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From curries to cocktails, July 4 - 7 event celebrates the island’s sweetest signature crop
The Nevis Tourism Authority is delighted to announce that renowned celebrity Chef Shorne Benjamin, founder of the popular Caribbean restaurant, Fat Fowl, in the heart of downtown Brooklyn New York, will headline the 10th Annual Nevis Mango Festival, scheduled July 4 - 7, 2024. Known for bringing a “new age” twist to traditional Caribbean cuisine, Chef Shorne will lend his expertise to a trio of events, teaching a Master Class in the Botanical Gardens on opening day; serving as head chef for the Saturday evening Supper Club at Four Seasons Resort’s Mango restaurant; and joining a panel of judges for the festival’s culminating event, the Regional Chef Competition at Malcolm Guishard Recreational Park on Sunday.
An engaging chef who is as comfortable in the kitchen as he is on screen – he discovered his love for cooking in his grandmother’s kitchen growing up in St. Lucia. His grandmother also owned a popular eatery on the island. Recently featured in national media outlets such as the Today Show, the Tamron Hall Show, Ebony Magazine and NBC New York, his cuisine signifies traditional Caribbean food with the use of accustomed spices with a “new age” twist. One of his signature creations, the Oxtail Grilled Cheese sandwich, has gone viral on social media, attracting many from across the globe to his downtown Brooklyn establishment.
His other credits include competing against Bobby Flay on the Food Network's “Beat Bobby Flay” and being named a finalist on “Chopped”. Deciding to transition from working on Wall Street to pursue his dream of becoming a chef when the 2008 financial crisis hit the U.S., he decided to shape his culinary skills by studying at the French Culinary Institute in New York and later earned his title as chef training in fine dining establishments in the city.
Festival-goers can look forward to sampling and celebrating dozens of varieties of island-grown mangoes at multiple events throughout the weekend, including garden tours, mango tastings, culinary and mixologist competitions, and a mango-eating contest.
For more information about the Nevis Mango Festival, visit www.nevismangofest.com.