Cayman’s gourmet culinary festival, Cayman Cookout, kicks off today with a wine fair and auction at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman.
The event will showcase a selection of wines and culinary delights courtesy of the chefs of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and Jacques Scott Wines & Spirits, with proceeds from the auction benefiting The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman Culinary Arts Scholarship and Cayman HospiceCare. In addition, the evening will also include a performance by Billboard Top Ten artist Nicole Henry.
The event is the first in a lineup of festivities scheduled over the next few days, featuring a smorgasbord of world-class chefs, including Eric Ripert, Anthony Bourdain and José Andrés. Joining them will be Culinary Hall of Fame inductee Daniel Boulud, James Beard award-winning chef Michael Schwartz, owner of three Michelin star restaurant Eleven Madison Park Daniel Humm, renowned pastry chef Jacques Torres, and television celebrity chef Lidia Bastianich, to name just a few.
Peter Dutton of Jacques Scott said the opening event is the ideal opportunity for wine enthusiasts to enjoy and bid on a selection of rare and interesting wines.
“Jacques Scott & Co is pleased yet again to be collaborating with The Ritz-Carlton at Cayman Cookout to raise funds for charity. On Thursday evening, we will be jointly hosting a wine and food fair which will include a live jazz performance and we will be auctioning lots of rare and interesting wines as well as some jewelry and various exciting Ritz-Carlton packages.”
He added, “This will be a less formal affair than in the past. We will be offering a selection of wines to taste and our team will be assisted by Anna Abbona of Marchesi di Barolo.”
The Cayman Cookout is now in its sixth year and offers attendees the opportunity to sample food prepared by some of the world’s leading chefs. Event highlights are set to include Friday night’s Barefoot BBQ at Royal Palms with chefs Ripert, Bourdain, Andrés, and Torres; Saturday’s Burgers in Paradise at Rum Point; Saturday night’s Dinner Party at Camana Bay; and the Champagne Brunch Cook-off and Artisan Market on Sunday. In addition, the festival includes numerous culinary tastings and demonstrations, offering what organizers have described as “four days of over-the-top experiences.”
Jaime Moench, marketing director at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, said that, along with the incomparable roster of world famous chefs, wine experts and spirit blenders, the events aim to celebrate the barefoot elegance that only the Cayman Islands can deliver. “Many other food and wine events are so large you don’t have a chance to interact with the chefs,” Ms Moench said. “Cayman Cookout is different, not only because of the intimate size, but also because of the hands-on demonstrations and events.”
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