{"id":17887,"date":"2012-02-13T09:16:06","date_gmt":"2012-02-13T14:16:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/?p=17887"},"modified":"2012-02-15T11:32:22","modified_gmt":"2012-02-15T16:32:22","slug":"andros-produce-impresses-top-bahamas-chefs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/2012\/02\/andros-produce-impresses-top-bahamas-chefs","title":{"rendered":"Andros Produce Impresses Top Bahamas Chefs"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Pictured from left during a weekend tour of Andros farms Big Yard Farmers Company president Floyd Newton, Chief Councillor Vanda Rahming, BAIC executive chairman Edison Key, Abaco agriculture investor Paul Baker, BAIC farm manager Ayret Lightbourn, Breezes SuperClubs chef Ingrid Darling, and RIU Resort chef Don Ingraham talk about cabbages. (BIS Photo\/Gladstone Thurston)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

North Andros produce won the confidence of executive chefs from top New Providence hotels and restaurants following a weekend tour of farms there.<\/p>\n

It was another in a series of conferences BAIC has been organising between New Providence-based buyers and Family Island farmers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will do the best we can to assist farmers in opening to them a market that is estimated to be worth $500 million,\u201d said BAIC executive chairman Edison Key. \u201cThat is the value of food products we import into this country, much of which we can produce right here.\u201d<\/p>\n

The team toured farms, the agro-industrial park, the government\u2019s packing-house, and docks.<\/p>\n

Chefs attending were Simeon Hall Jr (Solomon\u2019s Fresh Market), Fred Van Breugel (Van Breugel Restaurant), Emmanuel Gibson (One & Only Ocean Club), Jason McBride (Wyndham Nassau Resort), Mark Percival (Atlantis Resort), Ingrid Darling (Breezes SuperClubs), Luis\u00a0 Manyelbatlle (Poop Deck West), Pascal Hollander (Lyford Cay Club), Shaker Estaphane (Old Fort Bay Club), Don Ingraham (RIU Bahamas), and Kabuti Lockhart (British Colonial Hilton).<\/p>\n

\u201cThe chefs were all very excited by what they saw,\u201d said Deanne Gibson, Ministry of Tourism\u2019s Culinary Tourism manager. \u201cDialogue between them and the farmers was positive.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am even more pleased that the chefs are interested in producing indigenous dishes using these products.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are some challenges including grading, packaging, and transportation, but nothing that cannot be overcome.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the Ocean Club\u2019s Chef Gibson, \u201cI see great things in the future for chefs and farmers working together. I believe we can get better products grown locally, the cost to consumers will be less, and the products will be fresher.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just have to come up with ways to make it happen. There is no more time for talking. We have to get people who are serious and make it work.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
BAIC farm manager Ayret Lightbourn (second right) answers questions from chefs on tomato production in North Andros. (BIS Photo\/Gladstone Thurston)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

During a tour of the town of Red Bays, Gibson was so impressed with the straw work there, he bought colourful baskets and place-mats.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am going to use them as buffet pieces,\u201d he said. \u201cDuring one of my VIP dinners, I am going to create a nice island theme. So Red Bays will be represented at the One & Only Ocean Club.\u201d<\/p>\n

Breezes SuperClubs\u2019 Chef Darling found the tour \u201cquite informative, very educational\u2026overall it was phenomenal. I wish we can do it again.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe quality of the products was beyond expectation. They are much better than those we import.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see lots of potential in Andros. It has even given me a few ideas as to what I may want to venture into on my retirement.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Chef Ingraham of RIU, Paradise Island, working with Bahamian farmers means saving money.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was surprised that fresh strawberries were grown in Andros,\u201d he said, \u201cbut I was disappointed that much of the egg plants and sweet peppers were falling to the ground, wasted.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a Bahamian corner on my buffet almost every night, and for breakfast I usually do boiled fish or stewed fish.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlso, I try to get sweet guinep, soup sop, sugar apples and dilly so that guests can enjoy these Bahamian delights.\u201d<\/p>\n

BAIC has taken a lead role in pursuit of the government\u2019s policy to increase food production thereby opening avenues of economic participation by Bahamians.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey were very happy with the quality of products and some of them were surprised to see what is taking place in Andros,\u201d said Mr. Key.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to so impress chefs with the products that when they purchase from wholesalers to make sure ask for Bahamian grown products\u2026as this creates jobs and strengthens the industry here in The Bahamas.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the chefs were very impressed with what they saw in Andros.\u201d<\/p>\n

By Gladstone Thurston
\nBahamas Information Services<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

North Andros produce won the confidence of executive chefs from top New Providence hotels and restaurants following a weekend tour of farms there.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_10223285771444175_51037792744":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[80,23,59],"class_list":["post-17887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lifestyle","tag-agriculture","tag-food","tag-islands"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17887"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17887\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}