New Zealand High Commissioner to Barbados, Jan Henderson (second left) and 1st Vice Chairperson of the Royal Commonwealth Society, Dr. Claire Durant (right) standing with winning students, Shaquon Yearwood and Monet Lovell and their Agricultural Science Teacher, Anthony Sealy.
They came, they cooked and they conquered.
The Alleyne School has won the annual ‘Healthy School Lunch Cooking Competition.’ The contest was one component of Saturday’s ‘Healthy School Lunch Cooking Competition and Fun Workout’. This event was held at The Dining Club in Newton, Christ Church. It was staged by the Royal Commonwealth Society and the New Zealand High Commission in association with Caribbean Cuizine.
For their achievement, The Alleyne School was awarded The Sir Clifford Husbands Agriculture Challenge Shield and other prizes.
Represented by students, Shaquon Yearwood and Monet Lovell, The Alleyne School amassed a total of 38.2 points.
They defeated second prize winners, Teana Hurley and Deshawn Wiggins of the Coleridge and Parry School and third prize winners, Latoya Millar and Shaquila King of the Fredrick Smith Secondary School. The two latter schools gained 37.5 points and 37.25 points respectively.
Students who participated in the day’s cooking contest had 35 minutes to prepare a meal using produce and items obtained from a mystery basket. They were judged in the areas of technical skills, presentation, taste and texture, cooking technique and innovative use of products.
Saturday’s event also featured two culinary demonstrations and an ‘Eat Fit, Live Fit, Be Fit Exercise Class’ led by Certified Exercise Physiologist, Everad “Evy” Bentham.
Bentham showed third and fourth formers of the Fredrick Smith Secondary School, The Alleyne School, the Coleridge and Parry School, the Grantley Adams Secondary School and the Springer Memorial School as well as members of staff from these schools some fun exercises.
Addressing the gathering, which included a representative from the Embassy of Japan in Barbados, the U.S.A Ambassador to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean and the OECS, Linda Taglialatela and the Canadian High Commissioner to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Marie Legault, the New Zealand High Commissioner to Barbados, Jan Henderson expressed delight to partner once again with the Royal Commonwealth Society. She additionally explained why the day’s activity was staged.
“We did a collaboration last year and that was really around agriculture…This year we are drilling down into the humble school lunch and it is a wonderful year to think about the sustainable production of food and that it is environmentally friendly. So the idea behind this is to get young people thinking about where food comes from and then what is the value chain behind that and then how does that link with health.”