GREAT BAY--Senior Chef Jewel Daal, Pastry Chef Djaya Coupey, Junior Chef Jamal Dormoy and Bartender Erion Peterson have been named to the binational St. Maarten/St. Martin culinary team that will compete at the 2026 Taste of the Caribbean competition in Barbados this November. The four culinary professionals, under the guidance of veteran competitor and coach Renata de Weever, will represent both sides of the island as St. Maarten makes its return to the regional competition for the first time since 2017.
The team was officially introduced during a recent St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA) mixer at Kooyman, bringing together representatives of the tourism and hospitality industries, business partners and supporters of the island's culinary sector.
Each member will represent a different culinary discipline, with Daal leading the senior chef category, Coupey competing in pastry, Dormoy representing the junior chef category and Peterson demonstrating his skills in bartending and mixology.
Their participation marks the island's return to one of the Caribbean's established culinary competitions, which has brought together chefs and hospitality professionals from across the region since 1993.
The competition celebrates Caribbean cuisine, culinary creativity and the region's diverse food traditions, while allowing participating teams to demonstrate their technical abilities against regional counterparts.
Since its return following the COVID-19 pandemic, Taste of the Caribbean has adopted a revised format featuring smaller teams representing different culinary disciplines.
The St. Maarten/St. Martin team has already begun training at Jewel Daal's TJ Cassava Coal Pot restaurant, where members are working together to develop competition recipes, refine techniques and prepare their entries.
The training sessions are also intended to strengthen teamwork and develop dishes and beverages that reflect the island's culinary identity.
During the team announcement at Kooyman, bartender Erion Peterson presented three cocktail creations being considered for the competition. Attendees had an opportunity to sample the entries and provide feedback to help him refine the beverages ahead of the event.
Coach Renata de Weever, who participated in Taste of the Caribbean in 2017, will guide the team through the remaining weeks of preparation.
"It is truly an honor to lead such a talented and passionate group of culinary professionals as we prepare to represent St. Maarten / St. Martin at Taste of The Caribbean 2026 in Barbados," De Weever said.
As a culinary instructor at the National Institute for Professional Advancement (NIPA), De Weever brings experience in teaching, mentoring and professional development to her coaching responsibilities.
She emphasized that the competition represents an opportunity for the participants to exchange knowledge, challenge themselves and strengthen their professional skills while representing their island.
The binational initiative is supported by the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau and the Office de Tourisme on the French side, reflecting cooperation between the two tourism authorities in promoting the island's culinary talent.
May-Ling Chun of the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau and Aida Weinum of the Office de Tourisme attended the official team presentation.
The joint participation also highlights the island's culinary diversity, bringing together traditions and influences from both sides of St. Maarten/St. Martin.
Mireille Dropvat of PDG Supplies, a supporter of St. Maarten Flavors and Festival de la Gastronomie, welcomed the collaboration, emphasizing the value of presenting the island's culinary talent through a united team.
The competition also offers an opportunity to promote the island's restaurants, chefs and hospitality industry to a regional audience.
The four competitors and their coach will continue preparing ahead of their departure for Barbados, where the Taste of the Caribbean competition will take place at Sam Lord's Castle in mid-November.
Winair is supporting the delegation as its airline partner.
Beyond competing for regional culinary recognition, the team intends to use the event to exchange knowledge with other Caribbean professionals, gain experience and showcase the creativity and skills found within St. Maarten's culinary industry.
For Daal, Coupey, Dormoy and Peterson, the competition represents an opportunity to demonstrate their individual abilities while working together to represent the island on a regional stage.
Their participation also restores St. Maarten/St. Martin's presence at Taste of the Caribbean after nine years, with the four competitors and their coach carrying the island's culinary ambitions into the 2026 competition.
