Barbadian born Jason Howard Vidyadhara Shetty the executive chef at Blue Cilantro Restaurant in Grand Cayman and the President of the Cayman Culinary Federation will add their voices to the discussion on the culinary industry at the Jamaica Observer hosted Foodie Seminar slated to take place on Wednesday, May 27, 2015 at the Spanish Court Hotel.

Chef Jason Howard

Barbadian born Jason Howard is a self proclaimed modern Caribbean chef who entered the food industry by chance while working as a porter at Tamarind Cove Hotel in Barbados. When he migrated to London, Jason used his knowledge of Caribbean cuisine to make his mark as a demi chef at The Chancery Restaurant. Chef Howard then moved to the First Floor Restaurant and within the year was elevated to sous chef. In 2011, he relocated to the highly acclaimed Connaught Hotel working with celebrated French chef, Hélène Darroze.

Chef Howard aspires to elevate the culinary aesthetic to include exquisitely crafted meals with exciting flavours and textures. True to form, he now does a series of pop-up culinary sessions dubbed The Caribbean Fine Dining Experience, where he intricately deconstructs Caribbean staples by playing with flavours and using French cooking methods. Chef Howard aspires to be one of the world’s top Caribbean chefs, bringing Caribbean cuisine its first ever Michelin star.

Chef Vidyadhara Shetty

Chef Vidyadhara Shetty’s passion for cooking began as a child when he spent time in the kitchens of Udupi restaurants in his Indian hometown of Mumbai. He was inspired by his father’s dexterity in the kitchen and he learned to cook various Indian dishes from his mother. In 1985, he joined the Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition in India.

As Shetty began to travel, he worked with various cruise lines and spent five years gaining experience in Caribbean cuisine. He joined the Hyatt Regency Grand Cayman in 1994 and five years later, he won the prestigious Chef of the Year award. Over the years, Chef Shetty has created a name for himself in the Cayman Islands and he brings a wealth of experience to Blue Cilantro Restaurant, where he serves as Executive Chef. Shetty is also the President of the Cayman Culinary Society and his main objective is to offer top chefs the opportunity to excite the world by creating authentic contemporary Caribbean dishes.