The Chairman & The Team Coach
Over the past 20 years since i returned home i have had a passion for the development of our young cooks & chefs , as its only through training, discipline, exposure & commitment they will find meaningful employment, opportunities to travel & master their craft on the worldwide market place.
At a time when there were very few Jamaican Chefs in our major hotels i took up the challenge of making my mark on the local industry by returning home and taking up a leadership role in a major hotel. I quickly released that if the team was not strong, motivated & focused we will continue to experience the inconsistencies ofter reported.
So with the "buy in" of my general managers i established hands-on training & workshops, in house competitions & participation in the JCDC Competition of the day, thus getting the team involved so they gauged their skills side by side with their industry peers. This exposed the true competitive nature of our young chefs & i found it lifted the quality of work, food production, cooking ,teamwork & pride in my kitchens.
We have gone on to build five or six teams from scratch in Jamaica's best hotels that have gone on record to win top honors locally & Internationally with home grown Jamaican talent. Many are presently holding down top positions in our hotels here & some overseas. Jamaicans who have the culinary passion or talent when given the opportunities to grow & develop their skills quickly, inspires & motivates me to continue .
I love to see the sheer delight in the faces of my team members when they have achieved some thing very special individually or as part of a team.
As Chairman of the CFJ i will continue to do my best to open doors & gain access for our members in all our industry as well as to take our rightful place as the top destination for food in the Caribbean & the Taste of the Caribbean will be that platform where out chefs will be on show .
Chef Dennis McIntosh