Bourne and Miller Crowned Winners of Jamaica Jerk Challenge 2009
On a private beach at Jamaica Inn in Ocho Rios, British celebrity chef Antony Worrall Thompson took on Jamaica’s top jerk chefs in a bid to prove he had taken the island’s signature dish to a new level.
He came tantalisingly close but, in the end, chefs Rupert Bourne and Mark ‘Max’ Miller were crowned joint winners of the first ever International Jamaica Jerk Challenge. Bourne and Miller, the two Jamaican jerk specialists, took on two of the world’s leading chefs, Worrall Thompson from London, and Cheryl Smith of New York, to win the auspicious title.
Mr. John Lynch, Director of Tourism, Jamaica Tourist Board commented: “Jerk is our most famous dish, so when Antony said he had the best jerk recipe it seemed like a great idea to put him to the test with some of Jamaica’s most famous jerk chefs on one of our best beaches."
Rupert Bourne has been jerking meats in Boston Beach, the birthplace of this unique cooking method, for over 30 years. According to him, the result was never in doubt: "We are the original jerk cooks in Boston. It’s great that jerk is popular all over the world but no matter how good these chefs are, it all started with us."
Max Miller is head chef at Scotchies the leading jerk restaurant in Ocho Rios. He was equally pleased with his win: "I was quietly confident because this is something I do every day and I am passionate about it. We stay true to the traditional way of jerking meat."
The judging panel included celebrated food authors and key industry players; Virginia Burke, Gariel Ferguson and Dennis McIntosh. This highly esteemed team of judges conducted a blind tasting before announcing the winner of the Jamaica Jerk Challenge.
Virginia Burke commented: "The standard of jerking was extremely high today. Rupert has been doing this for 30 years and Scotchies is the leading jerk restaurant, yet Antony and Cheryl were brave enough to take them on."
Mary Phillips, General Manager of Jamaica Inn was delighted with the result: "This initiative will highlight authentic Jamaican food to travellers who may stay in hotels like ours but want to sample fabulous roadside cuisine during a trip to Jamaica”.
"As one of the finest resorts in the Caribbean, we are known for our cuisine but our guests couldn’t wait to sample the wonderfully spicy jerk pork and chicken served by these world-class chefs straight from fiery pit barbecues on the beach."
Having instigated the Challenge with his claim to having the best jerk recipe, Antony Worrall Thompson was thrilled at his own performance: "No one expected a British chef to win here but the result was surprisingly close. The Jamaicans had 50 years of experience between them, while this was my first time cooking in a jerk pit. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and it has only enhanced my love for Jamaica and its cuisine."
For more information on Jamaica or for high res images, see www.visitjamaica.com
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