2016 ANTIGUA CHARTER SHOW WRAP UP
More than 80 yachts and 130 yacht brokerages were in attendance. Charter brokers and managers from Northrop & Johnson were on hand to inspect the fleet for their clients in order to offer the best of the best for the winter charter season. In addition, Northrop & Johnson crew services was in attendance to meet and greet with crew.
Northrop & Johnson welcomed some of the industry’s leading captains to join in for an evening of networking and revelry away from the show. In association with sponsor ISS GMT, the Captains’ Dinner was held at Sun Ra on December 6.
One of the highlights of the Antigua Charter Show is the annual Culinary Contest and Tablescaping Contest. Northrop & Johnson is proud to announce that one of our luxury superyachts for charter, 116-foot (35.3m) motor yacht UNBRIDLED, took home second place in the yachts up to 126 feet category. The theme of the 2016 event was Surf and Turf. Chef Dan of UNBRIDLED pulled out all the stops when creating his lunch.
Dan used the invasive species lion fish and wild boar as his “surf” and “turf”. The tablescape theme had to coincide with the surf and turf theme, so Chief Stewardess Trista chose a “Sea and Sand” motif and portrayed a shipwreck as the centerpiece.
Dan was keen to be unique in this contest, his first ever chef competition. He felt many chefs would choose the traditional steak and lobster, so he decided to try something new and exciting for both him and the judges.
About 10 days before the competition, Dan began preparations and about a week prior, Trista joined the brainstorming to come up with a cohesive menu and décor scheme.
Surf and Turf as a theme for a table setting was a difficult one to portray. Trista thought to use the Caribbean flair and have the turf as a beach rather than a grassy terrain. Everyone was given a bottle of champagne to incorporate into the table setting; Trista uniquely turned it into a lighthouse. The morning of the competition Dan and Trista started at 5 a.m. to ensure everything came together as planned.
The focus of the menu was to adhere to their criteria of the competition while maintaining a unique quality. Dan was very keen to use the lion fish and to show that Caribbean food can be healthy, flavorful and delicious — more than just conch fritters. Dan believes his best execution in the competition was taste and creativity. He had a lot of fun with the menu and enjoyed pushing his own boundaries. He was glad to participate as he feels it’s important for chefs to constantly push themselves and explore their capabilities, as well as gain recognition for the yacht.
The 2016 Antigua show was a great success all around for Northrop & Johnson. We wish all the best to all the yachts this Caribbean charter season.
For information about chartering this winter, please contact your preferred Northrop & Johnson charter broker.
