British Virgin Islands Food Fete: Can you wait until November?

BVIF
BVIF
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Written by Linda Hohnholz

As the British Virgin Islands Tourist Board (BVITB) wraps up a busy season of Summer FREEdom deals, the destination is announcing their first-ever culinary extravaganza, BVI Food Fete, which will offe

As the British Virgin Islands Tourist Board (BVITB) wraps up a busy season of Summer FREEdom deals, the destination is announcing their first-ever culinary extravaganza, BVI Food Fete, which will offer a variety of delicious, locally-focused events and activities throughout the month of November.

โ€œThe BVI Food Fete is a wonderful opportunity for the Territory to showcase the finest Caribbean cuisine and weโ€™re excited to invite travelers to taste the best of the BVI,โ€ said Sharon Flax-Mars, Director of Tourism. โ€œDue to the variety of program offerings, diners will have the opportunity to island hop while sampling local ingredients like famous Anegada spiny lobster, our signature cocktail, The Painkiller and more.โ€

Throughout the month-long BVI Food Fete, unique events and programming will feature the destinationโ€™s finest cuisine and chefs, including, BVI Restaurant Week, the Anegada Lobster Festival, On The Rocks Bar Crawl, international chefs, wine and rum tastings, and Local Fridays.

BVI Food Fete Programming

ยท Visiting Chef Program (Continuous)
Chefs from around the world are invited to bring their expertise to the festival and prepare dishes that incorporate ingredients traditional to their home countries with those local to the BVI. One of our visiting chefs will be Roshni Gurnani, Executive Chef and Culinary Chef instructor at The Art Institute of Houston.

ยท BVI Restaurant Week (November 14th-23rd)
Participating restaurants throughout the destination are serving luxurious three and six course meals at reduced prices. Over the course of the week, each restaurant will offer a fixed, special menu made with authentic flavors and ingredients of the Caribbean.

BVI Restaurant Week has developed into an interactive culinary event that continues to drum excitement and participation from restaurateurs, chefs and food lovers throughout the Caribbean region and internationally, introducing patrons to the varied dishes offered throughout the Territory for breakfast, lunch or dinner at significantly reduced prices. Restaurants that participate in BVI Restaurant Week will offer a special discounted menu for the entire week. These menus involve a maximum charge of $45 for a three-course dinner; $15 for lunch; $9 for breakfast. Each menu will include a complimentary drink.

To see a list of the participating restaurants in Restaurant Week visit BVI Food Fete online: www.bvifoodfete.com.

BVI Restaurant Week will feature the following activities:

o Taste of the BVI, Tortola (Nov. 14th) and Virgin Gorda (Nov. 15th) โ€“ Restaurants gather at one venue in a market-style setting offering free samples of food, which will be offered during BVI Restaurant Week. BVI wholesalers and beverage retailers will also be on site to offer free drink samples of various wines, spirits, mixes and juices.

o Celebrity Chef Cook-off โ€“ During the Taste of the BVI events, four local chefs, two on Virgin Gorda and two on Tortola, will compete with the visiting celebrity chef in a BVI style cook-off for the title of Best Chef.

o Barefoot Gourmet Soirรฉe (Nov. 23rd) โ€“ A highlight of Restaurant Week will be the Barefoot Gourmet Soirรฉe dinner on November 23rd. Set in a private villa, this incredible 5-course meal will be prepared by international and local chefs. Proceeds from the evening will go to a student interested in pursuing a career in tourism. With a theme of barefoot elegance, this exclusive evening is not to be missed.

ยท On the Rocks Bar Crawl (November 15th)
Enjoy an evening On the Rocks. This exciting bar crawl will take place at 6 PM on Virgin Gorda. Participants will be transported in party safari buses to six well-known bars on the island with the last stop ending in a grand finale party. Customized drinks and hors d’oeuvres are some of the highlights of the night.

ยท Local Fridays (continuous)
On Fridays, restaurants on Anegada, Jost Van Dyke, Tortola and Virgin Gorda will be serving some of the best local fare found on this archipelago. Get ready to choose from a wide selection of delicious dishes.

ยท Callwood Rum Distillery Happy Hour (November 7th)
The BVIsโ€™ historic rum distillery will feature a unique rum tasting. Experience tradition and culture amid this authentic family-owned property. The Callwood Distillery, located off a back road in Cane Garden Bay, has been in operation for over four centuries, on the Arundel Estate, Tortola. That legacy has been handed down from father to son over the centuries. The existing building that the distillery operates from is over two hundred years old, and still has much of its original stonework.

ยท Wine Tastings (continuous)
Special wine tastings will be held throughout the month, including select South African wines, and other top picks from our sommeliers and bartenders.

ยท Anegada Lobster Festival (November 29th-30th)
The BVI Food Fete culminates into a two-day event, the Anegada Lobster Festival, celebrating the Caribbeanโ€™s indigenous spiny lobster. During the two-day event, travelers can expect to indulge in lobster dishes prepared by several restaurants on the island of Anegada, each with their own unique twist on the Caribbean favorite. In addition to the participating restaurants, beachside music and entertainment entices guests to linger a little longer on the โ€œdrowned island.โ€

The British Virgin Islands Tourist Board, together with the population of Anegada, will feature talented local chefs who will be on-hand to prepare, cook, and serve plated sample lobster dishes at participating Anegada restaurants. Participants will dine on three different lobster samplers at each restaurant at a cost of $10-$12 per sampler plate. Travelers donโ€™t have to stay on Anegada to experience the festival โ€“ ferry services will be running daily from the other islands, including Virgin Gorda and Tortola.

Property Offerings

Hotel and resort properties participating in the destinationโ€™s culinary month have created programs that bring the BVIsโ€™ culinary flare to guests on-site with new offers that incorporate ingredients and flavors local to the islands. For full details please see www.bvifoodfete.com

Peter Island Resort and Spa is teaching travelers how to eat like an islander during BVI Food Fete with a variety of on-island grilling and wine tasting activities. As an added bonus, the resort is offering 35% off Beach Front Junior Suites, Nightly Villa Rates and Ocean View Rooms.

ยท Peter Islandโ€™s Tradewinds restaurant will offer a special โ€œTaste of BVIโ€ menu for Novemberโ€™s โ€˜Restaurant Weekโ€™. Every Friday night throughout the month of November, Tradewinds restaurant will showcase a local BVI dish on the dinner menu such as Conch Ceviche and Fish-n-Foil.

ยท Grilling Classes: The resort is offering guided grilling and smoking classes to guests. Amateur grillers can expect to learn how to fillet a fish, clean an Anegada Lobster and prepare the perfect steak with one of Peter Island Resort & Spaโ€™s world-class chefs. The class includes a grilled and smoked feast for dinner on Deadmanโ€™s Beach.

ยท Wine Social Tuesdays: The resort hosts tastings with resident wine and beverage expert, Rimple Nayyar, who allows guests to sample a variety of wines while learning more about proper wine pairings.

ยท Caribbean Buffet: Wednesdayโ€™s Caribbean Buffet features live music at Deadmanโ€™s Bar & Grill.

ยท Vintnerโ€™s Dinner: On Thursdays, the resort hosts a Vintnerโ€™s Dinner in the private wine room at Tradewinds restaurant. Reservations required.

Rosewood Little Dix Bay is bringing the flavors of the Caribbean to the BVI Food Fete with their Dish of the Week and a six course menu by new Executive Chef, Torsten Rumprecht. In addition to their participation in the BVI Food Fete, Rosewood Little Dix Bay is offering guests staying four nights a complimentary fifth night at all accommodations (with exception to the Beach Houses) while guests staying five nights can receive a complimentary sixth and seventh night at a Deluxe Cottage, Beach Front Cottage, Rosewood Junior Suite or Villa.

ยท Dish of the Week: The resort will showcase a host of dishes indigenous to the BVI through their locally-inspired beachside barbeque each Friday. The oceanfront dining experience will be dedicated to native island dishes such as Local Grilled Potfish, Jonny Cakes with Mild Scotch Bonnet-Creole Sauce and Virgin Gorda Bread and Butter Pudding with Rum Sauce and Banana Ice Cream. Additionally, during the second week of November, Rosewood Little Dix Bay is highlighting its new Executive Chef Torsten Rumprecht and Executive Pastry Chef Miguel Somoza. Chef Torsten and Chef Miguel will be creating special dishes such as Bitter Chocolate Crรจme Catalana with Pineapple Salsa and Pecan-Caramel Ice Cream and Pork Schnitzel topped with Crabmeat-Mushroom Ragout, which fuses local ingredients with internationally-inspired flavors.

ยท Restaurant Week: During Restaurant Week, Rosewood Little Dix Bay will offer special menus in each of the resortโ€™s three, distinct restaurants and Chef Torsten will host cooking demonstrations and kitchen tours, sharing his international techniques and skills with guests. Guests will learn how to add Caribbean touches to staple dishes such as grilled fish or Tropical Pork Oscar with Lobster.

ยท Anegada Lobster Festival: In addition to themed dishes and cocktails on property, Rosewood Little Dix Bay is offering guests private boat charters to and from Anegada throughout the week, allowing diners to easily island hop between activities.

Scrub Island Resort, Spa & Marina is celebrating the finest cuisine in the Caribbean during the BVI Food Fete with a calendar packed full of culinary activities throughout the month of November.

ยท Hosting Top Chefs: Chef Chad Johnson – 2012 and 2014 James Beard Semifinalist for Best Chef: South โ€“ from their sister property Epicurean Hotel in Tampa, will visit Scrub Island on November 12th and will participate in a Supper Club dinner with new executive chef, Chef Juan Morrison. The Supper Club at Scrub Island Resort is a way to bring together adventuresome lovers of food and drink for an evening of discovery. The entire multi-course meal will be prepared and carefully paired with wines that will surely elevate the evening. Dinner will be served in the elegant Candle Room at communal tables to foster lively conversation and debate. The event will be open to hotel guests and local foodies.

The British Virgin Islands
An archipelago comprised of 60 islands and cays, the British Virgin Islands (BVI) are located 80 kilometers east of Puerto Rico, in the northwestern region of the Caribbean Sea. The main islands are Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada and Jost Van Dyke. Road Town, located in Tortola, is the British Virgin Islandโ€™s capital.

The BVI is renowned as a destination for sailing, diving and snorkeling. The destinationโ€™s vast topography provides unique opportunities for hiking, outdoor adventure and sustainable tourism. The BVI is home to many famous attractions that include The Baths on Virgin Gorda, the Wreck of the Rhone off the coast of Salt Island, The Caves off the coast of Norman Island, the flamingos on Anegada, White Bay Beach on Jost Van Dyke, and Sage Mountain on Tortola.

Despite its status as a United Kingdom territory, the BVI uses the U.S. dollar as its official currency. The BVI Tourist Board invites everyone to experience the seduction of our pristine and exquisite home. For more information on all that BVI has to offer, visit www.bvitourism.com.

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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