Award-Winning Chef Encourages National Junior Chef Winner

Listening to Chef Worly are Joel (l), Joneth Edden, Subject Coordinator; and Guidance Counselor Chervita Campbell. Photo: Yasmin Popescu

 By Yasmin Popescu, Media Unlimited
Freeport, The Bahamas - Two time award-winning chef at Sabor Restaurant in Grand Bahama, Volundur Volundarson, a.k.a. 'Chef Worly' has decided to offer inspiration to a up and coming young chef.

After reading about the Bahamas National Junior Chef winner, 13-year old Joel Prenelus of Eight Mile Rock High School recently, Chef Worly wanted to meet the young chef to impart some very important knowledge. A lunch meeting took place on April 20th, where the chefs got the opportunity to meet and talk. Joel was accompanied to the lunch at Sabor by Joneth Edden, his subject coordinator; and Miss Chervita Campbell, hisguidance counselor.

During the meeting the world-renown chef said that he was surprised at the decision of Joel, at such an early age, to become a chef, stating that at 17 years himself, and while training to be a basketball coach, he had to take a culinary class; and it was this class that became the deciding factor to change his life path, and to pursue a career in cooking instead of basketball.

Chef Worly said that he wanted to encourage Joel and to let him know that there are many areas to the field other than the immediate joy of cooking.

Chef Worly showed Joel and his companions two videos of TV cooking shows he is presently working on

Chef Worly presents an autographed copy of his book "Delicious Iceland" to National Jr. Chef winner Joel Prenelus of Eight Mile Rock. Photo: Yasmin Popescu

 Hailing from Iceland, Chef Worly has written a cookbook called “Delicious Iceland” that features recipes from his homeland. This cookbook has won two awards, one by Gourmand World Cookbook Awards as one of 100 best culinary books published in the world for the last 12 years; and the other is The Best Cookbook of 2007.

He has also written a similar cookbook for The Bahamas, having spent more than a decade here working in his field.

He is also working on his own cooking show, the first of course features Iceland and the another features cooking in The Bahamas.

Chef Worly said he has been watching the trend in the culinary field in this country and felt there was a lack of interest; and when he heard of Joel he wanted to help nurture the young man's interest.

He asked Joel to return to the restaurant for a few days in the summer so that they can show him how they work in the kitchen. Chef Worly further offered the suggestion that the two of them put on a gala evening featuring Joel’s culinary delights with the aim of starting a fund to further his education.

After winning the National Jr Chef competition just weeks ago, Joel has also been asked to take part in the College of The Bahamas' summer programme which will provide him learning for seven weeks in their culinary department.

Joel was most pleased with the meeting with Chef Worly and the collaborative ideas they discussed and is excited about pursuing his career. At the end of their lunch meeting, Chef Worly presented Joel with a copy of his award-winning hard cover cookbook “Delicious Iceland”.

Joel Prenelus National Jr. Chef Winner

By Yasmin Popescu, Media Unlimited


Grand Bahama, The Bahamas - For the first time the Eight Mile Rock High School entered a student in the National Young Chef competition and came back the winner.

Eighth grader, Joel Prenelus emerged the National Jr. Chef after competing against 10 other students from around The Bahamas during the competition that was held at the A.F. Adderley Junior High School in Nassau, New Providence on March 16th, 2011.

Joel excitedly told of his love for cooking and his desire to one day pursue this as a career as well as three other disciplines – marine biology, basketball and carpentry saying he is said to be quite proficient in all.

His winning dish was the Island Rice Trio, which consisted of sushi rolls of wild hog, wild pigeon and lobster rice. He was also entered in the flour dish and for this he did the Island Coconut Fruit Cake, which won him third prize.

According to Hospitality teacher and coach Mr. Theo Arthur, Joel is a very confident young man and he was one of two persons to represent Grand Bahama. The other was a student from St. Georges who participated in the Sr. Chef competition.

“I am proud to be a winner, proud of his school” said Joel, who continued to say, “as I was leaving a lot of people said I would lose but now I’m the winner.”

He said he was not nervous going into the competition in Nassau after winning the competition in Grand Bahama.

As for his inspiration, he said his mother has helped and showed him how to cook the basics. Inspiration for the dishes themselves came from his teacher whom he said inspired him to think outside of the box and use ingredients from around the islands, hence the rice with lobsters from Grand Bahama waters; wild hog from Abaco and wild pigeon also from Abaco. This idea won him the first place as no other student produced items such as these, he said. He noted that the aim was to be cultural.Mr. Arthur, he said, taught him how to cook these various animals.

Joel is also looking forward to going into the seniors in two years, and winning. When asked about advice for others who may want to do the same thing, Joel said they should be confident in themselves and believe all things are possible through Christ, and to have a good teacher like he has in Mr. Arthur.

Ms. Gaylene Bain-Pinder, Education office was also quite proud of the accomplishments of Joel and was on hand for the interview commented on the confidence held by Joel whom she said was even very good at being interviewed by the media.

“We are expecting great things to come from Joel” said Mrs. Bain-Pinder, “in fact I have spoken with Superintendent Anderson and we are going to watch his career from grade eight straight through to grade 12 and we have decided to sponsor him so that he can focus on cooking and doing the things he loves.

“We are going to make sure he has all of his tools, text books, recipe books and so forth because we are looking forward to Joel’s name being a household name in Grand Bahama for cooking.”