A promising young culinary talent from Antigua and Barbuda has taken the top honor in one of the region’s most anticipated junior cooking competitions, capping off six weeks of immersive professional training with a standout performance in the final challenge.
Aleka Lewis, a secondary school student at St. Mary’s Secondary School, was officially named the 2026 Taste of Wadadli Top Junior Chef by the Antigua and Barbuda Hotels and Tourism Association (ABHTA). Alongside Lewis’s win, her mentor Desroy Spence, executive chef at the luxury Hermitage Bay resort, was honored with the 2026 Top Chef Mentor title for his guidance throughout the competition.
The pair accumulated a total score of 687.5 points out of a maximum 775, a result that merges feedback from Lewis’s industry internship and her scoring in the final live cook-off. For her decisive final round, Lewis showcased a creative, locally inspired menu: Dry Creole Rubbed Red Snapper paired with Brown Butter Sweet Potato and Chives, finished with a rich Coconut Creole Sauce. Competition judges evaluated all participating contestants across four key criteria: originality of concept, technical cooking proficiency, professional demeanor, and on-stage confidence.
Launched by ABHTA, the 2026 Junior Chef Academy was designed as a six-week immersive initiative to give secondary school students from across Antigua and Barbuda hands-on practical experience working in professional commercial kitchens. The program bridges classroom learning and real-world industry practice, nurturing young talent interested in pursuing culinary careers aligned with the region’s booming tourism sector.
As the winner, Lewis has earned two incredible career-building opportunities. First, she will join the Antigua and Barbuda National Culinary Team as an understudy, gaining access to elite training and high-level competition experience. Second, through a reciprocal partnership between ABHTA and the Turks and Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association, Lewis will travel to the Turks and Caicos Islands in 2027 to compete in the Junior Lit’l Chefs Program, representing her home country on an international stage.