A Taste of Cayman Comes to Toronto
From quaint fish shacks to champagne brunches and the Caribbean’s only AAA Five Diamond restaurant, the Cayman Islands – Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman – has earned the moniker as “The Culinary Capital of the Caribbean” and this week shared the experience with travel trade personnel at the LCBO Summerhill Event Theatre in Toronto.
Hosted by the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, the event featured Executive Chef Massimo De Francesca of the Seafire Resort + Spa and Master Mixologist Charles Joly for an exclusive culinary demonstration and tasting. Dishes included Seven Mile Ahi, Blossom Snapper and Coconut Delight, paired with matching cocktails such as the Done Right Daiquiri, Protagonist, Sunset Smash #2 and Smoked Island Old Fashioned.
Tourism officials also tied the experience around the launch of a new Cayman Islands Food Guide, dedicated to Cayman cuisine and the destination’s 200-plus restaurants.
Speaking with PressToday, Oneisha Richards, deputy director, International Marketing & Promotions for the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, said the Caymans offer a multitude of “quality” culinary experiences from easy, casual to popular food trucks to AAA dining. And with 130 nationalities living in the Cayman Islands, she noted the influences are plentiful.
“It’s predominately seafood,” said Richards, adding sea-to-table and farm-to-table experiences ensure the freshest of everything the islands have to offer, often with a unique spin.
The Cayman Islands is also a great destination for culinary events, including weekly fares like The Flavour Tour at Camana Bay to annual foodie celebrations like Cayman Restaurant Month (every October), Cayman Cookout and the Taste of Cayman Food & Drink Festival, the largest culinary event of the year highlighted with live cooking demonstrations and local entertainment.
Pictured at the Toronto event are (l-r) Joly, Richards, De Francesca and Raymond Mathias, business development manager, Canada, for the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism.
