2008 Food & Drink Guide Industry Party
Post Party Press Release
The 2008 Food & Drink Guide Industry Party
15th May 2008
The Food & Drink Guide Team would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all those who participated in the birth of The Annual Food & Drink Guide Industry Party.
This was the first time in Antigua & Barbuda that the island’s Food & Drink industry players and their foodie supporters have come together under one roof to unashamedly engage in their subject matter ‘Good Food & Drink’. Attendance at the party was twice the anticipated number (with over 500 guests), but the entire event team including the sponsors ‘stepped up to the plate’ as required and delivered amazing service all evening long. The event was attended by the Who’s Who of the food and drink industry. It created a premier opportunity to meet, greet, wine and dine in one of Antigua’s most exclusive venues.
The premier venues were The Cove & The Cove Terrace waterfront restaurants at Blue Waters. They offered a completely new dinning experience.
The event itself was a fun, entertaining and mouth-watering occasion. Didier Jag from The Gallery Restaurant was the evening’s host extraordinaire. Zorran Magic and Kens Fun Casino provided entertainment on the night. Colin Warman of Observer Radio was the auctioneer; Jenny Hadeed of Exotic Antigua and her beautiful staff assisted him. Together they raised over $12,000 ECD for charity. Best Cellars, Quin Farara & Trans Caribbean Marketing supplied fine wines, champagne, cocktails and liquors.
The main auction and silent auction raised money for a bursary to be awarded to deserving students from the Antigua & Barbuda Hospitality Training Institute. Thanks to all participants, you will be contributing to the progress of some of Antigua & Barbuda's most promising culinary talents!!
An important thrust of the event was to support and provide exposure for some of our best up-and-coming talents training within the hospitality industry. Under the direction of 16 of the islands top chefs, hands-on experience and mentoring was provided to the island’s culinary students/trainees. The students, alongside their assigned chefs, prepared and presented an exciting range of signature dishes and canapés. The dedicated students rose to the occasion and exceeded all expectations.
The event was an unforgettable way to spend Mothers Day and guests left with exclusive promotional goodie bags.
The Food & Drink Guide magazine is now in its 4th year and has distributed over 250,000 copies both on Island and internationally. Sharing our culture, through taste and diversity, we have sold our food and drink, restaurants and hotels, and our Island as the number one destination throughout the Caribbean. If the Beach is just the beginning' - 'Food and Drink will see you through to the end'.
Food & Drink Guide Industry Party Chefs
Executive Chef Graham Singer (The Cove), Chef Charlton Thomas (Home Restaurant), Chef Patrick Gauducheau (Le Bistro French Restaurant), Chef de Partie Nadia Robinson (Curtain Bluff Resort), Head Chef Verman Banhan (Hermitage Bay Resort), Executive Chef Barnaby Jones (Hodges Bay Club), Executive Chef Leroy Hodge (Bay House Restaurant), Executive Chef Jean Francois Bellanger (Coconut Grove Restaurant), Chef Selwyn James, Chef Darryn Pitman (Gourmet Network & Kesari Restaurant), Chef Colleen Simpson (Antigua & Barbuda Hospitality Training Institute), Chef Alric Edward Shaw (The Catamaran Hotel), Executive Chef Alex Grimley & Young Chef of the Year 2007 LaToya Rigby (Carlisle Bay Resort), Chef Omar Tagliaventi & Giuseppe Ortone (Ristorante La Bussola).
Students & Trainees
Thalia Tanner, Khameel Jarvis, Keisha James, Rochelle Emard, Lorna Henry-Georges, Camarlie Jeremiah, Zinzi Mpande, Christopher Terry, Gino Bailey, Mitchaud Mason, Latoya Williams-Pelle (Antigua & Barbuda Hospitality Training Institute)
Trainee Lana Williams (Curtain Bluff) Trainee Carolyn Joseph (Hermitage Bay Resort)
All Chefs and Service staff from The Cove Restaurant, Antigua.
Platinum Sponsors
Virgin Atlantic
Best Cellars & Island Provision Food Distribution
Quin Farara
Gold Event Sponsors
International Purchasing Associates
Sugar Ridge Hotel & Residential Development
Columbian Emeralds
Trans Caribbean Marketing & Heineken
Silver Event Sponsors
Caribbean Alliance Insurance
Chef’s World
Polevault Communications
Cayenne Partners
Brydens – Lipton Tea
Additional Sponsors
Bacchaus Wines (Expresso Bar)
Puntumayo World Music
Prizes & Auction Items
Harmony Hall
Jolly Beach Vacation
CusineArt Resort Angullia
Curtain Bluff
Tropical Adventures – Excellence
OnDeck – Race Sailing
Noreen Philips Couturier
Cedar Valley Golf Course
Ulrik Francis – Pro Golfer
Quin Farara
Claudia Ruth E. Francis – Signed Books
Caribbean Alliance Insurance
Alexis Andrews – Signed Books
Lipstick
Island Hopper Furniture
Major Auction Prize Winners
Adam Barrett (JHR Caribbean) - Noreen Phillips Dress
Kate Taylor (JHR Caribbean) - Virgin Atlantic Tickets
Glenworth Prince (Castaways Restaurant) - Jolly Beach Vacation
(1 week accommodation)
Tony Randall (Blue Waters Hotel) - Magnum of Moet Champagne
Avonelle Pole (Polevault Communications) - Hennessey XO
Kay & Peter Anthony (OnDeck Race Sailing) - Curtain Bluff Resort
(1 night all-inclusive stay)
Vennetta Burton (Stanford Group) - Harmony Hall Weekend
Victoria Rolston – Golf Pro Lessons
Major Prize Winners
Kamilah Roberts (Roberts & Co Lawyers) Jolly Beach Vacation
(1 week accommodation)
Ivy Hurst (Freetrade Zone) - Café Bambula Lunch for 2
Guests of Honor
Carl & Rita Thomas, Home Restaurant are going to CuisinArt Resort & Spa, Anguilla
Student & Chefs Gifts
Students & Chefs received prize knife sets and sushi knives courtesy of Heico Thorn from International Purchasing Associates (Florida)
Food & Drink Industry Party Team
Antonio Papa – The Italian Cheese
Avonelle Pole – PR & Media Consultant
Colleen Simpson – Student Chefs Coordinator
Gulliver Johnson – The Big Cheese
Iain Adams – Guest Photographer
Janie Conley – The Mega Cheese
Karine Pecquet Vidal – Food & Beverage Consultant
Jackie, Dave, Alison, Coreen & Laura – Goodie Bag Coordinators
For more Information contact:
Avonelle Pole
PoleVault Communications
P.O. Box 2364, St. John's, Antigua, West Indies
(268) 561-3830 T
(268) 728-8565 M
avonellehpole@candw.ag
polevaultcommunications@candw.ag
or
Info@foodanddrink-caribbean.com or + 1 (268) 725 4663
Article dated: 17/05/2008 09:44:01
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Food and Drink Guide Launches 1st Annual Culinary Event !
St. John’s, Antigua (April 7th 2008).
The Inaugural Antigua & Barbuda Food & Drink Guide Industry Party is scheduled for Sunday 11th May 2008, at the much anticipated opening of the new Cove Terrace Restaurant in Blue Waters. It will be an exclusive event, attracting the best food and drink connoisseurs and enthusiasts from the finest restaurants, bars and wineries in Antigua & Barbuda, as well as surprise celebrity chefs and personalities. The event will be a fun, entertaining and mouth-watering occasion bringing together under one roof a Who’s Who in the food and drink industry, and creating a premier opportunity to meet, greet, wine and dine.
An important goal of the event is to support and provide exposure for some of our best up and coming talent training within the industry. The entire event will be culinary-themed and will feature extraordinary cooking skills. Under the direction of some of 15 of the island’s top chefs from, Hermitage Bay, Home Restaurant, Le Bistro, Carlisle Bay Resort, Curtain Bluff and many more, hands-on experience and mentoring will be provided to students from the Hospitality Training Institute among others. The students will then prepare and present an exciting range of “signature” dishes and canapés for patrons of the event.
During the evening, there will be a series of timely food and drink samplings and demonstrations, wine and cocktail tastings, promotional displays, an auction to provide bursaries for two young chefs. Lots of surprises are in store for guests who will be musically and visually entertained throughout the evening. And no one will walk away empty-handed - the Food & Drink team promises a “to die for” goodie bag!
The event is by invitation only, although there will be a limited number of advance tickets for sale. Watch this space for updates on the party! The venue is exclusive and fabulous and a perfect launch for this event. For more Information, tickets and sponsorship contact:
info@foodanddrink-caribbean.com or call (268) 725-4663 or visit the F&D site at www.foodanddrink-caribbean.com
Article dated: 09/04/2008 12:00:32
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Kirsy Rijo-Charles
Kirsy Rijo-Charles is officially the liaison officer to the Hispanic community of Antigua and Barbuda. Kirsy’s remit is to integrate the Hispanic community in Antigua and Barbuda. In achieving this integration she has set out to the teaching of English, education of immigration laws and providing access to jobs.
Kirsy is also the president of the baseball association and is eager to introduce baseball to the wider section of the community. In introducing baseball to the masses she hopes that all the youths of our nation not just the Hispanic community will benefit from playing sports and states that baseball can open lots of doors for all Antiguans.
Kirsy Rijo-Charles es oficialmente la embajadora de la comunidad hispana en Antigua y Barbuda. Su trabajo es integrar la comunidad hispana en Antigua y Barbuda. Para lograr esta integración ella se ha prosupuesto enseñar inglés, educar a la comunidad sobre las leyes de immigración y tratar de proveer acceso a empleo.
Kirsy también es la presidenta de la asociación de beísbol y su deseo mayor es introducir el beísbol a toda la comunidad antiguana. Al introducir el beísbol a todos ella espera que todos los jóvenes de nuestra bella nación, no solamente la comunidad hispana, se beneficie de jugar deporte y dice que el beísbol puede abrir muchas puertas para todos los antiguanos.
Article dated: 30/11/2006 21:30:08
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Indies Trade
Indies Trade is an established importer and exporter covering the Caribbean islands, including Trinidad, St. Lucia, Barbados and most of the Leeward Islands. The company was founded in January 2000 by a group of partners with more than 30 years of experience in the import/export industry.
“We came together with a vision to provide quality products at competitive prices, with an emphasis on service. Our goal is to provide the best of the best at the lowest cost and to ensure that every one of our customers feels just as important as the next. We at Indies Trade realize that there was a specific niche market that was not being catered for within the Caribbean. The market that our products are aimed at is the young professionals who have travelled abroad, or those who studied overseas”, explains Rodger Perry the Marketing & Sales Team Leader.They are familiar with products that are market leaders in their region or territories, but have come back home with the urge to be the best. By catering for this niche, they have adopted brands such as Stella Artois, brewed in England, Becks from Germany, Presidente out of Santo Domingo, Banks Beer from Barbados, and the following three brands from the USA, Sutter Home Wines, Rockstar and Vitamin Water. Every brand is a market leader in its region.
Indies Trade es una importadora y exportadora establecida que provee para las islas del caribe, incluyendo Trinidad, St. Lucia, Barbados y las mayorías de las Islas Sotavento. La compañía fue fundada en enero del 2000 por un grupo de socios con más de 30 años de experiencia en la industria de importe/exporte.
¨Nosotros nos juntamos con una vision de proveer productos de calidad a precios competitivos, con énfasis en el servicio. Nuestra meta es proveer lo mejor de los mejores al precio más bajo y asegurarnos que cada uno de nuestros clientes se sienta tan importante como el próximo. Nosotros aquí en Indies Trade nos damos cuenta que había un hueco en el mercado que no había sido explorado en el caribe. Al mercado que nuestros productos están dirigidos es ese de los profesionales jóvenes que han viajado al extranjero, o los que estudiaron en el extranjero ", explica Rodger Perry el líder del equipo de la mercadotecnia y de las ventas.
Están familiarizados con los productos que son líderes del mercado en su región o territorios, pero han regresado a casa con el impulso de ser los mejores. Al proveer para este mercardo, Indies Trade ha adoptado marcas de fábrica tales como Stella Artois, cerveza elaborada en Inglaterra, Becks de Alemania, Presidente de Santo Domingo, Banks Beer de Barbados, y las tres marcas de fábrica siguientes de los E.E.U.U., Sutter Home Wines, Rockstar y Vitamin Water. Cada marca de fábrica es un líder del mercado en su región.
Article dated: 30/11/2006 21:21:09
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One Stone Ital Shack
Shoy Southwell better known as One Stone has been in the business of providing top class vegetarian food to the public of Antigua & Barbuda for the past 8 years.
Business began simply because Shoy loved to cook & recognised the niche of providing good healthy food to the public. The business began from a strong foundation, out of his mother’s kitchen. He started with a friend who was also a cook & who is no longer with the business, but is credited as a founding member.“We began by doing Ital food which is the coconut milk food”, says Shoy. He feels strongly that One Stone has revolutionized the taste of Ital food. The fight did not last long – one taste of their food & any misconceptions were out the door.
The first branch of the One Stone Ital Shack was opened in Cobbs Cross over 3 years ago. “People would come from all over the island just for a taste of our food. Tourists to the island literally tracked down the restaurant just to experience the delicious vegetarian foods”. It wasn’t long before the customers who worked in the city demanded a closer venue. Shoy opened another branch in town, a year ago just east of the Country Pond.
Like any business Shoy says that he has had his shares of difficulties, but he cannot complain. He is thankful to God, his girlfriend Donna Lawrence & his dedicated staff for their tremendous support & recognizes that his success is as a result of team effort.
And what does the future hold for Shoy & One Stone Ital Shack? His vision is to have an outlet in every village on the island. Shoy is extremely ambitious, so this vision can be a reality, & in our opinion would be tremendous for the island. The food is delicious, good for you & will be an instant hit if you’re trying it for the first time.
Article dated: 30/11/2006 21:16:49
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