Gastronomy Festival invited chefs introduce themselves to the press at the conference in Grand Case Beach Club on Friday. (Robert Luckock photo)
MARIGOT--The second edition of the Gastronomy Festival was declared open by St. Martin Tourism Office President Valérie Damaseau at a press conference in the Grand Case Beach Club conference centre on Friday evening, with all the invited international chefs present.
The much-anticipated festival kicked off with an adult culinary workshop in Marigot on Saturday and continues through November 22. In total there will be 12 workshops for adults and two for children.
The 11 chefs were introduced by Tourism Office director Aïda Weinum and each gave a brief resumé of his or her career while the Tourism Office’s Ricardo Bethel provided English translation for the benefit of the US and international journalists present. The chefs will be giving guidance and offering their knowledge and skill during the workshops for the pre-arranged featured dishes.
2017 Chef of the Year and two-starred chef Nicolas Sale is the patron of the festival while Alain Warth returns as Chefs’ Coordinator.
Some 67 restaurants are participating in the competition for the “Best Table of St. Martin 2022/2023” judged by a panel of experts. The featured ingredient this year is plantain, following tamarind last year.
Restaurants are divided into four categories: Gourmet Stars (gastronomy restaurants), City Stars (town restaurants), Beach Stars (beach restaurants) and Authentic Stars (local and traditional restaurants). Prizes will also be awarded for Best Dessert and Best Welcome and Service.
New for this year is the addition of mixology and a BBQ competition that takes place on Rue de la République, Marigot, at 5:00pm Tuesday, November 15.
Wednesday, November 16, is a culinary workshop for children from 1:00pm to 5:00pm at the We Agree with Culture gardens in Bellevue.
On Thursday, November 17, the adult workshops are at Orient Bay Village from 3:30pm to 10:30pm.
Friday, November 18, is the opening of a Gastronomy Village on the Marigot waterfront from 6:00pm, which will feature some 20 restaurants showcasing different types of cuisine while suppliers will also be selling their products and offering tastings. This village will be open daily through Sunday, November 20, from 6:00pm to midnight. (Entry fee 10 euros for the whole day.)
The adult workshops for Saturday, November 19, will be held in Sandy Ground next to the former cultural centre from 9:00am to 5:00pm. The Mixology competition will also be held on this day.
The festival closes on Tuesday, November 22, with the final of the Mixology competition, and awards ceremony with all the results and announcement of the “Best Table” winner for 2022/2023.
