BARBADOS – A BEACON OF CARIBBEAN CULINARY EXCELLENCE

Barbados has been nominated in several categories of the prestigious World Culinary Awards, solidifying the island’s status as the premier culinary destination in the Caribbean. Now in its 5^th year, the World Culinary Awards is a global initiative which recognizes and rewards excellence in the culinary industry through its annual awards programme.

For 2024, The Barbados Food and Rum Festival has once again been nominated in the category of the Caribbean’s Best Culinary Festival; an accolade which the festival previously copped during the 2023 awards. Additionally, the city of Bridgetown received a nomination for the Caribbean’s Best Emerging Culinary City Destination, while the Jean and Norma Holder Hospitality Institute of the Barbados Community College has been nominated as the Caribbean’s Best Culinary Training Institution.

Andrea Franklin, Chief Executive Officer of the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI) expressed her delight regarding the nominations. “We at BTMI are beyond pleased that destination Barbados has yet again been considered by the World Culinary Awards.” Speaking specifically on the Barbados Food and Rum Festival she continued, “On the heels of winning the Caribbean’s Best Culinary Festival in 2023, this year’s nomination is apt recognition for the concerted efforts BTMI continues to make in marketing Barbados’ rich culinary heritage and its vibrant food scene, through what has become one of the most sought-after festivals. This nomination is also a fitting mark of appreciation to all our sponsors, partnering food establishments, culinary professionals, chefs, mixologists and other entities who work with us to make the Barbados Food and Rum Festival the ultimate dream weekend for food enthusiasts from around the world.”

Aprille Thomas, Director of Public Relations and Communications at BTMI with responsibility as Director of the Barbados Food and Rum Festival commented, “This consecutive nomination for the Barbados Food and Rum Festival is testament to the calibre of this most exciting epicurean experience on Barbados’ calendar of events and reflects BTMI’s commitment to culinary excellence as a hallmark of our island’s tourism product. We are eagerly looking forward to having another successful season when this year’s Barbados Food and Rum Festival is hosted during October 24^th to 27^th.”

She further noted, “I am also thrilled at the nomination garnered by the Jean and Norma Holder Hospitality Institute, especially as BTMI is partnering with them to facilitate the training component of this year’s Junior Chef Cook-Off Competition.”

Under the theme of “Feed the Future” the Junior Chef Cook-Off Competition is one of the highlights of the Barbados Food and Rum Festival. The competition seeks to empower the next generation of Barbados’ culinary talent by way of creating developmental and training opportunities for young aspiring chefs as they compete against each other for the title of Junior Chef Champion.

The 2024 edition of the Barbados Food and Rum Festival will also feature signature events including Liquid Gold Feast, Rise & Rum Breakfast Party, Rum Route, Chef Classics, Oistins Under the Stars, Culture of Cuisine Talks and the newly added Bajan Fair which will offer a host of family-friendly activities. The ever-popular community pop-ups will also be held during the festival.

For more information on all of the activities of the Barbados Food and Rum Festival, interested parties are invited to follow on Instagram (@foodandrumbarbados) and Facebook (Barbados Food and Rum Festival).

The 2024 World Culinary Awards winners will be determined through a voting process. Voting is currently open and will close on August 30^th, 2024. During the voting window, industry professionals, the media and general public are all invited to vote by visiting https://worldculinaryawards.com/nominees/2024/caribbean

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For more information on Barbados, please contact Colm McDonnell colm@travelmedia.ie

About Barbados

The island of Barbados offers a unique Caribbean experience steeped in rich history and colourful culture, and rooted in remarkable landscapes. Barbados is the home of two of the three remaining Jacobean Mansions left in the Western hemisphere, as well as fully functional rum distilleries. In fact, this island is known as the birthplace of rum, commercially producing and bottling the spirit since the 1700s. Each year, Barbados hosts several world-class events including the annual Barbados Food and Rum Festival; the annual Barbados Reggae Festival; and the annual Crop Over Festival, where celebrities such as Lewis Hamilton and its very own Rihanna are often spotted. Accommodations are wide and varied, ranging from picturesque plantation houses and villas to quaint bed and breakfast gems; prestigious international chains; and award-winning five-diamond resorts. In 2018, Barbados’ accommodation sector captured 13 awards in the Top Hotels Overall, Luxury, All-Inclusive, Small, Best Service, Bargain, and Romance categories of the ‘Traveler’s Choice Awards’. And getting to paradise is a breeze: the Grantley Adams International Airport offers plenty non-stop and direct services from a growing number of U.S., U.K., Canadian, Caribbean, European, and Latin American gateways, making Barbados the true gateway to the Eastern Caribbean. Visit Barbados and experience why for two years in a row it won the prestigious Star Winter Sun Destination Award at the ‘Travel Bulletin Star Awards’ in 2017 and 2018. For more information on travel to Barbados, visit www.visitbarbados.org, follow on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/VisitBarbados, and via Twitter @Barbados.