WITH esteemed talent and the importance of our culinary skills aforethought, CEO of Fashion Week, Sonia Noel, has included a programme that would this year feature the culinary delicacies created by some of our most gifted local chefs.

And among the many prestigious individuals who would be showcasing their ‘culinary skills’ is Guyanese-born Kester Akeem Robinson, whose works have signalled that he is a force to be reckoned with in this area of expertise.
Twenty-three years ago, Kester Akeem Robinson was born in the capital city of Georgetown, Guyana, as the only male of four children. Although strikingly mature in mind and heart, responsible and motivated, with a healthy sense of humour and a fun-loving disposition, an even better description of this individual must include the ability to be focused, well-oriented, resilient, creative and ambitious. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle of proper mannerism, awareness, social responsibility and loyalty are attributes which form a part of his armory, and are regarded as strengths.
At the age of ten, when asked what he wanted to become in life, his response was, “I would like to be a chef”, although he hadn’t then discovered a love for the culinary arts, I suppose it was his destiny. As a child, he would normally cream butter and sugar for his mother; until one day he tried his hand at making a cake and, as luck or maybe natural talent would have it, the cake was a huge success.
From then on, he was on a ‘chef’s roller coaster’, which hasn’t quite stopped. He has been baking since, and this youngster is proud to declare that his roots as a chef began in his mother’s own little kitchen.  “Over the years, I have built on what I had learnt in my mother’s kitchen, and even developed my own techniques and formulas. As years went by, samples of my baking were shared among family members and friends, who all gave encouraging feedback, and this served as motivation which spurred me to continue.
“During high school, I did my first Cake Decorating course with the late Ms. Debbie Mentore, a pioneer of cake decorating in Guyana. Ms. Debbie had a passion for her art, and shared it with many before her passing. We became extremely close, and I believe her respect and passion for the art rubbed off on me. During my years at the Central High School, I gathered a strong support from the students and staff, who loved my baking creativity, and even paid for my services.
“I left my first job after my passion grew stronger for the hotel industry, and then gained a second chance at the Hotel Tower (Main Street, Georgetown) as a Night Auditor under then General Manager Nicole Pierre, who saw my work and afforded me the opportunity to pursue a Diploma in Catering and Hospitality at the Carnegie School of Economics”.
In 2010, he took his first study tour to complete a course in Wedding Planning and Décor at the University of the West Indies Open Campus, and also obtained a certificate in Cake Decorating from the Trinidad and Tobago Tourism and Hospitality Institute in Trinidad. He had no idea this would have been the turning point in his fortune, as his skills were greatly admired and recommended to two companies. Of course he took the better offer, and started his first job as a pastry Chef Intern.  This opportunity was fully exploited, and he proved himself, becoming Chef in Charge of all desserts and he was named the best Pastry Chef that four star restaurant ever had in its thirty-five-odd years in existence.
“I love the culinary industry and dedicate my life towards the art form. Baking is my strongest passion, I love the fact I can use my gifted talents to create such edible art. Being a pastry chef can sometimes be challenging, but the result pays off at the end. My work includes, Sugar Art, Fruits and Vegetable Carving, Pastillage, Specialty and Novelty Cakes, Chocolate Art, Specialty Desserts, Butter Sculptures, and Ice Carving. But it doesn’t stop there, they is much more food art I’m yet to master. By profession I’m also a wedding and event planner and an interior decorator”.
One of his recent showpieces, entitled “Mustique”, as part of a final practical Examination for the Speciality and Novelty Cakes course, gained recognition in two main news prints and many online media fraternities as the first replica of a life size standing guitar in Trinidad and Tobago. Over the years, his work has been featured in many magazines, local and regional news prints, online medias etc.
He is currently a student of the Trinidad and Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute, where he is pursuing studies in Baking and Pastry Arts. At the Sandals Resort in Antigua, he will be completing six months of training in the Baking and Pastry Arts profession. He has used his semester break to return to Guyana to share and showcase some of his skills and talents with the Carnegie School of Home Economics and the people of Guyana.
“I work very hard in the industry to achieve my goals and aspirations, while motivating others to aim high and embrace their creativity, while thinking outside the box. Be original, I always say, never limit yourself, but strengthen your weaknesses. Always push to be the best. It is better to try and fail than fail to try…”
He says a favourite quote that keeps him grounded is, “Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity”. Timothy 4:12.
The Guyana Fashion Week Committee salutes this talented son of our soil.