Jamaica Food and Drink Festival tastes sweet success in year 10

Matthew Lyn could not be happier with the success of the Jamaica Food and Drink (JFDF) Festival as it celebrates a decade anniversary.

"It is a moment to reflect that we have come a far way, and the product today is a lot different from where we started, and every event [this year] is already sold out. We cannot sell a single ticket at the gates," the CB Group CEO divulged to Loop News on Thursday at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel's poolside bar.

Lyn and a curated JFDF team were playing hosts on a rainy weekday afternoon in Kingston for a meet-and-greet soiree at the Pegasus Hotel for local and foreign chefs, writers and content creators, all primed to indulge in a smorgasbord of culinary eats at the four-event Festival slated to run from November 7 to 10.

The cocktail event's guest list included British food and travel influencer Xavier Bramble whose Instagram account @xavskitchen boasts over 700,000 followers, Canadian resident fashion and lifestyle and influencer Antonia Fifi with a 450,000-plus following of her @tonififi account, Forbes magazine contributor Daphne Ewing-Chow, and Jamaican travel and lifestyle influencer Justin Whitelocke with ardent social media watchers in excess of 250,000 of his @justinja account.

The intimate gathering imbibed on cocktails and nibbled on platters of Dorito's crusted lamb, stuffed chicken wings with maple syrup, pepper jack cheese and plantain, and firecracker balls dipped in a sweet and sour sauce.

"It goes to show the acceptance we've built in the market and if you look at the overseas visitors we are pulling in, it's showing that internationally Kingston and the Festival are making a name for ourselves, and helping with the overall tourism product," the CB Group's leading man told Loop News.

According to Lyn, visitors attending the 10-year iteration of the culinary events this year are flying in from India, Germany, China, and the United Kingdom and North America.

"These are people that we've personally met that have said, 'We are here for the festival'. We have also heard about groups that have been organised in Jamaica bringing people in and acting as tour guides," he noted.

JFDF sprung up in 2014, as a newly conceived undertaking to extend the CB Foods' marketing and promotions brand beyond its successful Pan Chicken Finals, which at that time was marking its own decade anniversary.

Strolling down memory lane, Lyn recalled: "Pan was already the largest food festival in Jamaica, and the Caribbean with about 40,000 patrons at the event. We said let's elevate this product and use it as a mechanism to do something better. The South Beach Wine and Food Festival was our guide as they do a fantastic job in Miami, and we knew what that did for the city, so we said let's use Pan and the Food Festival for something that is a tourism draw here."

Ten years later, the CEO's grade-card of the festival's evolution is expectedly positive.

"We are not trying to maximise on ticket sales, we are trying to maximize on the experience. We are very particular about which chefs are participating and what they cook. We are looking at food science and put a lot of metrics into that," Lyn explained.

"We are big on the service side of the festival and because of that, we have had sustained growth year after year."

For Year 10, he projected the patron count should surpass 10,000 across the span of 2024's culinary showcase events: Kuyah, Decade, Meet Street & The Market, and Brunch.

As to what's ahead, Lyn was cagey in offering any definitive plans.

"Let's just say Jamaica loves to do things new, and we love to be bold and exciting, and we love to travel the world."

LOOP asked: Are there plans to export the festival?

"We'll see" was all a wink-and-smiling Lyn would muster to say.

The Jamaica Food and Drink Festival will wrap up in style with an exclusive, Premium Boozy Brunch for select guests today, marking the festival's grand finale.

Last evening, the historic Naval Dockyard in Port Royal came alive as JFDF hosted “Meet Street and the Market,” welcoming hundreds of patrons to enjoy a vibrant, pay-as-you-go culinary experience. Friends and families gathered to savour delectable bites, all amid upbeat vibes, with offerings from some of the island's most beloved restaurants, bars, food trucks, and local artisans.

On Friday, the festival celebrated a decade of food festivities with “Decade,” a nostalgic nod to fan favourites from past events, bringing together Crisp, Chopstix, Pork Palooza, and Picante under in one spot for an unforgettable experience.

The festivities kicked off Thursday with “Kuyah” at the Craft Market in downtown Kingston, where reimagined Jamaican dishes and culture were showcased. Guests were treated to the authentic rhythms of the city, sipping expertly crafted cocktails and beverages while taking in the unique atmosphere of Kingston’s lively craft scene.

By Omar Tomlinson