Hotel and Tourism Association pleased with outcome of Restaurant Week

The St Vincent and the Grenadies Hotel and Tourism Association (SVGHTA) has hailed the success of its 2026 Restaurant Week “Taste of Vincy”.

The week-long event hosted from June 21-27, “blended our local heritage with culinary innovation, showcasing the vital links between local agriculture, fisheries, and the hospitality sector”, the SVGHTA said in a release.

This year 44 restaurants participated in the event.

“ Their inventive menus showcased modern twists on traditional Vincy dishes, alongside bartenders and mixologists who curated tasting experiences that highlighted local rum, wines, and cocktails,” the release stated.

The week opened on Sunday, June 21 with a cocktail ‘meet and greet’ session at Paradise Beach Hotel, Villa.

Highlights for the week included: “an insightful farm tour” of Windblow Inc, an organization coordinating with 300 local farmers to stabilize supply chains, and the Taiwanese Model Farm in Orange Hill, which is utilizing data-driven innovations to meet specific hotelier/restaurant demands; Mixologist Training and Competition, led by Keisha Browne that featured local experts Dario Browne and Luke Murphy from Sandals.

Culinary students from the Georgetown Technical Institute prepared and served high-quality meals to participants in the farm tour and mixology workshop.

Chef’s Corner was held on Wednesday, 24, and featured chefs Loron Thomas and Enorl Compton demonstrating advanced knife skills, and the financial value of plate presentation respectively.

The SVGHTA said the Grenadines Expansion involved the successful execution of its first-ever mixology training session on the island of Bequia; and on Friday, June 26, 2026 “Street Safari” was held on the lawn of the Cruise Ship Terminal “which generated considerable sales for local micro-entrepreneurs”.

The evening featured a “Sea to Plate” dining evening at Driftwood Restaurant.

Restaurant Week culminated in a grand gala at Holiday Inn Express and Suites that featured live entertainment, giveaways by members, SOL and St Vincent Distillers with catering by Hillside Company Ltd.

The SVGHTA said it is already preparing for 2027, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of VincyMas.

“Following strong positive feedback and early sponsorship commitments, the Association is exploring proposals to expand the event from a week to a month-long culinary festival.

“The proposed marketing tagline for next year will be, “Come for the food, stay for the carnival”.