Team Southern Cross sweeps awards and comes out on top as 2013 Grand Champion

Little Cayman, Cayman Islands (November 21, 2013) – On Little Cayman, a small 10-square-mile island with a permanent population of about 150 people, the Southern Cross Club hosted a world-class cooking competition that would impress any culinary aficionado or foodie in the world. On November 16, 2013, more than 20 chefs from various restaurants and resorts in the Cayman Islands submitted 48 towering and creative dishes that highlighted originality, presentation and taste. This was the 16th year for the event, an annual fundraiser for the Sister Islands Tourism Association.  After a competitive and fun-filled evening, Team Southern Cross Club swept the awards, winning Best in Show and the Grand Champion award.

There were five categories in the cooking competition: local, soup/appetizer, salad, entrée, and dessert.  First and Second Place Winners in each category received a cash prize and a beautiful Cayman National Nambe Trophy.  Team Southern Cross took home two 2nd place trophies and four 1st place trophies out of 5.  And for the King of the Hill award – this year the coveted Grand Champion Cayman National Nambe Trophy was awarded to Team Southern Cross for its entrée: Lamb Chops in Mint Scented Ratatouille Parcel.  The Cayman Islands Culinary Society also awarded this original and delicious dish Best of Show distinction.

“It was a very proud moment for me to be acknowledged and rewarded by the community,” said Southern Cross Club Executive Chef Anu Christopher. “We have a great team here and Southern Cross Club deserved to be the best.”

“We are very proud of the accomplishments of our Staff at the resort; to garner so many awards at the one event is extremely exciting, to be awarded with the prestigious “Grand Champion Award 2013” by SITA and “Best in Show” by the Cayman Culinary society is a real honour and true tribute to Chef Anu and his team in the kitchen, who do a phenomenal job,” said General Manager Jennifer Mills.  Southern Cross Club’s winning dishes were as follows by course:

Local

First Place:  Guava Heavy Cake – Mirelda Messias

Soup/Appetizer

Second Place: Pan Seared Queen Conch Cake w/ Cayman Season Pepper Chutney and Vanilla Dusted Yuca Chips

Salad

First Place:  Purslane, Local Green Papaya & Hibiscus Chaat

Entrée

First Place Entree, Best Of Show – Cayman Islands Culinary Society and

SICO 213 Grand Champion  – Lamb Chops in Mint Scented Ratatouille Parcel

Dessert

First Place: Passion Fruit Mojito Mousse

Second Place: “Charlie Trotter” Flourless Chocolate Beetroot Cake

“Our General Manager Jennifer Mills put on a fine event, but those who know Jen were not surprised by the quality of the evening,” said Peter Hillenbrand, owner of the Southern Cross Club. “From beginning to end the 16th annual Sister Islands Cook-Off fundraiser was a classy and entertaining evening for all participants, competitors, and sponsors.”

This is the main fundraiser of the year for Sister Islands Tourism Association and the money will go to fund the Brac Shore Dive Initiative and a new environmental awareness project, the conservation-minded Mills and the other organizers were committed to making the event a big success. Most of the island’s residents attended the cook-off to cheer and taste their way through the evening. Grand Cayman’s Brown Sugar Band provided entertainment for the smashing evening under the Caribbean stars.

“All of us on the SITA Cook-off committee were extremely pleased with the event; it was very well attended and everything went extremely smoothly,” said Mills.  “We made a few small changes to the rules and adjustments to the format to step things up to a new level, and the changes were very effective. The quality of the event and the food entries themselves were significant improvement on previous years.”

About the Southern Cross Club

The casually sophisticated Southern Cross Club Fish & Dive Resort is Little Cayman’s original resort. It features 14 beachfront bungalows complete with top-rated, professional in-house diving and fishing operations. A unique blend of rusticity and elegance, the resort is often described as “Barefoot Luxury”.  Little Cayman is renowned for its breath-taking coral reefs and pristine environment, and the Green Globe certified Southern Cross Club sets sustainability standards to protect it. The resort was awarded the 2013 Cayman Islands Tourism Association (CITA) CEPTS Stingray Award for its exceptionally good stewardship of the environment, and its ongoing commitment to preserve it. Guests to the Southern Cross Club can expect friendly and diligent service, delicious award-winning food, inviting rooms with breath-taking views and a comfortable dive boat ― a few of the things that bring them back year after year. The resort’s beach-based location also provides flats fisherman with access to Bonefish and Permit just minutes away.

For reservations or more information:

Telephone: 1 (800) 899-CLUB (2582)

Outside the USA: (619) 563-0017

E-mail [email protected]

Website: www.southerncrossclub.com

Facebook:  www.facebook/SouthernCrossClub

Photo Caption:

(L-R) SCC’s Ms. Merilda Messias, Ms Joan Muir, Chef Francisco Diaz, Chef Manuel D’Souza and SCC’s Executive Chef Anu Christopher with the Cook-off Judges:  Shetty Vidyadhara, Head of the Cayman Culinary Society, Owner of Blue Cilantro on Seven Mile Beach; Keith Griffen, Vice President Cayman Culinary Society, Manager of the Cayman Culinary Team; Wayne Jones O’Connor, Owner-Chef of Food For Thought Catering, Grand Cayman’s Premier Catering House.