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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 <a href="https://buzz-caribbean.com/article/5th-annual-jamaica-food-and-drink-festival-set-to-excite-local-palates/">Jamaica Food and Drink Festival</a> 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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