GOCA proudly congratulates Team Grenada, winners of the 2026 St Kitts Grill Fest Caribbean Grill Masters Competition. The four-member culinary team, comprised of recent TA Marryshow Community College (TAMCC) graduates Wyll Smith, Jalyl Bernard and Shakera Ackie and their lecturer Chef Andre Church, brought a taste of the Spice of the Caribbean to St. Kitts and impressed the judging panel with their culinary skills, innovation and flavours.

The regional competition, introduced this year as a highlight of the popular annual St. Kitts Grill Fest, saw five teams competing in the inaugural competition: Grenada, Barbados, Nevis, Anguilla, and host country St. Kitts. Each team was required to present two complete dishes and creatively incorporate the 2026 culinary month ingredients, passion fruit and carrot. In the chicken category, Team Grenada presented Bone and Beautiful Passion: grilled chicken leg roulade stuffed with chicken mousse and carrots in a passion fruit rum BBQ sauce and served with a yam and carrot salad, stuffed grilled carrot cylinders, passion fruit sprouts and a mango passion salsa. In the fish category, Team Grenada wowed the judges with Seafood Passion: A Tribute to Gouyave Fish Friday. The standout dish, creatively presented in a fishing boat, was grilled mahi mahi with a passion fruit beurre blanc and served with a vegetable medley and breadfruit, plaintain and carrot balls. As a bonus, the team served a Passion Fruit Sunset, a refreshing blend of passion fruit, carrot and ginger juice.

Grenada’s participation in the 2026 St. Kitts Grill Fest was a strategic collaboration between GOCA, Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA) and TAMCC that aligns with GOCA’s commitment to expand international opportunities for the creative sector and invest in young creatives. “We are incredibly proud of our young culinary team, not only for capturing the inaugural Caribbean Grill Masters title, but for representing Grenada with distinction,” commented Tracy Garrett-Baptiste, Operations Manager at GOCA. “Creating and identifying opportunities where our creative practitioners can showcase their talent, particularly our young creatives, remains an important part in fulfilling our mandate for the creative economy. Through these strategic partnerships, we can continue to invest in our youth and secure Grenada’s creative future.”

Commenting on GTA’s visit to St. Kitts, Tornia Charles, Chief Marketing Officer, shared: “Culinary is a key niche pillar for 2026.  People travel for more than the beauty of a destination and so partnering with the Grenada Office of Creative Affairs on the St. Kitts Grill Festival presented an opportunity for us to position the destination as one that is ideal for Kittitians seeking a quick Caribbean getaway while showcasing the talent of our Grenadian chefs.” Grenada’s Grill Fest booth offered patrons a true taste of the Spice of the Caribbean with chocolate samples, tastings of Clarkes Court’s passionfruit rum, and samples from the competition menu.

For Shakera Ackie, a member of the culinary team, representing Grenada in the regional competition of St. Kitts Grill Fest was truly an honour. “After completing two years of culinary training at T.A. Marryshow Community College, having this opportunity to compete against culinary professionals from across the region in my very first competition was exciting, a little nerve-racking, and incredibly rewarding. From day one, we believed we were bringing the win back home. We worked hard, stayed focused, spoke it into existence, and in the end, everything came together,” Ackie shared. “Being young culinarians, winning made the experience even more meaningful to us. It showed that, with hard work, confidence, teamwork, and determination, we can compete at a high level and achieve great things. The experience allowed me to learn, strengthen my skills, and build greater confidence as I begin my career in the culinary industry. Special appreciation goes to the entire team, especially Chef Andre Church, whose mentorship, guidance, and support were instrumental in our success.”

“I am both honored and humbled to represent Grenada, showcasing our culinary skills and unique flavours,” expressed Chef Andre Church. “Coaching a team is not always easy but it was fun; I enjoyed every bit of it. We stayed focused and kept our eyes on the mission at hand. Thanks to GOCA for having faith in this young team of TAMCC students. Your investment in culinary arts and the youth will only bring tremendous benefits to our tourism product and creative industry.”