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Your Guide to the Ultimate Foodie Dream Weekend in Paradise
By: Rhe-Ann Prescod
If you love flavours that will transport you to foodie nirvana, unforgettable events and simply paradise, then Barbados should be your next destination. The island is the Culinary Capital of the Caribbean and the Birthplace of Rum so there is something for every kind of food connoisseur and rum aficionado to enjoy.You can visit the island any time of the year but if you are truly looking for a culinary adventure, then October is the best time to book your ticket to Barbados.During this month, the island comes alive for the Barbados Food and Rum Festival, which will be held this year from October 24th-27th. Described as the Ultimate Foodie Dream Weekend, the Barbados Food and Rum Festival is a mecca for foodies all over the world, where the island’s finest culinary talent is celebrated. It has become one of the most sought-after festivals in the world, earning the title of the Caribbean’s Best Culinary Festival in 2023.So, here are a few things you should know to prep yourself for the Ultimate Foodie Dream Weekend in Barbados.
Paradise is just a plane ride away
With direct gateways from our key source markets, USA, UK, Canada, Caribbean and Latin America, travelling to Barbados is more convenient and easier than ever.Plan your trip today! Visit https://www.visitbarbados.org/plan-your-trip for more information.
Where to Stay
From luxurious villas, cozy airbnbs and all-inclusive hotels, there are a variety of accommodation options to create your home in paradise. The festival has also partnered with a few hotels around the island to offer special packages to festival goers. You can visit https://www.foodandrum.com/where-to-stay/ for more information.
The Ultimate Foodie Dream Weekend
The festival is known as a foodie’s dream weekend because there is something for every type of food and rum lover to enjoy. The culinary bliss kicks off on Thursday October, 24th with the famous Oistins Fish Fry which beautifully fuses Bajan cuisine and entertainment. Then, the Friday morning is spent learning tips and tricks from international chefs at Chef Classics cooking demos and, in the night, you will be transported to the world of rum at the Rum Route moving bus party. On Saturday, at the crack of dawn, is Rise & Rum: The Breakfast Beach Party which includes premium cocktails and the most delicious breakfast spread on one of the island’s picturesque beaches. You can then end your day by taking your palate on an unforgettable voyage at the Journey of Food dinners. And, it all culminates on Sunday October 27th at Liquid Gold Feast, the ultra-premium grand finale event.Prior to the weekend, there are also pre festival events such as Community Popups, Bajan Fair, Culture of Cuisine Talks and the Junior Chef Cook-Off Competition.
A Celebration of Culinary Excellence
Featuring 29 local chefs and mixologists, the Barbados Food and Rum Festival showcases the best that Barbados has to offer within the culinary industry. This year the festival will also feature an impressive lineup of international chefs including Netflix’s Pressure Cooker’s Chef Renee Blackman, Michelin Chef Michael O’ Hare from the UK and Chef Wandile Mabaso from South Africa. Chef Wandile has cooked for celebrities like Beyonce, Jay-Z and Kelly Rolland.
All Things Rum
Barbados is the Birthplace of Rum so of course ‘liquid gold’, also known as rum, is at the centre of the festival. You can indulge in the finest rum cocktails from the island’s top mixologists during the festival weekend but the best event to learn and taste everything rum is Rum Route. During this event, a party bus will take you on a rum shop hop and to rum distillery tours inclusive of rum tastings and samples. This one-of-a-kind experience is perfect for all rum lovers with your own rum passport to document your journey.But there is more… the route continues! This year the first ever Rum Night will be held at Pelican Island Barbados and will bring the atmosphere of a “Bajan Rum Shop” straight to you!
Explore the Culinary Capital of the Caribbean
The island is home to over 400 restaurants and so while you are on island for the Barbados Food and Rum Festival, take some time to explore the flavours of paradise. From food trucks, beachside restaurants and of course fine dining establishments there’s something to satisfy every palate.
Pack for the Occasion
Any trip to paradise includes, sun dresses and swimwear but if you are coming during the festival don’t forget your yellow outfit for the Rise & Rum: The Breakfast Beach Party, and of course your gown or suit for Liquid Gold Feast.So, now that you have all the details, it’s time to book your tickets to the ultimate foodie dream weekend. Visit foodandrum.com for more information.
Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI) will be hosting We Cookin’– The National Barbados Food and Rum Competition from January to December, 2025 as part of the We Gatherin’ Barbados 2025 celebrations..
This competition is a community initiative geared at allowing the most lauded chefs in the community of each parish to compete in a ‘cook off’ for the best pork or fish dish, served with any ground provision, as they vie for attractive prizes. The parish based cook offs will then culminate with a national event where the winning chefs from each Parish Competition will be given the chance to compete for the grand prize at the National Competition in December 2025.
In an effort to support local farmers in the respective communities, as well as those in the fishing industry, the competition will require the participating community members to use local pork or fish and any locally sourced ground provision.
(1) Enter Your Best Pork or Fish Dish
Interested participants may enter via www.foodandrum.com. The top Three (3) will move on to the second round with the live cook-off.
How to enter?
Create a dish that features either pork OR fish, that is served with any ground provision in any variation.
To enter the competition you can:
Upload a photo of you holding the dish and the recipe via www.foodandrum.com
If you do not have access to a computer take your dish and recipe to the Heritage Centre in your parish where a representative will take a photo of you and the dish, and record your contact details.
Your likeness and the dish must be clearly visible in the photo.
The top three (3) entries will be chosen by a panel of judges with the winners announced at least one week prior to the Cook Off. The three finalists will be contacted by the BTMI.
Prior the Live Cook-Off, all parish finalists will be required to attend a short briefing sessions with regards to the conduct of the competition.
All successful applicants are required to be in possession of a valid certificate of good health (Food Handling Certificate) from a registered medical practitioner.
Applicants must habitually live within the parish and may be required to provide proof of residence (Utility bill).
(2) Parish Competition – Live Cook-Off
The Live Cook-Off of competition will take place typically on the last Saturday of each month, featuring the top three (3) cooks who will re-create the dish featured in their submitted entry photo. The winner will be chosen by a panel of judges. The judges’ decision is final.
BTMi will provide the equipment such as stove, fridge, grill and utensils, cutlery and crockery to be used in the Cook off.
Contestants will receive a stipend of BDS$150 to purchase the items for the cook off.
(3) National Competition – National Live Cook-Off
The winners from each of the eleven (11) parishes will “face-off” in a National Competition in December 2025 in order to determine the overall Best Community Cook..
Terms & Conditions – We Cookin’ – The National Food & Rum Competition
1. Who is eligible for this promotion?
This contest is open to persons who habitually reside within the parish. Applicants may be required to provide proof of residence within the parish.
2. Winning Contestant
The winner of the competition will be chosen by a panel of judges at the Live Cook Off. The winner will then qualify for the National Competition to be held in December 2025.
3. Who is NOT eligible for this promotion? Persons in any of the following categories are NOT eligible to participate or win prizes:
Any person who at any time on or after May 1, 2017 was or is a director, officer, employee, agent of BTMI.
Individuals engaged in the development, production or distribution of materials for the Promotion of this competition (collectively the Promotion Entities).
Professional Chefs- those that work as chefs in Restaurants, hotels, are culinary ambassadors or awardees.
4. BTMI hereby specifically reserves the right to terminate, cancel, suspend and/ or modify the promotion if any fraud, virus or other technical problem corrupts the administration, security, safety of the promotion, as determined by BTMI in its sole discretion.
5. BTMI reserves the right to at any time vary the terms of the Promotion, to amend its Terms and Conditions, or to withdraw the Promotion. In any of these events notice will be given via media advertisements or messages to customers or via its social media platforms and will be effective immediately or as of the date referred to in such notifications.
6. BTMI cannot be held responsible if any or all included prizes are unavailable for any reason, including any natural or unnatural occurrence.
7. Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. reserves the right to disqualify any contestant for reasonable cause.
8. Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. reserves the right to post, publish or otherwise use any image entered in this promotion.
9. Contestants must agree to be included in any promotional video or photographic promotion of the contest or Barbados Food & Rum.
10. Contestants must be able appear in person on the communicated day of competion in their respective parish.
11. This is no way sponsored, administered or associated with Instagram or Facebook.
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