The atmosphere could be described as electrifying at the official global launch of the 2023 Barbados Food and Rum Festival in London.
From July 15th – 16th, the flavours of Barbados were showcased at the National Geographic Traveller Food Festival by a team of award-winning local chefs and mixologists. The team highlighted the best of Barbadian cuisine to give people a sample of what they can expect at the 2023 Barbados Food and Rum Festival being held from October 19th – 22nd.
Showcasing the Best of Barbadian Cuisine
Over the weekend, thousands of food and rum enthusiasts flocked to the Barbados booth to get a taste of Chef Seth Hasin-Bromley’s delectable cuisine and mixologists Philip Antoine and Alexander Chandler’s aromatic rum cocktails.
The crowd was not only capitated by their delicious delicacies and rum mixes but also by the vibrant energy they brought to London.
Celebrating Culinary Destinations
The National Geographic Traveller Food Festival offers a unique range of dining, drinking and learning experiences from across the globe. It also brought together famous chefs, authors and experts to celebrate food and travel at London’s Business Design Centre.
This was the second year Barbados participated in the Festival and established an even bigger presence this time around.
Director of the UK office for the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc (BTMI), Cheryl Carter, stated “This culinary platform is an excellent way for us to promote the Barbados Food and Rum Festival and it also helps us to reinforce the message of Barbados being the Culinary Capital of the Caribbean.”
UK represents the largest percentage of visitors to Barbados, so it was only fitting that the global launch of the Food and Rum Festival was held in the market at such a prestigious event.
International Chef Participation
At the global launch, UK Master Chef Shelina Permalloo was officially introduced as one of the three international chefs being featured in this year’s Festival. Chef Permalloo is British Mauritian and the 2012 BBC’s MasterChef Champion.
Excited to be a part of the festival, she said “I can’t wait to showcase some of my Mauritian food with some Bajan flavours. I went to Barbados when I was 19 and it is the only place I want to return to. The people are amazing, the food is incredible, and I just can’t wait to go back.”
Chef Permalloo will be hosting one of the Chef Classics at All Seasons Resort Europa on Friday, October 20th and a dinner at one of the island’s fine-dining restaurants on Saturday, October 21st.
Exciting Contests
Patrons who visited the Barbados booth during the two-day event and purchased any Food and Rum ticket got a chance to win a flight for two to Barbados in October. Additionally, a contest was held in partnership with the Crane Resort Barbados, which garnered approximately 1,498 sign ups.
The Barbados Food and Rum Festival will be held from October 19th – 22nd with eight signature events. Tickets for the festival are on sale now via foodandrum.com.