Posted by: Editor on Oct 06, 2006 – 10:17 AM
shows Local Celebrity Chefs Get Ready To “Dish Up” A Taste of The Islands at 14th Annual Culinary Classic Wine & Food Festival…
Hoping to skirt the pesky hurricane season, the Bahamas Culinary Classic Wine & Food Festival takes centre stage on the Bahamian calendar this fall. In addition to an amazing array of culinary delights, patrons are set to enjoy this re-branded event that celebrates the cadre of award-winning local celebrity chefs on home turf. The Festival is set to begin 31 October 5 November, 2006.
Presented by the Ministry of Tourism in conjunction with the Ministry of Agriculture & Marine Resources, the Culinary & Hospitality Management Institute at the College of the Bahamas and the Bahamas Hotel Association, the Festival has as its tenets, in the strengthening of tourism linkages through the incorporation of native produce in restaurant menus and the nurturing and promotion of the culinary industry’s finest ambassadors.
“This year’s week-long event is multi-faceted,” said Janet Johnson, Executive Show Chair for the Culinary Festival. “In addition to the highly anticipated chef competition, under the title sponsorship of City Markets, teams and individuals will compete against the standard set by the American Culinary Federation the accredited board governing the competition and not each other, using their honed skills and techniques to vie for coveted gold medals in the mystery basket, cocktail reception, and signature dish cook-offs” Ms Johnson said.
New elements include the introduction of lifestyle seminars for the public, and a culinary field trip to a vineyard-style, organic farm in the Clifton/Lyford Cay area. Far removed from the hustle and bustle of Nassau, patrons enjoy a stop at Sacred Space and upon arrival at the farm, have the option of horseback riding and taking an educational tour on the innovative techniques involved in growing this indigenous produce and providing it in its purest form. A visit to explore the country store is a must before sitting down to a tasty, wholesome lunch in this rural setting.
Forts Charlotte and Stanley come alive on Friday night and culinary enthusiasts will be invited to mingle and enjoy dinner and a movie, al fresco style, against this historical backdrop. Leading restaurants including Atlantis’ Bimini Road, Graycliff and Villagio will recreate off-site replicas of their dining establishments that mirror their unique ambience, and serve up a four (4) course Bahamian-inspired gourmet meal. Patrons will be encouraged to dine-around and sample different courses at the various restaurants with specially selected wine-pairings for each course chosen by key sponsor, Bristol Cellars in true epicurean fashion.
Fine food and wine will flow all day Saturday at the Grand Wine & Food Tasting event at Fort Stanley. Individual Chefs will compete for best of show in the Signature Dish trials. Patrons will be able to cheer their favourite chef on and observe these open air cooking demonstrations in the Festival’s spanking new portable kitchens. Wine tasting and scheduled seminars will be conducted by noted, local sommelier, Rusty Scates. This festivity of all you can eat, all you can drink, culminates with the Culinary Medal Awards Ceremony at sunset where our celebrity chefs anxiously await their just desserts.
A Gospel Brunch on Sunday morning at Plantation Hill, Cave’s Point will top off the Festival, made possible through a successful public/private sector partnership model. Local retailers and wholesalers including Bahamas Food Services, Prime Bahamas, Geneva Brass Seafood, Island Wholesale, Thompson Trading, Coca Cola and the government agencies have championed the growth of the Culinary Classic and now embrace the natural progression of the event into a full blown, sustainable Festival.
Part proceeds from the Festival will benefit the Cancer Society as well as the Bahamas Culinary Association to help defray the cost of chef’s participation in international competitions.
Downloadable pre-registration forms and dine-around menus with wine pairings are available on www.events.bahamas.com and www.tourismbahamas.org Dinner reservations and event tickets are available from the Ministry of Tourism’s George Street office.
Epicurean Philosophy: Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die!
Box Office Contact: Sophia Strachan Ministry of Tourism Bolam House, 2nd Floor King/George Streets Nassau 242-302-2000 x 4043 242-302-2098 sstrachan@bahamas.com