Barbados Chef Exchange July 5 - 10, 2005

Three award-winning Chefs from Barbados are packing their recipes and heading to three top restaurants in Boston for the "Taste of Barbados Chef Exchange," scheduled for July 5 - 10, 2005. The Chefs coming from Barbados are Creig Greenidge, Michael Harrison and Michael Hinds. The three restaurants and chefs participating from Boston, include Restaurant L with Chef Pino Maffeo, Spire with Chef Gabriel Frasca and The Federalist at XV Beacon with Chef David Daniels. The Barbados Tourism Authority along with Bon Appetit magazine is sponsoring the Chef Exchange, which is part of Barbados Week in Boston, July 3 - 10, a week of activities celebrating Barbadian culture.

Executive Sous Chef Michael Hinds, who will be sharing The Federalist's kitchen with Chef Daniels, has worked at Sandy Lane Hotel, Golf Resort and Spa, an AAA 5 Diamond property, since 1991. Michael also received training at the Culinary Institute of America in upstate New York and pursued professional cookery at the Barbados Hotel School. He is widely traveled having spent time at three Michelin Star restaurants in England - Chez Nico, L'Ortalan, The Mirabelle and the 5-star Imperial in Torquay, Devon.

The young and very talented Sous Chef Creig Greenidge will be welcomed to Spire's kitchen by Gabriel Frasca. Chef Greenidge is currently the Sous Chef at one of Barbados' newest and trendiest restaurants, Mosaic Restaurant. He is a 2004 Gold medalist at the local NIFCA Culinary Arts competition, a Gold medalist at the 2005 Barbados Culinary Competition, and the newest member of the Barbados Culinary Team.

Chef Michael Harrison will bring a touch of Barbados to Chef Pino Maffeo's kitchen at Restaurant L. He is the Chef de Cuisine at the luxurious Fairmont Royal Pavilion Hotel. Harrison, who once worked in Boston at the Four Seasons, has spread his culinary talent to kitchens around the world, including the Waldorf Astoria in New York, Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland, la Maison Restaurant and Carambola Restaurant in Barbados, and the White Barn Restaurant in Maine, where he had the pleasure of preparing dinner for former US President, George H.W. Bush, who complimented him on the exceptional quality of the dessert.

The visiting Chefs from Barbados will be preparing special dinner tasting menus that will reflect the expertise of each and showcase the world-class cuisine of Barbados. The exchange allows diners the chance to taste the quality, style and flavor of Barbados without ever having to get on an airplane.

Two of the Chefs will also have cooking demonstrations at Williams-Sonoma locations. One will take place at the Williams-Sonoma Copley Plaza store, 100 Huntington Ave, scheduled for noon - 2pm, July 2. Another cooking demonstration scheduled at the Braintree Williams-Sonoma, 250 Granite St., from noon - 2pm, July 9. Visitors will be able to sample traditional Bajan food.

A similar culinary week will be hosted in Barbados for the Boston team later in the year.

For any updates, please go to http://www.visitbarbados.org/pressroom/news.aspx.

Barbados, the most easterly of the Caribbean islands, is popular for its natural beauty, its historic attractions, beaches, water sports, golf courses, fine dining and incredible nightlife. The island is known for its warm, friendly people and wide range of accommodations. For further information on Barbados, call the Barbados Tourism Authority at 800-221-9831, or log onto www.visitbarbados.org.

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