BY SHEENA FORDE-CRAIGG | AUG 27, 2022
Booth selling branded Food and Rum Festival gear such as aprons, tumblers and hats. (A.Reid/BGIS)
This year’s Food and Rum festival under the theme Feed the Future, will not only be about “food and fun”, but it will also feature a component that seeks to support the future of local culinary artists.
During yesterday’s launch at Golden Square Freedom Park, in the city, Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Senator Lisa Cummins, along with Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI), Director of Public Relations and Communications, Aprille Thomas highlighted the “give back” component of the festival.
Minister Cummins pointed out that in her role of leading the tourism ministry, she was “proud and privileged” to be surrounded by a team of “really young, really innovative, really creative professionals”, who have been given the opportunity and space to create and execute concepts that seek not only to enhance Barbados’ tourism product but also invest in those that are coming behind them.
Director Thomas, whose team conceptualised the theme Feed The Future, shared the “give back” component of this year’s Food and Rum Festival.
She explained that the festival’s purpose would not only be about putting on a good display of what Barbados has to offer with respect to the talent of its local chefs and mixologists, but funds collected from persons patronising the festival would go towards supporting future studies of three persons, in the form of scholarships.One of the many delicious food treats on sale during yesterday’s Food and Rum Festival launch (A. Reid/BGIS)
“This year we wanted to create a festival that is ingrained in the Barbadian community in a way that impacted a number of people so even after October, when it is done, we can still see the effects of the festival.
“So what we did is we came up with a Feed The Future theme and that is actually three scholarships that we’re going to be giving to three Barbadians. These are three Barbadians that are passionate about culinary arts…. Two of them are going to study at the PomMarine Institute and one of them is going to further their culinary studies internationally,” Ms. Thomas stated.
She noted that with the “give back” element of the festival, in five years the recipients of the scholarships would be integrated into the Food and Rum Festival.
Ms. Thomas is encouraging people to come out and participate in the festival and enjoy themselves, knowing that their funds would be going towards supporting the education and training of three persons in the culinary arts.
“So I’m inviting everybody to come out in October and party with a purpose, drink with a purpose [and] eat with a purpose…,” she stressed.
To find out more about the upcoming Food and Rum Festival persons may visit https://www.foodandrum.com.
Another ministry initiative was disclosed during the launch by the Tourism Minister. Senator Cummins noted that it would be one where the Ministry would be working closely with the agriculture sector to develop a “food accelerator” that would give people who make food and agricultural products an opportunity to showcase and sell their fare.
The initiative would be a partnership involving tourism, Export Barbados and the private sector. “More on this would be revealed in the coming weeks,” Minister Cummins said.
