24-year-old Britanya McLaren wins Taste of Wadadli Pastry Chef Competition in Antigua

Antigua and Barbuda: The 24-year-old Pastry Cook at Hermitage Bay, Britanya McLaren, became the winner of the Taste of Wadadli Pastry Chef Competition. The victory earned McLaren a spot in the Team Antigua Barbuda at Taste of the Caribbean.

In a thrilling four-hour cook-off on Saturday, May 11, Britanya showcased her culinary prowess against her opponents including Tameka Hamilton, Chef de Partie at Blue Waters Hotel and Vivia Ingram who is the Chef de Partie at Jumby Bay Island Resort.

Britanya McLaren was tasked with incorporating Sweet Potato as their main ingredient and the young girl cooked a beautiful looking dessert using Beauregard, Japanese Purple and Back-rah Mary Sweet Potato. With this dish, she not only captivated the judges but also the visitors present during the final round.

The judges were pleased with not only how the dish tasted but also how it looked overall. At the age of 24, Britanya stood out as the youngest contender of the competition with four years of culinary experience. She credited her victory to her employer Hermitage Bay for their invaluable support and training.

The winner took the final spot for Antigua and Barbuda ‘s Taste of the Caribbean team. She was selected in the Taste of Wadadli Pastry Chef competition from a pool of 7 contestants, which was later narrowed to three.

McLaren says ” There are no words …. I am still shook. It has not sunk in quite yet .”

It is to be noted that Britanya will be joined by esteemed culinary professionals on Team Antigua Barbuda. Chef Rodrick Beazer, Chef of the Year 2022 at the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Awards Gala as well as Executive Sous Chef at Curtain Bluff and Chef Ronald Wilson, Chef of the Year 2023 will be joining her.

Other contestants include the winner of the Taste of Wadadli Mixology Competition 2022-2023, Altino Spencer and Winner of the Taste of Wadadli Junior Chef Competition 2023 Azarie Crump.

Meanwhile, popular executive pastry chef Maurine Bowers of Curtain Bluff will be serving as the manager of the team and will guide them towards culinary excellence.