New York, NY—Best Dressed Plate (BDP), the premier global authority and platform dedicated to the elevation and narrative ownership of Caribbean cuisine, will recognise the best in the field with the 2025 Caribbean Culinary Impact Awards.

The winners will be announced on December 15^th  via Best Dressed Plate’s Instagram page @bestdressedplate.

Caribbean chefs and destinations will be honoured in the following categories:

• Trailblazing Chef of the Year
• Rising Star Chef
• Excellence in Culinary Entrepreneurship
• Food Content Creator
• Best Caribbean Restaurant
• Food Truck/Pop-Up

Now in its second year, the awards will expand its footprint by introducing regional honouree groups for the United States, Canada, the UK, and the Caribbean. Each region will honour chefs under the above categories. This strategic move acknowledges the sheer volume and influence of the Caribbean diaspora in these key markets, demonstrating the strength in numbers and the undeniable global reach of the cuisine.

Two specialised awards are also being introduced this year: The Sylvia Hunt Lifetime Achievement Award, named after pioneering Trinidadian cook and television legend Sylvia Hunt and Best Caribbean Culinary Destination.

Nneka Nurse, founder of Best Dressed Plate and Academy Chair for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, said the Caribbean Culinary Impact Awards were started to create a foundation for others in the industry to be inspired and to legitimise Caribbean cuisine.

“The timing for these awards has never been more critical,” says Nurse. “Caribbean cuisine is finally receiving the global acknowledgement it has long deserved. The Caribbean Culinary Impact Awards are not just about giving out trophies; they are about reclaiming our narrative and defining our own standards of excellence. We expanded the awards this year to show the depth of our talent, from the digital creators to the fine dining chefs to the entrepreneurs. Each honouree will have their story profiled on our platform because their journeys are the blueprint for the future of our food.”

As Caribbean food continues to assert its dominance on the world stage, punctuated by the recent, historic inclusion of two Caribbean-led restaurants Buzo Barbados and Stush In The Bush, in North America’s 50 Best Restaurants list, Nurse believes this year’s awards serve as a critical spotlight on the ecosystem driving this movement.

Once the awards are announced, detailed video profiles on each honouree, exploring their contributions to redefining and elevating Caribbean cuisine, will be featured on BestDressedPlate.com throughout the year.

ABOUT BEST DRESSED PLATE: Best Dressed Plate is the definitive global platform for Caribbean gastronomy. Acting as the region’s culinary authority, BDP is dedicated to curating, celebrating, and elevating the diverse food cultures of the Caribbean and its diaspora. Through high-level events, editorial content, and strategic advocacy, Best Dressed Plate serves as the bridge between Caribbean culinary talent and the global stage, ensuring the region’s history is honoured and its future is led by its own voices. Recognition from Best Dressed Plate is a seal of authentic excellence in Caribbean cuisine.

ABOUT NNEKA NURSE: Nneka Nurse is a leading global advocate for Caribbean gastronomy, Founder of Best Dressed Plate, and an Academy Chair for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. A culinary curator and strategist based in New York with deep roots in Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica and Barbados, she has dedicated her career to shifting the narrative around Caribbean food, moving it beyond stereotypes into a space of respected, world-class dining. Through her work, she champions chefs, connects culinary communities across the diaspora, and fights for the rightful place of Caribbean cuisine in the global culinary canon.