisine to tourists, who he noted, seek out the distinctive flavours of the island.

“Most of the tourists that come to the island, they got some amazing restaurants to choose from and amazing chefs. When they come to Barbados, they come for something different; they come for our cuisine, our flavour,” Leach said, explaining that even if they dine at Michelin-starred restaurants, “they never had a breadfruit. That makes their journey to Barbados special.” He also emphasised the shift from foreign influences to locally inspired culinary practices in many of the island’s leading kitchens.

However, Cumberbatch pointed out that to achieve a satisfactory level of local dishes in restaurants and hotels, the agricultural sector must improve its consistency in produce availability and quality.

“Some farmers are not consistent with the product, or being consistent with the quality of the product,” he explained.

(SB)