the recent cancellation of a Caribbean cooking contest.

Officials yesterday announced that the senior members of the Bermuda National Culinary Team have been entered in another prestigious overseas competition.

Last week, Hurricane Georges blew away any hopes the Bermuda National Culinary Team would win gold at the Taste of the Caribbean Competition in Puerto Rico.

The renowned culinary competition was cancelled due to the mass destruction inflicted in the Caribbean by the 120 mile per hour winds of Hurricane Georges.

The cancellation left the local team heart-broken. Hopes were high that the team would repeat last year's gold medal performance.

Yesterday, team chairman Graham Redford said officials had already selected another competition for the team -- a prestigious cooking championship in Guernsey in the Channel Islands.

"We are working diligently to ensure the finances raised through sponsorship, the Beach Barbecue and the practice dinners will be used effectively and the efforts of the team members themselves will not go to waste,'' Mr. Redford explained. "To this end we are pleased to announce that we have already secured a place for the senior team in the International Salon Culinaire competition in Guernsey in April 1999.'' And he added that there was a "strong possibility'' that the junior team would also compete in the championship.