Chefs in the Spotlight at Village Cay and Rhythm + Sands Festival
Chef Rondell Thompson, 28, head chef of the Chaud Restaurant Group in Trinidad and Tobago, will be among the featured culinary talents at the Food, Wine & Rum Festival in the British Virgin Islands from Oct. 17 to 19. The event, staged at Village Cay and Rhythm + Sands, will bring together chefs, mixologists and connoisseurs from across the Caribbean.
Thompson, who has nine years of professional culinary experience, has trained under chefs across Trinidad and Tobago, the wider Caribbean and in Dubai. He holds an associate degree in culinary arts and a bachelor of science in culinary management.
His career includes early recognition as National Junior Chef of Trinidad and Tobago in 2017, followed by the National Chef of the Year award in 2018. He has also received the Spirit of the Industry Award and other regional and international honors.
As head chef at Chaud, Thompson blends international techniques with Caribbean flavors, a style he plans to showcase during the festival. “The opportunity to represent the richness of Caribbean cuisine on an international stage is both humbling and inspiring,” he said in a statement.
The Food, Wine & Rum Festival opens Oct. 17 at Village Cay with tastings, gourmet dishes and live entertainment. On Oct. 18, Rhythm + Sands will host cooking workshops, chef brunches and a Junior Chef Battle between H. Lavity Stoutt Community College and the Virgin Islands School of Technical Studies, followed by the Fish Fête at Village Cay that evening. The festival concludes Oct. 19 with a champagne brunch, a chef competition, fireworks and a cultural showcase at Village Cay.
