Cane Garden Bay showcases food, rum

The sound of music and the smell of pork roasting on a spit drew beachgoers to try out local cuisine on Monday during the second annual Cane Garden Bay Rum and Food Festival.

Tourists and residents alike explored tents erected by vendors from Rhythm & Sands at one end of the beach to Glen’s Seaside Bar and Restaurant at the other.

The festival was organised by the Cane Garden Bay Business Community, a collective of local businesses that pooled their efforts to showcase their offerings.

This year marked a major expansion of the event, which last year was limited to Paradise Club Lounge and Rhythm & Sands, according to Ron Cline, the owner of Paradise and the main festival organiser.

“I created [the festival] to accommodate cruise and tourism industries and for the people of the territory and the younger generation to experience local cuisine and cuisine from the Caribbean in general,” Mr. Cline told the Beacon.

‘That was awesome’

During an official appearance at the beginning of the festival, Deputy Governor David Archer Jr. welcomed attendees.

Later, he returned in more casual attire to enjoy himself.

“The BVI is so vast in what it offers,” Mr. Archer told the Beacon. “We should not just have events like these more often, but events which signifies a culture of people. Every restaurant which I saw and ate at had a particular local dish. I think that was awesome.”

A big contributor to the festival was the Callwood Rum Distillery in Cane Garden Bay, which describes itself as the oldest continuously operating pot distillery in the Caribbean.

Restaurants made their drinks predominantly using Callwood rum during the festival, Mr. Archer said, adding that the collaboration between the festival and the distillery raises the profile of both.

“That’s the type of identity, I think, for a product or food or culture which should go a long way,” he said.

‘Party place’

The event also offered performances from musical acts including MJ Blues, DJ Fireblaze, King Paido and more.

Kids bounced on water trampolines and chased after each other on the crowded shore as adults lined up for food and cocktails, dancing as they waited for the live performances on stages set up near Paradise and Myett’s Garden & Grille.

A moko jumbie towered over them all.

Maryland resident David Shipler, a long-time visitor who flew in on Sunday, said he returns regularly for the sailing and the atmosphere.

“Cane Garden Bay is very much a party place, which is fun,” he said. “I like the music. And there’s a lot [going on]. You know, you can do whatever you want. It’s a wonderful place.”

Marching through the sand on his way to a bar, David Sobiransky, a French visitor who arrived on a cruise ship, called the event “a perfect day.”

“The festival is very good,” he said, adding, “It’s a party with a big crowd.”

Food and drink

Among the vendors was Colin Campbell, a representative from Road Town Wholesale who offered samples of rum from the Virgin Islands, Barbados, Trinidad and Venezuela.

Mr. Campbell said the most popular sample was the Diplomatico rum from Venezuela.

He directed festival-goers to participating restaurants, where they could request a drink made with their favourite rum.

“This was an opportunity for people to taste a premium brand, so they gravitate towards that,” Mr. Campbell said.

Roasted pork

One of the best sellers for food was the roasted pork at Paradise, said Denice Cline, who volunteered with the restaurant during the festival and personally made the johnnycakes and pot bread.

The restaurant also served fish and fungi, which is the territory’s national dish, as well as oxtail, jerk pork and chicken, and fried fish.

“All the businesses came together and really put on a good show, so next year we are looking forward to putting on even a bigger and better Food and Rum Festival here in Cane Garden Bay,” Ms. Cline said.

Posing for photos

She added that the atmosphere at Paradise was a big draw for guests.

“One pig was roasted already, and a lot of people came and took pictures with the roasted pig, and then [they] had the backdrop with the Food and Rum Festival,” she said. “A lot of people took pictures with that.”

‘A great success’

Ms. Cline said her favourite part of the festival was meeting many of the cruise ship tourists who attended — and advising them on how to enhance their experience.

“I was telling everybody that organic cane rum doesn’t make you drunk: It makes you feel nice,” Ms. Cline said, laughing. “So I think all in all, it was a great success.”