Exciting regional 1 for PAN 2017

A day of entertainment for the entire family, and delicious food, perfectly sums up PAN 2017 Regional 1, held at Independence Park in Black River, St Elizabeth, last Saturday, as CB Foods continues its annual cooking contest in search of the island's top PAN chicken man or woman.

Before gates opened at noon, patrons were already lined up ready to partake in the fun and excitement. Families enjoyed tasty, special -priced pan chicken with National hard dough bread, prepared by participants from St Elizabeth, Hanover, Westmoreland, St James, Manchester, and Clarendon.

With a variety of food options, laid-back vibes and great music, there was truly something for everyone as patrons cooled down with ice-cold Red Stripe beer and Pepsi.

Children were certainly not left out of the mix and flocked the expanded Monster Milk Kiddies Village, which included interactive games, bouncers and even a zip line.

The culinary extravaganza comprised a live 60-minute cook-off, judged by renowned chefs from the Culinary Federation of Jamaica. A winner and runner-up were selected from each parish to advance to the grand finals of PAN 2017 that takes place on October 29 in Half-Way Tree, St Andrew.

STARS OF THE SHOW

"The people of St Elizabeth once again accepted us with open arms, and we are happy that we were able to deliver to them a complete package of food and entertainment. But the stars of our show were the pan vendors. Men and women were able to express themselves creatively and use that creativity to generate further income," said Kemoi Burke, events and promotions coordinator at CB Foods. He added: "We express gratitude not only to the patrons, but also to each participant for helping us to make PAN 2017 Regional 1 as great as it was."

Donnette Hines, marketing manager of National Baking Company, said: "National was excited to be part of Regional 1 of Pan 2017. We got a chance to connect with our consumers in the region both young and old, who were able to taste the delicious items available to sample while having fun with the many giveaways and surprises from our booths. National is looking forward to connecting in an even bigger way at the next regional event in Portland."

"PAN 2017 has got off to a great start. Outside of delivering a fantastic gastronomic experience, PAN is really bringing the Jamaican experience to life this year. Chris Martin, Devin Di Dakta and Kevin Downswell were perfect for the first stop, and we can't wait to see what's in store for Regional 2 and the finals. This is what Red Stripe is all about celebrating Jamaica through culturally authentic experiences," said Reshima Kelly, Red Stripe's assistant brand manager.

The parish champions were judged on taste, presentation and sanitation. The PAN 2017 Regional 1 winners walked away with $40,000 cash, courtesy of CB Foods, along with gift baskets from PAN partners. The runners-up received $20,000 cash as well as gift baskets.

Winners of last Saturday's Regional round

- Manchester - 1st place: Nicola Brown, 2nd place: Latisha Swaby

- Clarendon - 1st place: Anthony Huie, 2nd place: Carlton Donaldson

- St Elizabeth - 1st place: Kaheim Newsome, 2nd place: Orville Samuels

- St James - 1st place: Oneisha Brown, 2nd place: Dezrene Smith

- Hanover - 1st place: Wendell Gayle, 2nd place: Donald Smith

- Westmoreland - 1st place: Vincent Turner, 2nd place: AndrÈ Wright

PAN partner Miracle Tomato Ketchup hosted the Miracle Tallawah Sauce competition, and judges made their selection based on the sauce's consistency, flavour, taste, and above all, creativity.

The winners were - 1 st place: Latisha Swaby - Manchester; 2nd place: Anthony Huie Clarendon; 3rd place tie Carlton Donaldson (Clarendon) and Sylvester Cooper (Clarendon).

Regional 2 takes place on September 30 at Folly Oval in Portland.