Competition rules are preventing two West End chefs from competing in a Caribbean culinary competition, not their boss, said Cambridge Beaches' managing director Michael Winfield last night.

The news broke last week that the national culinary team had to find a replacement member on the eve of its first international competition.

Cambridge Beaches' chef Olivier Ramos could not participate because the hotel is not a member of the Bermuda Hotel Association -- a requirement of the "A Taste of the Caribbean'' cook-off.

The rule meant the cooking team's four-person junior squad was cut also as chef David Tyrell -- also of Cambridge Beaches -- could not attend either.

Mr. Winfield said when the hotel was approached about allowing its chefs to compete in the event, "no mention was made of the need for Cambridge to be a member of the Bermuda Hotel Association.'' He said he was contacted at the "eleventh hour'' by Tourism Director Gary Phillips with the news that all participants had to be employed by BHA members.

Mr. Winfield said BHA executive vice president John Harvey "asked whether we would be willing to become temporary members to cover the event.'' "After consultation we reluctantly had to advise the BHA that as much as we supported the concept, this last minute changing of the rules prevented us from continuing.

"We were being asked to compromise our ethics and quietly and surreptitiously join the BHA just to allow our chefs to compete and then to resign there after. This would be hypocritical and wrong.'' Mr. Winfield said he asked team chairman Edward Bottone why the rules had changed but "he was unable to provide an explanation.'' He said the chairman was trying to lay the blame for the incident at the feet of someone else in an effort to excuse his organisation from "apparent inefficiency.''