Raeven White has been promoted to the position of sous chef at Devil’s Isle Restaurant in Hamilton after becoming the first graduate of an internal culinary training programme presented by owners Take Five Ltd.

Mr White, who succeeds Sherwin Mondejar in the post, will be responsible for overseeing the back of the house, which includes menu creation, management of the chefs and kitchen operations.

The company said that the training programme groomed and trained Mr White in kitchen management, menu planning and health and safety.

Take Five said it is making a conscious effort to train and mentor young Bermudians in the culinary arts.

Mr White said: “I am excited and a little anxious about the new role. Devil’s Isle has a really great team I look forward to working with.

“The prospect of having creative control of the kitchen is enticing to me.

“Take Five Ltd laid out a great programme that taught me things I didn’t know. This opportunity helped me gain a lot of knowledge and skill.”

Matthew Pridham, executive chef, restaurants and catering, said: “We are excited to welcome Raeven to the Devil’s Isle family.

“Chef Raeven is extremely talented, with an impressive culinary background, and we are confident that our guests will love what he brings to the table.”

He added: “Raeven joined us as a junior sous chef in October 2020, and we are excited to see him progress into this role. This position is exactly what we had in mind for him from the beginning.”

Mr White, who attended Bermuda College, has worked in the culinary scene for ten years. Before joining Devil’s Isle, he worked at Village Pantry, Marcus, Hog Penny and Pickled Onion.

Jason Berwick, co-chief executive officer at Take Five, said: “We recognised Raeven’s home-grown talent from the very beginning.

“When we originally interviewed him, he exuded passion, love and dedication for food which was very refreshing and contagious. He is an amazing addition to an already great team.

“We are sad to see our former sous chef Sherwin Mondejar leave but we wish him all the best in his next endeavours. Raeven has a large following that will continue to support him.”

Take Five Ltd said it continues to seek out potential candidates for other trainee opportunities within the company.