The British Virgin Islands will celebrate the diversity of its delectable culinary experiences with a yearlong BVI Food Fete. BVI Food Fete is a series of events produced by the BVI Tourist Board & Film Commission (BVITBFC) to highlight the array of culinary experiences available in the Territory and inspire travel to the destination.
The BVI Food Fete, traditionally celebrated every November since 2014 as a month-long event in observance of Caribbean Tourism Month, will now showcase several culinary events and activations throughout the year.
“There is so much diversity and richness in our culinary experiences, that we decided to celebrate culinary events and activations throughout the year instead of packing them all into one month. This will give more visitors the opportunity to patronise these events at the time that they travel and keep our remarkable culinary tourism experiences atop their mind,” said Mr. Clive McCoy, Director of Tourism for the British Virgin Islands.
The series of events will begin with the Anegada Lobster Festival, described as the grandest crustacean celebration in the Caribbean, from 24th to 26th November 2023. Yes, the BVI dared to replace the turkey dinner with a sumptuous lobster over the U.S. Thanksgiving Holiday weekend. At the lobster festival, thousands of visitors flock to Anegada to take part in a scavenger hunt-styled trek around the island to sample the creative lobster recipes of Anegada’s top restaurants.
Visitors to the island also take advantage of exploring the many attractions of the BVI’s only coral island, including the Conch Shell Mounds, the Flamingo Pond and Conch Shell Mounds lookouts, the Anegada Destination Sign and the Faulkner House Museum. To encourage festivalgoers to patronise multiple restaurants, the BVITBFC has organised fun activations such as scratch cards or stamp cards where patrons can play for special prizes as they dine at participating restaurants.
The twelve participating restaurants prepare lobster samples as diverse as lobster rolls, lobster fritters, curried lobster, or the quirky lobster ice cream. All information on the festival including menus, transportation, attractions, entertainment, and an island map is conveniently accessible in an electronic “flapbook” (flipbook).
The next event takes visitors and locals alike to the party island of Jost Van Dyke for Jost Lime and Dine. Jost Van Dyke is one of the most popular dinnertime venues for visitors on sailboats but is generally off-limits to guests staying in land accommodations on the neighbouring island of Tortola, as the last ferry departs Jost Van Dyke for Tortola at 5:00 p.m. daily.
Jost Lime and Dine was conceived to remedy that by offering a later ferry every Saturday in January 2024 and every Wednesday and Saturday in February 2024. Guests from Tortola will be able to take a 6:00 p.m. ferry from West End and return on a 10:45 p.m. ferry, giving them plenty of time to lime (party, hang out) and dine.
Signature event, Taste of Virgin Gorda, will return on 16th March 2024. A staple of the BVI Food Fete, the newly refurbished Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour will host this upscale event which will feature food from some of the BVI’s top resorts on and around Virgin Gorda. Participating restaurants will include Rosewood Little Dix Bay, The Bitter End Yacht Club, and Blunder Bay.
The event will feature a village-style semi-circle configuration complete with a stage for entertainment. Tickets will be presold at $200.00 per person, entitling guests to an open bar and free samples from participating restaurants.
One of the main features of this event will be the premium entertainment which previously saw the likes of renowned Barbadian saxophonist Arturo Tappin grace the stage. Next year’s event will also feature top local entertainers, along with a marquee international artist who will be announced at a later date.
Part of the proceeds from the funds raised will go towards tourism scholarships. The highly anticipated and fiercely competitive chef cook-off will be a top feature of this event, with the winner taking home the prestigious Taste of Virgin Gorda trophy.
The Taste of Tortola will return on 29th June 2024 at the centrally located Greater Queen Elizabeth II Park, in Road Town, Tortola. This family-friendly event, another staple of the previous editions of BVI Food Fete, will highlight the top restaurants on the Tortola, showcasing their signature dishes, and feature a range of local entertainment.
Guests attending this event will pay an entry fee of $20.00 per person and will be treated to a welcome drink. Additionally, guests will pay $7 per sample from participating restaurants and a portion of the proceeds will go towards a tourism scholarship from the BVITBFC.
A highlight of the evening will be a chef cook-off, where the winner will be awarded the coveted Taste of Tortola trophy. The British Virgin Islands look forward to welcoming guests to the BVI Food Feste.
