Jamaica’s first gastronomy academy will be ready for winter

Jamaica’s first Gastronomy Academy will be in operation at the Montego Bay Convention Centre by the end of 2024, the island’s Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett has announced.

Minister Bartlett said the academy will be opened “for the winter tourist season this year,” adding that the convention centre already boasts “the largest and best kitchen, arguably in the Caribbean,” and it will be complemented by a gourmet restaurant to be established also at the convention centre as the training ground for the academy’s students.

The Minister made the announcement as he congratulated entrepreneur Zelecia Smith on marking the fifth anniversary of her Paris Ruby Gourmet pastry venture, at Pier 1.

Said Minister Bartlett: “We’re going to be having young people like Zelecia becoming part of this, because we’re not only now going to be training executive chefs and sous chefs and trying to make people into Michelin-standard performers for the business of cuisine development and great restaurants.”

He also congratulated Executive Director, Mureen James and her team “because they took a convention centre which was a losing proposition for us and in six months this year, they have already increased their yearly projection by ten percent.”

Pointing to this as proof of the facility’s tremendous potential, Minister Bartlett highlighted that “when we add to it a gourmet restaurant, a gastronomy academy and later on the entertainment academy, the convention centre in Jamaica will be ready for take-off.”