A point raised late in the day by restaurateur Gariel Ferguson concerning the loss of waiters and other staff (primarily to the Ministry of Labour’s Overseas work Initiative) sparked considerable discussion during the Jamaica Observer 2005 Table Talk Food Awards pre-event seminar at the Pegasus yesterday.

Ferguson raised the point that employees hired and trained by him, in some cases, without basic literacy upon starting, were being snapped by the overseas programme. This, he said, occurred usually with two days notice or less, posing a serious logistical challenge during busy periods or when there was demand for functions.

The general response, both from the panel and the general audience, was that this trend was not peculiar to the food business and also spoke to the need to intensify both training and recruitment practices in the industry.

Caterer Michelle Rousseau said one approach in dealing with that problem was developing and maintaining an extensive network of capable freelance personnel who could come in on short notice and ease the pressures created by the high turnover.

Regarding training, Garth Kiddoe, Dean of the Business Faculty at UTECH, which includes the School of Hospitality, told the gathering that the institution planned to boost its training capacity, pending the acquistion of funds, over the next two years. This expansion, he said, would accommodate the full-scale training of chefs. Executive Chef Sheila Livingston (the first Jamaican woman to attain the certification), added that an on-campus association, the Culinary Students Association, had been formed to be advocates for the advancement of local-trained restaurant and hospitality staff.

The discussions had been set in motion by comments on exactly what constituted the upscale market. A New York Times article, focusing on the changing class dynamic in America, was excerpted at the start. The piece asserted that it was no longer possible to simply look at a person make a judgement as to their applicability to a particular class.

This led the forum almost inevitable back to the connected issues of service, price and fare. Betty Delfosse, owner of the popular Velisa’s eatery (and a Table Talk winner last year) said there needed to be a better understanding on the part of the public concerning vegetarian cuisine. “Most people assume its just meatless Jamaican cuisine, with no flair or savour,” she said. She added that although she began the restaurant on a vegan format (no animal protein of any kind), she eventually introduced chicken and fish in response to market demands.

The issue of the general absence of themed restaurants was also raised. It was felt that while the Jamaica brand and theme were powerful and well recognised overseas, locals were more eager to support foreign fare.

The issue of a restaurant association, a recurring decimal over the past few years, resurfaced briefly this year, but the participants present generally believed that the administrative demands were beyond restaurant operators in this market given the hours required to keep their enterprises going.

From a financial perspective, businessman (and Observer Business Leader 2004) Patrick Casserly, pointed out in response to an issue raised of commercial financing (venture or credit) for new restaurant ventures, that the key was to present sustainability over the long haul. “For the kinds of investments being made now, you shouldn’t expect a new venture to bring returns for at least the first four years.” Financiers, he added, tended to shy away from what they saw as volatility in the business.

Mario Machado, who just opened the swank Mac’s Chop House (a reported $J30 million investment), said the volume was present in the Jamaican market to provide between fifteen to twenty thousand customers per year. This , he said, worked out to some fifty or sixty per night, adding it was not advisable for small restaurants in the upscale category to take on higher numbers.

The 2005 Observer Table Talk Food Awards takes place today at Devon House. Among the awards to be presented are the Lifetime Achievement Award, the Chairman’s Award and the coveted restaurant of the Year Award.

Jamaica Observer Table Talk Food Awards Nominees

The final votes are in and the judges are fully satisfied that the most deserving establishments are up for awards in this the staging of the Jamaica Observer’s seventh annual Table Talk Food Awards.

The nominees in the category Best Kept Secret are:

Contemporary Café

Lobster Trap in Hanover

Scotchies in Montego Bay

Cloggies at Crane Road, Black River

Peter’s Fish Stop at Main Street, Discovery Bay

The Vineyards Bistro & Wine Bar in Mandeville

Bunch-A-Grape over at Alligator Pond

In the Category Best Lunch Spot, the nominees are:

China Express at the Market Place

Velisa’s, Devon Road, New Kingston

Toscanini at Harmony Hall on the border of St Ann and St Mary

Norma’s on the Terrace, Devon House

Cuddyz in New Kingston

Jacqui Tyson’s The Restaurant at The Liguanea Club.

The Grogge Shoppe at Devon House

The nominees for the

Best Ethnic Restaurant are:

Passage to India, Ocho Rios

China Express, Market Place, Kingston

Jade Garden at the Sovereign Centre

Toscanini, Ocho Rios

Nominees in the category Coolest Watering Hole are:

Blue Beat in Montego Bay

Red Bones, The Blues Café

Christopher’s at the Quad, Knutsford Boulevard, New Kingston

Ice Bar, Coral Cliff, Montego Bay

Caterer of the Year:

Robert Joseph

Lorraine Fung

Jacqui Francis

Ciao Bella

Celeste Ritch Gordon

In the category Total Shopping Experience

The final nominees are:

Super Plus Bogues

Sovereign, Liguanea

John R Wong, New Kingston

Best Bar Concept

The final nominees are:

Blue Beat in Montego Bay

Carlo’s Café (Martini Mondays), Belmont Road, New Kingston

The Ice Bar, Coral Cliff

Guilt Trip Café, Orchid Village, Kingston

Best Sunday Spot

Terra Nova All Suites Kingston

Strawberry Hill, Irish Town

Toscanini, Ocho Rios

Hellshire Beach

Contemporary Café, Kingston

Royal Plantation, Ocho Rios

The Vineyards Bistro & Wine Bar, Mandeville

Best Service

The final nominees are:

Jasmine’s at the Ritz Carlton Rosehall

Jade Garden

Norma’s on the Terrace

Susie’s Bakery at Southdale Plaza.

These are but a few, in addition to the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award and The Chairman’s Award.

We remember too, the late Patsy Lyn, an ardent supporter of The Jamaica Observer Table Talk Food Awards, and will present an award in her honour.