Rondell strikes gold

Despite his inexperience, 20-year-old Rondell Thompson won a gold medal in the Junior Chef of the Year category and next year he intends to go again, this time to take the Junior Chef of the Caribbean crown.

“I am the definition of living the dream. Ever since I was young I had no other career wish other than cooking.

It has been my passion from the age of six. I used to get teased because I was the only male in my Food and Nutrition class but I came out at the top of that class.

To see that I made it as far as I have at such a young age, I’m proud of myself,” he told Sunday Newsday.

Thompson said his love for cooking started and grew as he watched his mother, Bernadine, make Sunday lunch and cook for his family at Christmas.

His father, Ricardo, also had a passion for cooking and would experiment with dishes which would usually taste great. He cooked at home with his family and when he passed for Tranquillity Government Secondary School, he joined the Food and Nutrition class.

While in form three, his class went on a field trip to the Trinidad and Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute (TTHTI) and Thompson knew that was where he wanted to study. Right after doing his Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination he enrolled as a student.

Thompson completed his associate degree in culinary management last year and is in the process of completing his Bachelor’s degree. He also works at H2Go Foods, a health food restaurant in Chaguanas, and intends to get a degree in teaching in the future. “I like guiding people and informing people about certain things, especially when someone is willing to learn and you could see the passion in them.” In addition to cooking, he said he also loves making deserts and making sure his dishes look good. “My main thing in cooking is plating.

I’m all about the finished product, the bright colours.

Even a simple thing like macaroni pie, stewed chicken and a salad – as a chef you think about elevating the presentation.” He found out about the Taste of the Caribbean Culinary Competition through Chef of the Year silver medal winner, Brandon Maharaj, who he met at TTHTI.

Maharaj encouraged him to register for Making the Cut, the local competition to make the National Culinary Team, but Thompson was concerned that school, work and training for the competition would be too much. However, one week before registration closed for Making the Cut, he entered and eventually won a spot on the team.

Being the youngest person on the team, Thompson said he learned a lot, not only from the team meetings, but from each and every team member. Besides his cooking skills, he said his contribution to the team was his positivity. He said he tried to find the brighter side of any situation, and made his team-mates laugh.

He said even during the competition he had a lot of fun, although he was very nervous leading up to and at the beginning of it.

However, he soon got over his nerves as he blocked out all the other competitors and got down to work. “ I believe it’s a good experience for anyone. It’s something you just can not put a price on.” For the judges, he did a pan-seared curried infused beef tri-tip with coconut stew sauce, geera-scented red snapper with a spice rum, shadon beni chimmy cherry, roasted tomato jam, dasheen pie with a flaky crust, tamarind vegetable slaw and a nutmeg pumpkin puree.

“I knew I had a lot of elements.

It wasn’t needed but, the kind of person I am, I was willing to do anything to enhance the flavour or presentation of a dish.” He said the judges loved the jam, said the fish was perfectly cooked, appreciated that he took the time to make a crust for the dasheen pie, and said each element was solid. While awaiting the results, Thompson said he was just hoping they did not call his name for an honorary mention. When he realised his name was not called in that group, or for a silver medal, he knew he had won a gold medal and was ecstatic.

“I am very proud of what I have achieved. To see that those three months of sweat, sacrifice, and buff, actually paid off, I was proud and humbled. The only thing I did not achieve was the Junior Chef of the Caribbean, which is what I really wanted.

But I am still of age to do junior again so I’m going back next year and I’m going for the title this time.” 14