Three chefs from Bermuda have proved themselves the best in the Caribbean area by sweeping the board at the seventh annual International Foodservice Competition in Mexico City.

They were among 12 chefs from the region who reached the final of the contest and travelled to Mexico to show what they could do when given only two hours to prepare a home-style recipe at the famous Le Cordon Bleu school.

Serge Bottelli, chef at Broadway Bistro and Tucker?s Point Club, Terry Clark of Seahorse Grill and Elbow Beach and Massimo Olivari, head chef at Cafe Lido, each picked up a trophy as they came out on top, judged the best three Caribbean region chefs taking part in the contest.

It was an especially pleasing result as the three Bermuda finalists collected all three awards for showing the most originality with their meals.

And a fourth chef from Bermuda also qualified for the final ? equalling the record number from a single island to qualify ? but Sanjay Leeme from the Lemon Tree Cafe was unable to travel to Mexico because of travel documentation difficulties that could not be resolved in time.

Before arriving in Mexico City the chefs had to provide a menu for meals that included a pork loin cut of meat and a beef bottom sirloin tri-tip.

It was not until the competition commenced that they were told which of the menu pieces they must prepare in the allotted two hours.

There was no first, second and third distinction, but instead a winner?s circle comprised of the three chefs who had shown the best originality and the three chefs who had shown the most versatility.

Bermuda?s clean sweep for originality was praised by Elizabeth Wunderlich, of the sponsors the US Meat Export Federation.

She said: ?From a culinary standpoint Bermuda is way up there. It was only a shame Sanjay Leeme was not able to make it as that would have equalled the record number of finalists from a single island ? a record that Bermuda holds.?

The chefs were asked to provide two recipes using the meat cuts that were suitable for a ?home cook? and that also reflected their Island?s local cuisine.

The recipes, including those of Mr. Leeme, will be published in a brochure of which 10,000 copies will be distributed in supermarkets around the Caribbean.

Having returned to the Island, Mr. Bottelli, executive chef at Tucker?s Point Club, said: ?We all worked individually. It is great that three residents of Bermuda qualified to go out there compared with the other Caribbean countries and then to get the trophies too.

?We were surprised with the welcome that they gave us and the beautiful trophies.?

Their success also puts them in line for an expenses? paid trip this September to New York and San Francisco with dinner in top restaurants, the chance to visit the Culinary Institute of America campus in California and also to tour vineyards along America?s west coast.

During their stay in Mexico City before the contest the chefs were given a tour of local markets, the pyramids of Teotihuacan, and sampled traditional Mexican cuisine.