Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/406441
(clockwise from left) St. Nicholas Abbey, a Jacobean great house on a historic Barbados sugar plantation, also serves as a rum distillery; okra sizzles on a plancha grill during a cooking demo; the Hilton boasts a beachfront pool in Bridgetown. 32 g o i n g p l a c e s | W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 jen judge ing demos by celebrity chefs mark mcewan, the Food network's anne Burrell and samu- elsson, along with seminars on wine and spir- its, and lavish balls each night – but it's thin on local chefs and cuisine. so i resolve that over the next three days, not only will i attend the festival's slew of events, i'll also head off on my own in search of the true flavours of Barbados. in the meantime, i jostle through the crowd and manage to land squarely in front of the platter of samuelsson's ethiopian beef tartare, which is disappearing fast. i pop a cube into my mouth, and the spicy, sweet, unctuous meat melts any ambivalence i was feeling. i look past the crowd to the sapphire bay and realize that on some level samuelsson is right: good food, good setting – what more do you want? ough the event's name – the Barbados Food & wine and rum Festival – seems to suggest that the island's favourite spirit was a late addition to the menu, the truth is that a party in Barbados without the local spirit is like a mai tai without the mini umbrella. (e strange diction is actually a nod to the event's magazine sponsor, Food & Wine.) e island has produced sugar since the British began planting cane in the early 17th century, and it's home to a handful of distilleries, including globally renowned mount gay. one of the first events of the festival is a rum seminar with Chesterfield Browne, international brand ambassador and mixologist for mount gay. i head for the workshop at the Hilton as much to find out what such an awesome-sounding job entails as to hear about rum. it's only 11 a.m., but the mount gay repre- sentatives are passing out spiked punch at the door, which has everyone talking and laughing before the seminar even begins. Browne, a jolly Barbadian with a full-moon face and the easy manner of a bartender, walks us through the lore of rum, noting that 17th-century voy- agers carried casks back to europe as proof of their passage, which allowed the spirit to age and explains its long associations with sailing. He also demonstrates a few favourite cocktails, ending each anecdote with a round of drinks. e concoctions are mostly creamy and syrupy – just how many locals like them, according to Browne – and though i prefer my liquor neat, i drink up to be polite. i'm woozy from the samples when Browne asks how i enjoyed the event, and without thinking i tell him i'm no fan of sweet drinks. He smiles and says to stop by mount gay sometime so he can make something more to exclusive travel tips from CAA Bajan hospitality. "One of the best things about Barbados is the people. Bajans are genuinely friendly and helpful with no ulterior motives, and will go out of their way to make your visit special." –Lianne Auger, CAA Travel Consultant Visit Lianne at our St. Anne's Service Centre or call 204-262-6000 for more travel tips.