The month put local food businesses of every size in front of residents and visitors
Basseterre, St. Kitts (05 August 2026) — St. Kitts has closed out its 10th anniversary Culinary Month, capping a month-long, island-wide celebration of food and hospitality that ran across signature events, fixed-price restaurant menus, and roadside and street vendors throughout July.
What began a decade ago as a single Restaurant Week has evolved into a 31-day showcase anchored by two signature ingredients, Carrot and Passionfruit, that appeared in everything from juices and cakes to sauces, desserts, and cocktails on fixed-price menus across the destination throughout July.
The month opened with Rooted in Passion at Splash Courtyard, Royal St. Kitts Hotel, a tasting showcase that doubled as a fundraiser for the Federation's culinary team ahead of their upcoming regional representation, and continued through the St. Kitts Tasting Showcase at Eco Park, two rounds of Flavors by Carambola, St. Kitts Grill Fest, Cook, Sip & Glamp at Park Hyatt St. Kitts, Serendipity's Children's Home Charity Dinner, and Taste at Twilight at Orchid Bay.
“Culinary Month has become one of the clearest examples of how tourism creates opportunity beyond the hotel gate,” said the Honourable Marsha T. Henderson, Minister of Tourism.
“Ten years ago, this began as a single week celebrating our restaurants; today it is a month-long calendar that reaches our farmers, our fishers, our roadside vendors, and our entertainers, all while inviting the world to taste what makes St. Kitts distinct. From our culinary team’s Rooted in Passion event to the everyday special menus our restaurants put together this July, this is exactly the kind of tourism growth we set out to build: one that is shared,” Minister Henderson said.
Rooted in Passion opened the month on 10 July at Splash Courtyard, Royal St. Kitts Hotel, as a tasting showcase that doubled as a fundraiser for the Federation’s culinary team ahead of their upcoming regional representation, setting a tone of purpose that carried through the rest of the calendar.
The St. Kitts Tasting Showcase brought vendors and chefs together at Eco Park on 12 July, giving small food businesses a shared stage at one of the island’s most family-friendly venues.
Flavors by Carambola offered visitors two dedicated evenings on 16 and 23 July, centered on Carambola’s own menu and serving as a clear sign of the appetite for restaurant-led experiences.
At the month’s midpoint, St. Kitts Grill Fest took over the Frigate Bay Lawn on Saturday, 18 July, debuting a regional format that drew grill teams from Anguilla, Barbados, St. Kitts, Nevis, and Grenada to compete alongside local grill masters. Team Grenada: Andre Church, Jaylill Bernard, Wyll Smith, and Shackera Ackie claimed the inaugural Regional Grill Fest title.
In the local divisions, Ricardo “Smurf” Stewart took pork, Michael “Jangeezy” Browne fish, Kyla Huggins chicken, Dave “Mugsey” Martin lobster, and Tyrone “Granny” Browne the newly added baby back ribs category, with Cleon “Pappy” Francis, Jacqueline Rose, Michelle Bridgewater, Cleavon Chumney, and Marlene Ramsey as runners-up. The day also featured a kids’ zone, food and beverage vendors, local artisans, live entertainment, and giveaways.
The following evening, Cook, Sip & Glamp turned Park Hyatt St. Kitts into a night of cooking demonstrations and pairings, matching the island’s luxury hospitality with its culinary storytelling.
On 25 July, Culinary Month’s community focus came through most directly at Serendipity’s Children’s Home Charity Dinner, where proceeds from the evening supported the children’s home, a reminder that the month is built to give back as much as it is to celebrate food.
“What made this tenth edition special was its range,” said Kelly Fontenelle, Chief Executive Officer of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority.
“In a single month, visitors could support our national culinary team at Rooted in Passion, meet vendors at Eco Park, sit down to restaurant-led evenings at Carambola and Orchid Bay, watch our grill masters welcome regional competitors at Frigate Bay, and give back at the Serendipity charity dinner. Every one of those experiences keeps visitors on the island longer and keeps spending in the hands of our restaurants, our vendors, and our communities. That is our growth strategy playing out in real time,” Fontenelle said.
Alongside the signature events, participating restaurants across St. Kitts ran fixed-price Culinary Month menus built around Carrot and Passionfruit throughout July, giving residents and visitors a reason to try kitchens they might otherwise pass by. That same spirit carried through to the island's roadside and street vendors, who sold traditional dishes such as goat water, conkies, Johnny cakes, saltfish, black pudding, and sugar cake throughout the month. Together, the restaurant menus and vendors extended Culinary Month's reach well beyond its ticketed events, putting money directly into the hands of local restaurant owners, cooks, and roadside vendors across the island.
The Culinary Month wrap-up follows a run of summer tourism programming for St. Kitts, coming on the heels of the St. Kitts Music Festival, and reflects the destination's ongoing push to grow shoulder-season visibility for local restaurants, vendors, and producers.
