First International Jerk Cooking Challenge Brings Together Global Talent

On Friday, March 20, jerk lovers will gather in Ocho Rios for the first Jamaica Jerk Challenge.
The event will feature self-taught Jamaican executive chef, Cheryl Smith of Cheryl’s Global Soul, Brooklyn, New York, and UK celebrity chef, Antony Worrall Thompson, taking on some of the world’s leading jerk chefs in an exclusive cook-off.
Other invitees include, Jamaican, Rupert Bourne of “The Home of Jerk”, Boston, in Portland, and Ocho Rios’ Jerk Specialist, Mark “Max” Miller. The judges will include celebrated chef authors and key food players, including Virginia Burke, Gariel Ferguson, and Dennis McIntosh. They will conduct a blind tasting, before announcing the winner of the Jamaica Jerk Challenge.
Director of Tourism, John Lynch, said that the event should help to showcase Jamaican cuisine to travellers who might not have sampled traditional dishes while in Jamaica.
“Jerk is our signature dish, and is both tasty and original. So it seemed like a great idea to host this challenge, with some incredibly talented chefs from different countries and backgrounds,” he said.