Jesson & Co / MNI Alive
Thursday, September 21, 2023
The third edition of ‘Festival de la Gastronomie of St. Martin’ organized by the French Saint-Martin Tourist Office is set to take place from November 11 to 22, 2023 at the heart of the Caribbean’s culinary capital. The program has been unveiled and promises one-of-a-kind experiences in St. Martin, an island known for the diversity and wealth of its culinary heritage. This third edition will showcase the dynamic flavors of the chosen ingredient, red sorrel, also known as hibiscus.
During the festival, chefs will be invited to concoct Caribbean Tasting Menus using this selected ingredient. Their creations will be judged by a panel of experts who will then choose the winner of the Best Restaurant of St. Martin. These culinary creations will be available to taste at the participating establishments from November 11 to 22. The Culinary Village will be open on the Marigot seafront from November 17 to 19, near the Tourist Office kiosk. The much-awaited cooking classes will be held at the Marina Fort Louis on Wednesday, November 15, in the afternoon for children, and Saturday, November 18, and Sunday, November 19, for adults.
The culinary festival will once again highlight two important aspects of St. Martin’s culture: barbecue and mixology. Grilling champions will be taking part in the BBQ competition on Thursday, November 16, at Rue de la République in Marigot. The six semi-finalists for the title of ‘Best Mixologist of St. Martin’ already passed the first qualification phase that took place from July 1-8. During the festival, candidates will compete over several days to try to earn their place in the finale on Tuesday, November 21. The grand finale for the chefs competing for the title of "Best Table of St. Martin 2023/2024" will also take place on November 21.
On November 12, guests will enjoy a local breakfast on the beach at 978 Beach Restaurant, featuring live music, during the “Taste of Sunrise” event. The Culinary Festival is also a real boost for the younger generation studying in the hospitality division of St. Martin's Daniella Jeffry vocational high school. The guest chefs will meet with the students on November 13 to provide step-by-step cooking demonstrations. The next day, the talented apprentices will participate in a competition, in the presence of a jury. On the evening of November 13, the Tourist Office is organizing a "Cocktail & Food Pairing" event for epicureans, an original event that combines fine dining and mixology. The big closing gala for the Culinary Festival will take place on Wednesday, November 22, where the winners of all the various competitions will be announced.
The line-up for this year’s edition includes wide range of talent from different backgrounds: Patrick Jeffroy 2 Michelin-star chef, master of fish-based cuisine in Brittany, and internationally renowned culinary consultant, has been chosen as the festival’s official ambassador; Laurent Huguet (France), chef with 1 Michelin star, "Maître Cuisinier de France", and consultant; Frédéric Cyr (Quebec), who leads a team of 135 people at the prestigious Château Frontenac; Xavier Thuret, "Meilleur Ouvrier de France" in cheesemaking and enthusiastic advocate for cheese- based cuisine; Anto Cocagne (Gabon, France), private chef renowned for her minimalistic African cuisine, consultant and author of the Goûts d’Afrique [Tastes of Africa] cookbook; Xavier Isabal (France), head chef at Ithurria, brings an explosion of original ideas and local gourmet treasures from one of the most beautiful villages in Basque country; Arnaud Delvenne (Belgium) creator of Italian-inspired cuisine at his restaurant Nono in Liège and the first Belgian to have reached the grand finale of Top Chef; Teheiura Teahui (French Polynesia), owner of the food truck Le Manatoa, author of the book Aventure Culinaire [Culinary Adventure] and ambassador of tropical flavors.
Leslie Belliot, private chef and consultant specializing in West Indies Creole cuisine, TV and radio journalist, and founder and manager of the brand Piment Coco; Christophe Boyer (France), street food specialist and winner of the French burger world cup in 2022; João Diamante, one of Brazil’s most famous chefs who trained alongside multiple award-winner Alain Ducasse; Lorna Boboua do Sacramento (Congo, France), Ferrandi school and Cordon Bleu graduate, propelled to stardom after taking part in the Pan-African culinary TV program Star Chef; Mareya Ibrahim, "The Fit Foodie", star chef from American TV, nutrition coach, and author of Eat Like You Give a Fork.
Bartender Mia Mastroianni, one of the founders of Soho House in West Hollywood, Miami Beach, and Toronto, and Phil Wills, owner of Spirits in Motion, a consultancy firm for bars and beverages will host the mixology competition. Both have starred as experts on the TV show Bar Rescue. American hotel industry and mixology expert and trendsetter, Arthur Sutley, will also be in attendance at the 2023 edition. Kevin Bludso, the famous American pitmaster, TV star, successful author, and owner of several restaurants, is coming back to St. Martin to challenge the participants of the barbecue competition.
The third edition of the Culinary Festival will showcase two young talented chefs from St. Martin. Angéla Marcenat is passionate about patisserie and studied at the vocational high school in St. Martin, then in mainland France, where she worked alongside some talented chefs, including Benoît Chauvet. She was named head chef of Le Champagne when she moved back to the island and also offers her services as a private chef. Mallory Leroux settled in St. Martin after working at several fine-dining establishments in mainland France. He started his own company ‘Chef Mallory SXM,’ and has made a well-established presence with repeat customers.
The much anticipated third edition of Festival de la Gastronomie of St. Martin scheduled from November 11 to 22 is an event filled with high quality talent and creativity that you won’t want to miss out on.
