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<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://buzz-caribbean.com/app/uploads/2019/09/jfdf-web-banner-buzz-demo-1024x493.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-8980" /><figcaption>Photo: JAFoodandDrink.com</figcaption></figure>
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<p>Premium US financial services provider, American Express (AMEX), has listed the Jamaica Food &amp; Drink Festival (JFDF) as one of the top five events to experience this October.</p>
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<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>"As many tourist destinations above the equator begin to cool down, the Jamaican capital is firing up the grill for its annual food fest."</p><cite> — American Express Essentials, writing about the Jamaica Food and Drink Festival as one of its five 'must-be' events for October.</cite></blockquote>
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<p>AMEX, through its <strong>American Express Essentials</strong> online magazine ranked the <a href="https://www.amexessentials.com/top-events-festivals-october-2019/">Jamaica Food and Drink Festival</a> among an A-list batch of stellar events across the world.</p>
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<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://buzz-caribbean.com/app/uploads/2019/09/amex-essentials-buzzgrab-demo-1024x505.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-8979" /><figcaption>A screengrab of the American Express Essentials' five must-go events for October 2019, for which the Jamaica Food and Drink Festival is listed (Photo: AMEXEssentials.com)</figcaption></figure>
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<h2>What American Express Essentials had to say...</h2>
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<p>“If you like great food, cold drinks and chill Caribbean vibes, then this flavourful festival is the one for you, mon,” American Express Essentials began in its feature on the JFDF.</p>
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<p>“As many tourist destinations above the equator begin to cool down, the Jamaican capital is firing up the grill for its annual food fest. Seven mouth-watering events are held across the festival’s nine days, from the pig-tastic Pork Palooza to D’Vine wine-tasting sessions, Chopstix Asian-fusion fare, and Crisp, a celebration of everything crackling, crunchy and crisp – from meats to snacks and cold beer. Looking for a taste of the local eats? Check out Picante, where spicy Jamaican eats meet sweet Jamaican rum, and be sure to pay a visit to The Meet Street &amp; The Market, where you’ll find loads of yummy street food,” the endorsement added.</p>
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<p>Speaking with <strong>BUZZ</strong> on Friday, September 13, Festival Manager for the JFDF Alicia Bogues was proud the event had carved out such an impressive niche in its short five-year history.</p>
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<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://buzz-caribbean.com/app/uploads/2019/09/alicia-bogues-jfdf-buzz-demo.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-8982" /><figcaption> Festival Manager for the Jamaica Food and Drink Festival Alicia Bogues (Photo: Facebook @JAFoodandDrink) </figcaption></figure>
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<h2>'It's a big deal' - JFDF basking in endorsement</h2>
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<p>“It’s truly amazing. In just five short years we are cementing ourselves as a formidable player in the global festival space,” Bogues told <strong>BUZZ</strong>.</p>
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<p>“We set out with what was a very small dream and we had a lot of people doubting us, and we’ve surpassed our expectations from year three. We’re just growing from strength to strength and it’s a phenomenal feeling,” the JFDF Festival Manager added.</p>
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<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://buzz-caribbean.com/app/uploads/2019/09/jfdf-feature-buzz-demo-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-8983" /><figcaption>Fleet Street was BUZZing with excitement on Wednesday, September 11 as the Jamaica Food and Drink Festival launched the event for its fifth year running! (Photo: Facebook @JAFoodandDrink)</figcaption></figure>
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<p>“The ultimate goal is to position Kingston as a destination city for food and we’re well on our way,” Bogues beamed.</p>
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<p>Bogues told <strong>BUZZ</strong> that the Jamaica Food and Drink Festival has been by <strong>Yahoo! Travel</strong> and <strong>USA Today</strong> in the past, but the current endorsement from <strong>American Express Essentials</strong> speaks to the tremendous work the team has put in to have come thus far.</p>
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<p>“This [endorsement] says, even more, that hey, in October this is one of the places you must be, worldwide. This is big,” she said.</p>
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<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://buzz-caribbean.com/app/uploads/2019/09/jfdf-feature-buzz-demo-2.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-8984" /><figcaption>Teamwork makes the dream work! Let's hear it for one of the must-be events in the world!! (Photo: Facebook @JAFoodandDrink)</figcaption></figure>
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<p><strong>American Express Essentials</strong> also listed <strong>The Village Halloween Parade</strong> in New York City; <strong>La Fiesta des Suds</strong> in Marseille, France; the <strong>Nuuk Nordisk Kulturfestival</strong> in Nuuk, Greenland; <strong>This Is Not Art (TiNA)</strong> in New South Wales, Australia among its top five events.</p>
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<h2>Jamaica, a rising gastronomic powerhouse!</h2>
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<p>It's another notch in Jamaica's impressive repertoire, to be hitting with some of the world's biggest events, a feat which Bogues and the JFDF team are basking in.</p>
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<p>“There’s no place like Jamaica. It’s not easy to replicate how we do things, we are just always on the map and I think in this instance, it’s really true and fitting to say that wi likkle but wi tallawah,” Bogues told <strong>BUZZ</strong>.</p>
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<p>The Jamaica Food and Drink Festival will titillate the taste buds of foodies for the fifth straight year with the usual weeklong activities slated to be held from October 26 to November 3. </p>
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