Staff Writer
Anguilla will present its Second Annual Anguilla Culinary Experience (ACE), from Wednesday, May 3rd through Saturday, May 6th, 2023. Named Best Food and Wine Event 2022 (Outside Italy) by the Italian Tourist Press Group, the epicurean festival brings together talented chefs from Anguilla and around the world with food-loving guests at Anguilla’s world-class resorts, luxury villas and bespoke restaurants. During the four days of chef collaborations, parties, tastings, barbeques, dinners and other curated culinary experiences, resident and guest chefs will draw on diverse influences, as they combine their skills and creativity with Anguilla’s fresh ingredients. A portion of ACE proceeds will help fund local hospitality training and education.
“Last year’s Anguilla Culinary Experience was a great success. It was a joy to share Anguilla’s history, hospitality and incredible cuisine with new visitors and long-time island fans, while also raising funds to support the island’s next generation of chefs. ACE was a labor of love with many people contributing their time and talents. This May, we look forward to showing once again why Anguilla is the Culinary Capital of the Caribbean,” said ACE co-chair and Villa Alegria owner Wendy Freeman of Chicago.
ACE 2023 will open Wednesday, May 3rd with a party hosted by Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club at the resort’s D Richard’s steakhouse overlooking the International Golf Course. ACE guests will embark on a tour of tastes from the diverse culinary offerings of Aurora’s six deliciously diverse restaurants and sip on signature cocktails made with fresh ingredients grown on-site at Aurora’s organic farm and hydroponic gardens.
“We are thrilled to host the opening night event of Anguilla Culinary Experience at Aurora Anguilla Resort. It is an honor to showcase the dining experiences and craft cocktails we create for our guests. The Anguilla Culinary Experience is a true celebration of the island’s rich culinary heritage, and we are excited to be a part of it,” said Aurora Anguilla Resort General Manager Kevin Carty.
From Thursday, May 4th through Saturday, May 6th, many of Anguilla’s exceptional resorts, restaurants and villas will present unique dining experiences featuring resident and guest chefs. Savi Beach Club guest chef, Daniele Lippi of Italy’s 2 Michelin-starred Ristorante Acquolina, will alternate courses with the beach club’s resident chef during a seaside dinner reflecting their Italian and Japanese influences. Zemi Beach House will present a Dinner Extravaganza by Jennifer Carroll, of Top Chef USA fame. Zemi’s event guests will start with a beachfront champagne reception, followed by a private cooking demonstration and sunset dinner on top-ranked Shoal Bay Beach. The evening will end with dessert and a curated rum tasting by the resort’s certified Rummelier in Zemi’s artisanal cocktail bar, the Rhum Room.
At Aurora Anguilla, guests can enjoy an intimate and luxurious farm-to-table dinner, where each course will highlight ingredients from the resort’s organic farm and hydroponic gardens. Veya owner and chef, Carrie Bogar, is partnering with a guest chef to present a merged tasting menu at Villa Alegria that celebrates Anguilla’s fresh ingredients and draws on her ‘cuisine of the sun’ style. Veya and other participating island restaurants also plan to offer special prix fixe menus on multiple nights. The maximum number of guests allowed varies by event. Additional events at Malliouhana, an Auberge Resort and other venues, as well as additional guest chefs, will be announced soon.
Back by popular demand for 2023 is the ACE Beach BBQ and Basket Battle at the Anguilla Great House Beach Resort on Rendezvous Bay. At the Saturday, May 6th event, local master grillers from Tasty’s/POV Restaurants, Paper’s Barbeque, Roy’s Bayside Grill and the Anguilla Great House, will serve up fresh fish, tantalizing ribs, traditional Johnny Cakes and more, as the Anguilla National Culinary Team cooks head-to-head in a mystery basket competition. Last year’s winner, Chef Kelston “Sweets” Connor will return to defend his title. Also returning is the beach-bar rum crawl by chauffeured Moke, along with historic salt picking and other island activities offered through Anguilla’s Quest Experiences.
“The Anguilla Culinary Experience is a unique and wonderful addition to our island’s event calendar, a fitting tribute to our extraordinary cuisine and exceptional culinary talents,” stated Stacey Liburd, Anguilla’s Director of Tourism. “The variety of epicurean experiences offered – from private dinners to barbecue beach parties, from gourmet island tours to traditional culinary practices, with the support and participation of our most popular bars and restaurants – all together make ACE the most exciting festival in the Caribbean.”
The ACE 2023 schedule is available on the ACE website at www.anguillaculinaryexperience.comand tickets will go on sale later this month. New for 2023, all tickets will be sold a la carte, allowing attendees to customize their festival experience.
Photo Credit: Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club-D Richard’s Steakhouse
