Chef Haleem Card’s 12 Chefs of Christmas red velvet cake iced with mint buttercream. (Karl McLarty)
Published in The Jamaica Observer
If it’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas, that’s because The Best Dressed Chicken has once again launched its 12 Chefs of Christmas campaign. The launch, which took place Friday last at Emancipation Park, New Kingston, has made a departure from the first two editions, wherein each of the 12 chefs would deliver gourmet Christmas dinners to the homes of the winners. This year, all 12 winners and their guests will instead be feted at a grand dinner, complete with a personal chef. “The Best Dressed Chicken is always enthusiastic about the importance of family, and so we thought it would be fantastic for us to add even deeper meaning to the holidays by bringing all the winning families together in one space,” said Joan Forrest-Henry, The Best Dressed Chicken vice-president, sales and marketing. “The grand dinner for all 12 winners,” she continued, “takes place on December 26, at a location to be revealed. We’re calling this our wonderland and while we’re not going to reveal the location just yet, our winners can count on it being truly remarkable.”
Hosted by comedians Ian ‘Ity’ Ellis and Alton ‘Fancy Cat’ Hardware, Friday’s family-oriented event featured performances and appearances by fitness personality Kamila McDonald, Laud Dance Ministry, Camille Davis and gospel artiste Kevin Downswell. The 12 chefs introduced Friday evening at the park were Jamaica Observer Table Talk Food Awards 2015 Chef on The Rise Chef Haleem Card, owner of 17 Layers; Chef Jacqui Tyson, JTyson Events and Catering; Chef Ravi Anne, group executive chef, Jewels Resorts; Chef Daniel Schweizer, executive chef, Goddard Catering Group; Chef Andre Fowles, sous-chef, Miss Lily’s Jamaican restaurant and a finalist in Food Network’s Chopped series; Chef Gariel Ferguson, highly respected master of the grill; Chef Johnoi Reid, executive chef, The Cliff Hotel and Spa Resort; Chef Simone Walker-Barrett, lecturer at UTech’s School of Hospitality and Tourism and conceptualiser of Street Food Saturdays; Chef Lorraine Fung, owner of Catering by Lorraine; Chef Michele Williams, owner of Moveable Feast Caterers; and Chef Charissa Henry, owner of Pink Apron Caterers. Unavoidably absent from the brigade de cuisine was Chef Steve Sowa, executive chef, Half Moon Hotel. Each chef prepared miniature versions of their signature meals which they presented to members of the public.
Indeed, we all accepted Forrest-Henry’s ‘Thank You’ for serving The Best Dressed Chicken on our tables all year round and got a taste of actually being winners as we enjoyed red velvet cupcakes and parfaits courtesy of Chef Haleem Card, servings of barbecued ham and fennel strudels from Chef Ravi Anne, rosemary brine chicken quarters from Chef Simone Walker-Barrett, Chef Jacqui Tyson’s Best Dressed chicken roaster, Korean fried drumsticks by Chef Charissa Henry, Chef Gariel Ferguson’s smoked oxtail atop butter bean hummus, jerk black forest ham sliders from Chef Daniel Schweizer’s, Chef Jonhoi Reid’s jerk chicken ham penne pasta, Chef Andre Fowles’ sorrel glazed chicken and Chef Lorraine Fung’s crispy deboned chicken breast over smoked pork sausage.
For a chance to win, customers must purchase The Best Dressed Chicken Whole Chicken, Mixed Parts, Resealables, or Chilled Tray Packs and retain the receipt. Subsequently, they must retrieve the entry code on the card inside the package and text that code to 564-6500. Correctly complete The Best Dressed Chicken campaign slogan (THE BEST DR_SS_D CH_CKEN DI F_VOURI_E) which appears on the card, and retain the card. The competition runs through to December 17, 2016.
