St. Croix native Digby Stridiron was recognized as chef of the year Friday during the Rum and Rhythm live cook-off event sponsored by the Caribbean Tourism Organization, the V.I. Tourism Department said in a press release issued Monday.
According to Tourism, Digby stood out among 30 other Caribbean competitors with his Virgin Islands-inspired red grout dish.
Tourism Commissioner Beverly Nicholson-Doty said the chef “did an excellent job interpreting the USVI’s personality through his culinary talents. “This win continues to demonstrate why our territory is one of the top culinary destinations."
Digby also represented the territory’s cuisine with cooking demonstrations last week where he made other traditional Virgin Islands dishes in front of a New York-based consumer audience.
Digby creates dining events for clients including Vivica Fox, rhythm and blues singer Mario and National Football League player Kerry Rhodes, as well as working on the road for recording artists Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj.
The cook-off was one of the many ways the territory participated in Caribbean Week, which was held last week in New York City.
