Local food and beverage businesses are ready to turn up the heat for the 5th annual Culinary Fusion Expo, with the Invest Grand Bahama Small Business Bureau (IGBSBB) of The Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) Limited as title sponsor and key partner for the event.
Culinary Fusion will be held at the Grand Lucayan Hotel on Saturday, November 11 beginning at 4pm. The event showcases the best in culinary talent on the island and provides mouth-watering treats in an idyllic venue. Sean Johnson, organizer and president of Move Marketing says, “Culinary Fusion was created for the food and beverage industry. We plan vigorously for a memorable event and so each year we aim to be better than the year before.”
Johnson outlines that through a strong partnership with the IGBSBB, a new element of entertainment will be introduced to enhance the social affair. “Our featured entertainment begins at 4:30pm, which will be a Culinary Face Off with celebrity Chef Ed Harris, the Season 4 winner of the Food Network’s hit cooking show – Chopped!” Chef Harris, originally from the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, will demonstrate his cooking skills while using locally sourced products to compete against two Grand Bahama chefs. Chef Harris studied at the Art Institute of New York City and has a passion for Asian cuisine.
LaShawn Dames, Business Services Manager for IGBSBB highlights that Culinary Fusion has become a major event for the island of Grand Bahama. Dames says, “Culinary Fusion has become the signature event to kick off the holiday season. Each year we’ve seen it grow bigger and better, stimulating economic activity for many small businesses. Culinary Fusion has created a very well rounded event for showcasing, B2B networking, entertainment and pure enjoyment for attendees. It is literally the most delicious culinary experience that whets the appetite of foodies to dine locally more often.”
Derek Newbold, Senior Business Development Manager for GBPA and IGBSBB notes, “We are excited to welcome Chef Harris to Grand Bahama to participate in the Culinary Face Off alongside our local chefs. We know that our local chefs are incredibly talented and they will turn up the heat as they compete.” Newbold maintains, “Our chefs will highlight their skills and talents in such a way that more residents will come to appreciate their ability to chef up world class cuisine being offered here in Freeport at some of our local eateries. This is important because the more we encourage persons to dine out, the greater the probability of our food and beverage establishments being able to sustain themselves and help stimulate our economy.”
As the dishes and drinks for the culinary exposition will be among the best showcased since the show’s inception, Dames wants everyone to secure their tickets, gather friends and family and get ready to be a part of an experience that positions Grand Bahama as a culinary destination. Dames says, “Culinary Fusion is the one event that you pay one cover fee and you can experience most of the different restaurants on the island. You get a buffet of everything beautiful and wonderful in food and beverage for an all-inclusive price.”
Newbold who is looking forward to the event also adds, “This event is another way in which the Grand Bahama Port Authority demonstrates our on-going commitment to supporting innovative events that can assist our licensees and ultimately help to stimulate our small business sector.”
