5 days ago
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The Belize Tourism Board today hosted its Culinary Certification Ceremony, honoring a new group of graduates who successfully completed an intensive five-month training program designed to elevate culinary standards within Belize’s tourism sector. Participants earned an internationally recognized certification from the American Culinary Federation, marking a significant milestone for professional culinary development in the country. The accelerated program combined classroom instruction with hands-on kitchen training and focused on discipline, technique, food safety, and industry professionalism. Tourism officials say the initiative forms part of a broader effort to strengthen Belize’s tourism product by improving service quality and expanding culinary offerings for visitors.
Nicole Solano, CEO, Ministry of Tourism: “This is a moment for us all to be proud of. Culinary certification and training with ACF is about elevating our skills and our professionalism and shining on international stage just the way we did last night with our flag. And each and every one of us can do that in our own ways, right, in the things that we do every single day even though they may seem small, they are huge, huge steps toward elevating ourselves. We already elevate the Belizean cuisine. It’s not something that we’re just starting to do. It’s something that we do all the time. We’re very proud of our natural ingredients and everything that’s Belizean. But it’s not about creativity and art and expression. It’s a very serious business, right? It’s about professionalism. It’s about food safety. It’s about all of the math involved. I know that the training and the certification process is not an easy one. It’s something that you have to put a lot of time and dedication into. You can actually get up and go and do some certification outside of Belize but how will that work if you’re supposed to be working and you’re supposed to be in your kitchens, right? So a program like this really does give you the opportunity to do that work while you’re working.”
Officials emphasized that cuisine continues to play a growing role in destination branding, with travelers increasingly seeking authentic food experiences. The certification aims to equip local chefs with globally competitive skills while showcasing Belizean flavors at an international level. Well-known Belizean chef Sean Kuylen, who participated in mentoring aspects of the training, described the program as demanding but transformative. Kuylen, who has been well-known for culinary creativity, has frowned on the belief of many locals that they could put on an apron and be called a chef.
Sean Kuylen, Belizean Chef: “I’m a loving, I’m a patriotic Belizean, right? But one thing I don’t really like a lot about my own country sometimes is that people just wake up one day put on a scrubs or a mechanic suit and you’re a mechanic. You have no certification, you know. Imagine going to the doctor and somebody just put on a scrubs and they’re opening your heart. So in culinary arts everybody put on a chef jacket and they’re a chef. But the reality is there’s no culinary schools in Belize. There has never been. So when this certification came around, this is exactly what we don’t need today you know? We have needed this donkey years ago because we keep pushing the tourism product, the overnight tourists and we boast about the planes landing but do you realize that we have to feed those people three times a day or more ? When people leave this country they always remember that the people were friendly, the food the fry jacks. But we have to keep doing it or do it with professionalism. And as I mentioned in my speech, this s no easy feat. There is only less than six thousand people certified executive chefs in the United States, for pastry there’s less than ten certified executive pastry chefs in the whole world. So it is one thing like journalism you just pick up a mic and you’re a journalist but you have to do the work, cameramen, anybody. Certification and recertification and continuing education is powerful and that’s what we got today. We started with fourteen, unfortunately one dropped out and of that fourteen I’ll tell you it was theoretical and then practical and in the theoretical I don’t know the number but many had to redo the theoretical within a two week span because this wasn’t given to us. This is an intentional standard. We had proctors come from the US that stood over us. It’s not just “oh let’s forgive little Belize.” No you had to pass. So many had to retake the theoretical and then the practical we had a practice session I blew that up, I messed that up, I felt like the instructors told us that was our test run oh we failed that easily. We went home feeling, I can’t even tell you how I was feeling, it just broke you down. Those guys aren’t easy. They don’t have anything positive to tell you. You know when I’m flirting with you and “I love your hair.” And all of that ? This they just tell you the truth, you noh worth one s**t and that was it. And now you have to go home, sleep that out and come back the next day put on a chef jacket and put on a fake smile. So yes fourteen started, thirteen are there. Of that thirteen a lot had to redo the theoretical. It wasn’t any walk in the park.”
The Belize Tourism Board says the graduates now join a growing network of professionally certified culinary practitioners expected to strengthen restaurant standards, hospitality services, and culinary tourism across the country.
English (US) ·