Gastronomy Festival: which one will delight your taste buds?
Back in July, we’d had a sneak preview of the programme for the 6th edition of the Gastronomy Festival, though we didn’t yet know which chefs would be orchestrating the various culinary experiences alongside the local ambassador chefs. The secret was revealed last Friday, in the presence of the event’s partners, during a dinner at the Maison Mère restaurant in Baie Orientale, winner of the Gourmet Star category in 2025.
As we already knew, this year’s patron is Jimmy Bibrac from Guadeloupe, a ‘Maître Restaurateur’ and head chef at Ô Z’épices for the past 14 years. As for the star ingredient, it’s the coconut – a symbol of the islands and of exoticism – which will take centre stage and, from 11 to 22 November, will be a must-have on every plate, from starters to desserts. But in the kitchens, during the workshops and events, who will be tantalising the taste buds of food lovers?
Chefs, mixologists and culinary consultants are all set to take centre stage
It was Alain Warth who, right from the festival’s very first edition, initiated the participation of Michelin-starred and renowned chefs to raise the festival’s profile; since its inception, the festival has aimed to make Saint Martin the leading destination in the Caribbean. This momentum continues today with a melting pot of chefs, reflecting the territory’s gastronomy, which is both French and Caribbean, yet also features flavours from further afield.
For this year’s festival, the Tourist Board has once again partnered with Marmiton, thereby securing the participation of Arnaud Viel and Vincent Ferniot. The former is head chef at the Hostellerie de la Renaissance in Argentan, Normandy, and has, amongst other accolades, held a Michelin star since 2016 and three GaultMillau toques. The latter, Vincent Ferniot, is a distinguished food journalist who has long been a fixture on television and radio. They will form part of the delegation of guest chefs alongside Jason Peru, a Caribbean chef; Kevin d’Andréa, a finalist in Top Chef 2015 and founder of Foliepop’s; Laïla Freedom Agnès, a chef and pastry chef from Saint Martin; Larissa Jude, a chef and trainer; and Miguel Jean-Noël, a chef from Guadeloupe. This impressive line-up is rounded off by the unmissable BBQ trio – Kevin Bludso, Martin Delisle and Thierry Cornuet – and by Saint Martin’s two ambassador chefs: Amanda Whit, chef at the Soualiga Lime restaurant, and François Baly, formerly of La Samanna’s kitchens and now a private chef. To accompany the dishes they’ll be concocting, Daphnée Soon, sommelier and mixology expert, and Arthur Sutley, cocktail and spirits expert, will of course be on hand… and others may join them, as invitations are still being sent out.
The festival’s dining events
All these distinguished guests will come together at the ‘festival tables’, an event held every evening in a different neighbourhood of the island, as well as at the cookery demonstrations, which return this year to the Gastronomy Village stage on 14 and 15 November. They’ll also be on the judging panels for the various competitions, including the one for the island’s best establishments in the Authentic Star, Beach Star, Gourmet Star and City Star categories, as well as for best dessert and, new for this edition, best Johnny Cake and best pizza. Restaurateurs who have not yet signed up can still do so; the deadline has been extended on an exceptional basis.
The festival kicks off on 8 November with a festive pre-event brunch at Loterie Farm, ahead of its official launch on 10 November at 6 pm on Boulevard de Grand Case. There’ll be a packed programme of events… and the list is a long one! Bookings: www.festival-st-martin.com
Full programme
