Lesma Huie triumphs at PAN 2018
Lesma Huie from Palmer’s Cross, Clarendon, walked away with the title of PAN Grand Champion 2018.
The 62-year old, who says she has never won anything in her life, was emotional when she was announced the winner from a field of 28 other competitors at the National Stadium car park on Sunday.
“I am overjoyed. I knew I had it in me to do this, but I had many jitters along the way. I just want to thank CB and all the sponsors for believing in the pan chicken men and women of this country,” said Huie.
She shared that she entered PAN 2018 because she wanted to set things ‘right’.
“Last year, my husband entered and he won at the parish level for Clarendon. However, at the grand final in Kingston, he messed up the recipe and did not place in the top three. I was so upset with him, and I decided to enter to fix things right. At my age, I never had any interest in entering,” she said.
HER SON
Ironically, Huie’s son, Hodain Huie, finished in second place for the parish of Clarendon in 2016, but did not place in the finals.
A year earlier, her brother-in-law also entered the competition.
“I taught all of them how to do jerk chicken. So now the teacher had to come and win the title for all of them,” she said jokingly.
For 32 years, Huie operated a restaurant in Palmer’s Cross, but she was forced to close its doors a few years ago.