–the Caribbean’s biggest Culinary Festival returns for its 12th year-
The Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI) has officially launched the 2023 edition of the Barbados Food and Rum Festival.
After a successful return last year, the 12th edition of the Festival will take place from October 19th to 22nd 2023 under the theme “Feed the Future”.
“After a decade, we have been looking at the evolution of the Festival and we have found the perfect recipe for success. One cup of culinary talent, featuring our local chefs and mixologists; two pounds of the community; a dash of vibes as this year we have top local, regional and international acts like Ayra Starr and Skinny Fabulous; and last but not least, a garnish of showing off to the world and inviting visitors to experience why we are the Culinary Capital of the Caribbean and the Birthplace of Rum,” said Aprille Thomas, Director of Public Relations and Corporate Communications at the BTMI.
Return of Community Pop Ups
People are at the heart of the Festival and while the official events of the Festival will take place in October; beginning this week, August 26th 2023, persons can expect a series of community pop-ups.
August 26th 2023: White Rabbit Bar from 4:00 p.m.- 7:00 p.m.
September 9th 2023: Fisherman’s Pub from 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
September 23rd 2023: Bathsheba from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
October 7th 2023: Worthing Square from 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
On September 1st, 15th and 29th 2023, the BTMI will host pop-ups in the carpark at the Headquarters in Warrens from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Festival Signature Events
This year, patrons will see the return of the Festival’s seven signature events and the introduction of one new event, Bajan Fair.
On Thursday, October 19th; ‘Oistins Under the Stars’ opens the Festival. Patrons will get the opportunity to indulge in a traditional Bajan Fish Fry while enjoying the best of Barbados’ entertainment.
Friday, October 20th patrons taking part in the ‘Chef Classics’ will take part in cooking demos hosted by Food Network’s Chef Anne Burrell; Celebrity Chef, Chef Juan Diego Vanegas; and UK Masterchef winner, Chef Shelina Permalloo.
In the evening; ‘Rum Route’ takes place. During this event, persons will be transported into the world of rum and learn why Barbados is known as the Birthplace of Rum.
Early Saturday morning, October 21st 2023, ‘Rise and Rum: The Breakfast Beach Party’ ; the premium all-inclusive breakfast party takes place. This event will be held on one of Barbados’ picturesque beaches.
During the day, the new event ‘Bajan Fair’ takes place! This family-friendly event replaces the Food Truck Mashup event that we had last year. The ‘Junior Chef Cook Off Competition’ will also take place on this day; and persons are encouraged to come out and support. Twelve aspiring chefs were selected to take part the competition for the last six weeks. Last Saturday, following an elimination round, the eight quarterfinalists were chosen and announced during last night’s Barbados Food and Rum Festival’s Sponsors and Media Launch at Fustic House, St. Lucy.
The Quarterfinalists are:
- Dejuan Toppin
- Rojae Griffith
- Raphael Blenman
- Achan Callendar
- Mya Thornhill
- Sian Edwards
- Domonique Grant
- Jade Harewood
About the Competition
The Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc remains committed to empowering the next generation of Barbadian chefs.
The Junior Chefs will undergo an 8-week training which will include culinary and destination tours, challenges and elimination rounds. For most of the rounds, contestants will work as individuals, however, there will be the occasional team challenges and they will be given the opportunity to hone their skills under the mentorship of the esteemed Chef Peter Edey.
This year a tourism component will be introduced to the competition so participants will be out in the field during the training process to get hands-on experience. Additionally, the entire competition will be filmed and curated similar to MasterChef Junior and Chopped Junior
The final eight contestants will then compete in the semi-finals and the top four will battle in the finals to see who the next Junior Chef Champion will be. This year the stakes are higher, and the prizes are even bigger as one winner will receive BBD $3000 cash, a scholarship to the Caribbean Cuisine Culinary Institute and an internship at the historic Crane Resort Barbados.
The Junior Chef Cook-Off Competition is a signature Festival event and epitomizes the overall Festival’s theme of ‘Feed the Future’. The finals take place on Saturday, October 21st from 4pm-7pm at the Bajan Fair, which is a new family friendly event added to this year’s line-up.
Admission for the Junior Chef Cook-Off Competition finals is $USD 15.
In the evening, three of our international chefs will be hosting a ‘Journey of Food’ private dinner at different restaurants. Celebrity Chef, Renee Blackman will be hosting her dinner at O2 Beach Club; UK Masterchef Winner, Shelina Permalloo will be hosting her dinner at All Seasons Resort; and Celebrity Chef, Juan Diego Vanegas will be hosting his dinner at Colony Club. These dinners will begin at 7:00 p.m.
Families can enjoy an unforgettable day filled with food, rides, toys and so much more!
The Festival ends with its ultra-premium event, ‘Liquid Gold Feast’ on Sunday, October 22nd 2023.
Sponsors Announcement
As the Festival evolves, the BTMI recognizes the importance of being inclusive and creating opportunities for everyone to get involved. From last year, The Festival was opened up for corporate Barbados to come on board to partner with the BTMI to have their brands featured on the global stage.
It would not be Food and Rum without the Rum and BTMI welcomes Cockspur and Mount Gay as the official Rum Partners.
Gold Sponsors this year are:
- CIBC First Caribbean Bank
- Roberts Manufacturing
- Massy Group
Silver Sponsors are:
- WIRD (West Indies Rum Distillery)
- Emerging Brands Barbados
- Bajan 1966 Rum
- Go! Insect Repellent
- Barbados Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (BADMC)
Hotel Partners are:
- The Crane Resort
- O2 Beach Club Barbados
- Colony Club Hotel
- All Seasons Resort
Friends of the Festival this year are:
- Rubis
- Event Hub
- National Cultural Foundation
Media Partners this year are:
- Power Broadcasting
- Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)
- Nation Publishing
- Capital Media HD
- Hitz FM
- Starcom Network
“The BTMI serves as the marketing arm of the destination and we are investing heavily in the promotion of the Festival across the USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. All of these sponsors will benefit from that exposure here and internationally. Our local advertising campaign kicks off tomorrow, and we are looking forward to seeing Food and Rum take over the streets and the air waves of Barbados,” said Craig Hinds, Acting CEO, BTMI.
Culinary Promotions
The aim of the BTMI is to bring visitors to our shores to enjoy different events throughout the year; and the Festival has become a welcomed staple in Barbados’ calendar that many look forward to attending.
“Our teams across the source markets in the USA, UK, Canada, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, have been aggressively promoting the Food and Rum Festival to our audiences abroad with the aim of increasing visitor arrivals to the destination,” said Hinds.
BTMI, Director, Public Relations and Corporate Communications said that ticket sales have been performing well and they expect tickets to be sold out well before the Festival.
“The Festival is on track to achieve its goal of a 60:40 spilt in ticket sales between local and international attendees,” said Thomas.
Culinary Talent
This year, the BTMI has partnered with 22 talented chefs and mixologists to elevate this year’s Festival and Executive Chef of the 2023 Barbados Food and Rum Festival, Henderson Butcher announced them.
With chefs to pastry chefs to vegan chefs and mixologists; there will be a little bit of everything on the menu to be enjoyed by everyone.
| Award-winning Chefs | Talented Liquid Artistes |
| Damian Leach | Philip Antoine |
| Javon Cummins | Shane McClean |
| Seth Hasin-Bromley | Natasha Jules |
| Trevon Stoute | Jamaal Bowen |
| Shaunte Flatts | Rohan Hackshaw |
| Jamal Whittaker | Antonio Busby |
| Adrian Cumberbatch | Alex Chandler |
| Ann-Marie Leach | |
| Marvin Applewaite | |
| Nicholas Ifill | |
| Rodney Corbin | |
| Kiara Riley | |
| Shanese Phoenix | |
| Creig Greenidge | |
| Steffi Sealy |
This year, four international chefs will take part in this year’s Festival.
- Food Network’s Chef Anne Burrell from the USA;
- Celebrity Chef, Chef Reneé Blackman from the USA;
- UK MasterChef, Chef Shelina Permalloo;
- and from Colombia, Chef Juan Diego Vanegas
“Everyone has been saying that this is shaping up to be the best Food and Rum Festival ever. We have been nominated at the World’s Culinary Awards for the Caribbean’s Best Food Festival. I am confident that we will be victorious when the winners are announced in Dubai in October. So, let’s take a moment to celebrate our culinary talent; the heart and soul of the Festival,” said Butcher.
Partnership with Condé Nast
Once again, the BTMI has partnered with Condé Nast to position Barbados as a top culinary destination. This year’s partnership will continue to garner international appeal, excitement and interest about the Festival well ahead of the official start date of the Festival.
Condé Nast will host a series of creative digital content to highlight the island’s cuisine and historical influences as well as Instagram takeovers and email blasts to their millions of followers so that persons will keep the upcoming Food and Rum Festival to front of mind.
For more information on the Festival and to purchase tickets to the events, visit www.foodandrum.com
-ENDS-
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.