Winner Of 2021 JCDC Culinary Arts Competition Seeks To Repeat Feat

Winner in the 2021 Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) Culinary Arts Competition, Kerry-Ann Thomas, will be vying for the title again this year.

A strong believer in personal development and lifelong learning, Ms. Thomas will be challenging her abilities once again in her attempt to cop the first prize.

She will also be participating in the knife-skills component of the Competition, which showcases the artistry of food presentation.

Ms. Thomas’ accomplishments in the kitchen are made even more impressive due to a visual impairment at birth.

The Lawrence Tavern (Rural St. Andrew) resident was diagnosed with the condition, Strabismus, also known as hypertropia or crossed eyes. It is a misalignment of the eyes, causing one eye to deviate inward (esotropia) towards the nose, or outward (exotropia), while the other eye remains focused.

Previously reticent about discussing her condition, Ms. Thomas tells JIS News she is now determined to be a spokesperson in bringing awareness to the condition and to encourage other persons with disabilities to display their talents.

“I felt that I should put myself out there, because I love the kitchen… . I want to show that as a person with visual impairment, I can manage myself in the kitchen,” she says.

She commends the JCDC for its inclusive approach in highlighting the abilities of all Jamaicans through its competitions.

The theme of this year’s Culinary Arts Competition is ‘Breadfruit’. It will be held at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre in Kingston, on July 8.

It encourages entrants to create imaginative and unique creations, provide exposure for these talented persons, as well as promote Jamaica’s iconic foods.

Cooking up sweet treats in the kitchen is one of Ms. Thomas’ passions. Savoury cheesecake, fruit rolls, fruit cake, sorrel cake, muffins, and puddings are among her expanding list of specialty desserts.

She shares that discovering her enthusiasm for creating unique dishes was quite unexpected, as, she confesses, she was anything but a cuisine connoisseur.

“I never loved the kitchen; it was never something I wanted to be part of… nobody could have told me I would be interested in it, and nobody can get me out of it now,” she says.

The change came after she developed an interest in watching a cable television cooking channel and began experimenting with the recipes using Jamaican produce.

“Not everything came out good. Some things burned, some things spoiled, but I never gave up… right there and then, I found love in the kitchen,” Ms. Thomas recounts.

From there began a love affair with baking, which led her to begin her business, ‘A Difference to Savour’.

Her home-based operations in Lawrence Tavern, which commenced four years ago, is steadily gaining momentum as more orders for her products pour in.

Ms. Thomas, who works full-time, showcases her products at local events, which she said is assisting in getting the word out.

She is urging others to give persons with challenges a chance to excel, emphasising that this is possible with the appropriate level of assistance and independence.

“You don’t want to be seen as a handicap as some people might put it, like you can’t do anything for yourself. There has to be a balance,” Ms. Thomas says.

She is encouraging other persons with disabilities to participate in the JCDC competitions and utilise this highly visible platform to be campaigners of the community of persons to bring greater awareness, understanding and advocacy to remove associated stigma and barriers.

“I have been recently learning that I need to put myself out there. There was a time when I would have probably felt [funny] about persons questioning me about my visual impairment, but I have grown to realise that, if you don’t talk about it, people won’t understand and that is when I really started stepping out,” she explains.

The proud mother of a teenage daughter, she lives a full life, and enjoys dabbling in many hobbies, among them writing and public speaking.

She emphasises that acknowledging one’s disability is the first step, and urges persons not to limit themselves, because of their challenges.

“You have to know you and you have to come to the acknowledgement that you do have a disability and you have to face up to it and find what is that gift in you,” says Ms. Thomas.