Erika Cline speaks to a roomful of chefs during the first Minority Chef Summit, which was held from Thursday through Monday. Photo: NGOVOU GYANG

Thirty-two chefs from the Caribbean and the mainland United States gathered in the Virgin Islands from Thursday to Monday for the territory’s first Minority Chef Summit.

Erika Cline speaks to a roomful of chefs during the first Minority Chef Summit, which was held from Thursday through Monday. Photo: NGOVOU GYANG
During a series of workshops — which were organised by VI couple Erika and Neil Cline of the culinary company Vibes Hospitality — attendees discussed topics including food security; issues facing minority chefs in the United States; and US food policies’ effect on the Caribbean, Ms. Cline said.

“We came up with the Minority Summit because I felt that the food issues that are going on in the United States affect us here in the BVI,” she said Friday, the first day of the workshops held at the BVI International Arbitration Centre. “Our local chefs and restaurants are not realising why our food prices are going up and why we’re having food issues and how they can get the best deals.”

Summit speakers included Davita Davidson, a marketing and communications director at Detroit Foodlabs; Kirk Wardy, who runs a communication company called The LaRue Group; and Xavier Gili, a chef on Guana Island.

SEE THE MAY 25, 2017 EDITION FOR FULL COVERAGE.

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