Despite a venue change due to deteriorating weather conditions, the media launch of Jamaica Food and Drink Festival 2024 served a taste of what to expect for this year’s staging slated for November 7-10.

With JFDF now approaching its 10th anniversary, Debbie Bissoon, who served as master of ceremonies at the media launch, the decade-long journey of the culinary festival, from its early beginnings to its current stature as one of the premier Caribbean gastronomy events. JFDF has been voted “Best Caribbean Culinary Destination” twice by the World Culinary Awards, she reminded attendees.

In addition, since inception, JFDF has hosted over 75 events and welcomed more than 50,000 attendees, helping to establish Kingston as a key destination on the global culinary map. Bissoon especially recognised presenting sponsor Visa, hosting sponsor CB Foods, and other key contributors who have supported the festival’s growth and success.

In chronicling key milestones of the festival, a video presentation with clips of “the most unforgettable moments of past festivals” was shown.

Renowned chefs

Alicia Bogues, director of JFDF, provided a comprehensive outline of this year’s events during the four-day festival. She also introduced the special guests and international chefs.

1. Chef Andre Fowles, a Jamaican-born, three-time Food Network Chopped champion.
2. Chef José Mendín, a five-time James Beard Award semi-finalist and co-founder of The Pubbelly Restaurant Group, is recognised for his culinary style at Casa Isola in Miami and Mary Rosa in Puerto Rico.
3. Mario Castrellón, chef and owner of Maito in Panama, is celebrated for transforming Panamanian cuisine with a focus on local flavours and cultural heritage.
4. Chef Wenford Patrick Simpson, originally from St Ann, Jamaica, now serves up a fusion of Caribbean, Southern, and American flavours at the B.B. King Blues Club in New York City.

Attendees can also expect to see 2 Girls & a Cookshop mother-daughter duo Shelly and Jataun Flash known for their Jamaican Tacos and diasporic street food in New York City, as well as Chris De La Rosa from Caribbeanpot.com, a major digital influencer in Caribbean cuisine with over 866,000 YouTube subscribers and millions of website visitors.

Festival line-up

Bogues also shared details about the four major festival events scheduled for November 7-10, 2024:

1. Kuyah (November 7 at Craft Market, downtown Kingston): A re-imagined celebration of traditional Jamaican cuisine with innovative interpretations.
2. Decade (November 8 at Hope Gardens): A tribute to JFDF’s 10-year history, featuring fan-favourite events such as Picante, Pork Palooza, Chopsticks, and Crisps.
3. Meet Street + The Market (November 9 at Historic Naval Dockyard, Port Royal): A vibrant food truck gathering and family-friendly event with artisan vendors and live entertainment.
4. Brunch (November 10): A luxurious and boozy brunch event featuring local and international cuisine in a laid-back, festive atmosphere.

Tickets for JFDF’s events are available online at www.jafoodanddrink.com, with exclusive discounts for Visa cardholders.

Our Today provides photo highlights: