Jumping Jones battles blackouts to win bar contest

Anacoura (right) celebrates clinching the bar tender of the year 2004 title

All action Jones Anacoura was left shaken but not stirred after mixing the perfect cocktail, despite the threat of an imminent black out, to clinch victory in the annual U-First bartenders competition.

The competition was held last weekend at the rain soaked Why Not Restaurant, which was hit several times through the course of the evening by power cuts that turned out the lights across Beau Vallon.

The fourth edition of the annual competition attracted 17 contestants, who each had four minutes to mix two cocktails, one short and one long, with as much flare and panache as possible.

Offering up Green Paradise as a short drink and Tropical Sunset as a thirst quencher, Anacoura, from the Coco de Mer Hotel, had to go all out to entertain the judges, with the standard of competition a vast improvement on 2003.

Despite the efforts of Franky Rose, who claimed second place, Jeffrey Victor, who finished third and Sharon Guichard and Gary Cole who took fourth and fifth, Anacoura's bottle spinning gymnastics allowed him to hold on to first place.

Of the 17 competitors 10 were repeat contestants from the previous year, including veteran cocktail shaker David Dubignon, taking part for the fourth consecutive year.

The bar tenders were judged by a range of professionals from across the tourism industry who were split into a back-room blind tasting panel and a more sober group at the front of the restaurant who kept a watchful eye on the mixing.

The evening was launched with a speech which reminded the contestants of the crucial role of tourism in the economy.

"Even children in school know the basic truth of the importance of tourism to Seychelles," said John Stravens, chair of the Ministry of Tourism and Transport's U-First unit.

Mr Stravens said that a successful tourism industry would go a long way to aiding a national economic revival, but added that, "responsibility must be shown by a lot of people to ensure the success of tourism."

Saying that, "every little action in the service industry must be performed well," the U-First chair told the bar tenders that their performance in the competition would contribute to the development of the tourism industry.

Having won the Takamaka Bay distillery, Seychelles Breweries and Amusement Centre sponsored competition Anacoura will pick up a cheque for R3,000 and a two week work attachment/one week holiday in Bremen, Germany. For his second place finish Franky Rose gets R3,000 and Jeffrey Victor receives R1,500, for third place.

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