GREAT BAY--Culinary Instructor Chef Renata de Weever and Junior Chef Jaenanena Joseph of the National Institute for Professional Advancement secured third place in the Nevis Mango Festival Chef Competition on Sunday, July 5, 2026, earning recognition for St. Maarten in a regional culinary contest that tested creativity, adaptability and skill.
Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Melissa D. Gumbs welcomed the achievement after travelling to Nevis at the invitation of the Nevis Tourism Authority to participate in one of the island's premier cultural events.
The Nevis Mango Festival features a range of events and culinary experiences centred on the more than 40 varieties of mango grown on the island. Throughout the five-day festival, every dish and drink served incorporates mango in some form, including the dishes prepared during Sunday's chef competition.
“Chefs de Weever and Joseph were given two mystery baskets, as were all other chefs,” Gumbs explained. “The first mystery basket was based around a plant-based dish, with green banana and green soursop as the primary ingredients, and of course, mango. I was sceptical about what could be created from that but, that’s why I’m not a chef. Junior Chef Joseph drove the development of that dish, an amazing display of her talent and self-awareness as a young chef.”
The second mystery basket presented an even greater challenge, with conch as a primary ingredient. Competitors were initially given 30 minutes to create a mango-infused conch dish while ensuring the conch remained tender. With 20 minutes remaining, organisers introduced an additional mystery ingredient, ground coffee, and added another 15 minutes to the competition time.
“At that point I thought, they must be crazy,” Gumbs said. “St. Maarten supporters were wondering, how do you blend coffee, mango and conch? But ultimately, I saw Chef Joseph look at it, nod and then Chef de Weever returned her nod and I knew they had it.”
This year's competition featured celebrity judge Chef Eric Adjepong, a Top Chef Season 16 finalist who has appeared on several cooking shows and is also a published author. Following two rounds of competition and judging by a four-member panel, Nevis secured first place, Anguilla placed second and St. Maarten finished third.
Gumbs commended de Weever and Joseph for their adaptability, creativity and professionalism throughout the competition, and said the experience demonstrated the value of exposing St. Maarten's culinary talent to regional competition and collaboration.
“Growth is about going up against others with more experience, more time in the game,” she stated. “This type of regional connection and collaboration has always been important to me, as I believe we have some of the greatest creative culinary minds in the world, circulating right here in the Caribbean. I’m incredibly proud of this first showing at Nevis Mango Festival, and I look forward to future participation of St. Maarten’s culinary expertise, as well as other neighbouring islands.”
The third-place finish marked St. Maarten's first showing at the Nevis Mango Festival Chef Competition and highlighted the talent being developed through the National Institute for Professional Advancement.
