<!-- wp:image {"id":8844} -->
<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://buzz-caribbean.com/app/uploads/2019/09/jamaica-fd-festival-launch-2019-buzz-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-8844" /></figure>
<!-- /wp:image -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Jamaica Food and Drink Festival (JFDF) 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>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>JFDF will continue to showcase diverse food
offerings and talent across Kingston, cementing the city as a destination for
all things gastronomical.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Boasting a line-up of some 70 Jamaican and
international chefs, the event is expected to deliver on its promise of great
food and vibes, spanning varying culinary influences from the island’s storied
history.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:image {"id":8845} -->
<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://buzz-caribbean.com/app/uploads/2019/09/jamaica-fd-festival-launch-2019-buzz-6-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-8845" /></figure>
<!-- /wp:image -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Playing its part in the revitalisation of
Downtown Kingston, JFDF partnered with Life Yard, a community-based
organisation and social enterprise, which empowers the community through
education, entrepreneurship, arts and culture, to host its media launch on
Wednesday.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Guests were shuttled to the increasingly
popular 41 Fleet Street location, in Southside, downtown, where art and culture
met food in a new way.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:image {"id":8846} -->
<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://buzz-caribbean.com/app/uploads/2019/09/jamaica-fd-festival-launch-2019-buzz-4-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-8846" /></figure>
<!-- /wp:image -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Co-founder and director at Life Yard
Restaurant and Tours, Nicumma “Ikuma” Carr, said, "We are happy Jamaica
Food and Drink Festival came here for a number of reasons; we at Life Yard own
and operate an ital and vegetarian restaurant so that makes us very much invested
in the food festival.”</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>"We also like to accommodate events or
movements which will help our community. We love the whole idea of inviting and
introducing people to our space to build better relationships with our fellow
citizens," Carr added.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>The focus on downtown Kingston as a vibrant event venue fits well with the larger efforts to reinvigorate the cultural potential of the space and position the city of Kingston as a premier tourist destination.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:image {"id":8847} -->
<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://buzz-caribbean.com/app/uploads/2019/09/jamaica-fd-festival-launch-2019-buzz-2-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-8847" /></figure>
<!-- /wp:image -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>“Jamaica is not just jerk chicken and ackee
and saltfish,” noted Alicia Bogues, Festival Director and Regional Development
Manager at CB Foods.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>She continued, “Kingston is a melting pot
of bold flavours inspired by cultural energy, the ingenuity of our people and
the uniqueness of our experiences. Our local talent can sit on any world stage
and JFDF provides the platform. What’s more, it’s a powerful driver of tourism
to the island, Kingston in particular.”</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:image {"id":8848} -->
<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://buzz-caribbean.com/app/uploads/2019/09/jamaica-fd-festival-launch-2019-buzz-5-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-8848" /></figure>
<!-- /wp:image -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>JFDF is endorsed and supported by the
Government of Jamaica through the Ministry of Tourism; the Ministry of Culture,
Gender, Entertainment and Sport; the Jamaica Tourist Board; and the Jamaica
Hotel and Tourism Association.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>On October 26, the festival will open with
its premiere Copperwood Pork sponsored event, Pork Palooza, the festival’s only
competition, with a prize for most innovative chef. </p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:image {"id":8849} -->
<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://buzz-caribbean.com/app/uploads/2019/09/jamaica-fd-festival-launch-2019-buzz-7-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-8849" /></figure>
<!-- /wp:image -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>The following day, the festival continues with the wine-tasting affair, D’vine, introduced in 2018. Chopstix, an Asian-fusion favourite, will be held on Wednesday, October 30. </p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Crisp is next on Thursday, October 31, followed by Picante on Friday, November 1. Bringing the week’s gastronomic festivities
to a close are Meet Street and the Market on Saturday, November 2, and Brunchon
Sunday, November 3.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->