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Jamaican chef soars

Published: Thursday | April 1, 2010
Keisha Shakespeare-Blackmore, Staff Reporter


AT 26, Ajeen Beckford is the youngest recipient from the Caribbean to be awarded at the 35th Golden Award for outstanding excellence in food (New Millennium Award 2010) in Madrid, Spain, on January 25.

Beckford was representing Our Past Time Beach Resort in Negril, the hotel where he is head chef and restaurant manager.

The chef has been in the culinary field for the past 10 years. He was about 12 years old when he first started cooking. His first attempt at cooking on his own was when he tried white rice, but he said it did not turn out well.

"However, after that my neighbour, Miss Wallace, told me how to do it correctly," he recalled.

It was only natural that Beckford would become quite skilled at what he does, as he studied food and nutrition at Vauxhall High School in Kingston. At age 15 he did his internship at Morgan's Harbour Hotel and Marina in Port Royal. After he graduated in 2001, he worked at the hotel for a year as a cook. He then went on to work on a cruise ship for six months.

In 2006, Beckford worked at the Kingsland International Restaurant in Barbados as sous-chef. While there he completed his degree in culinary arts and chef management at the International Hospitality Institute. He also competed in the Eastern Caribbean Culinary Cook-off, emerging first runner-up in 2007. He was designated a distinguished Jamaican chef... (read more at Jamaica Gleaner News.)

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