If there’s one thing I’ll travel for, it’s food. And if the food is cooked by world-class chefs, even better. Which is why I’m excited to bring you this advertising feature with the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism about my trip to the annual Cayman Cookout on Grand Cayman.
Cayman Cookout
I’ve traveled to the Cayman Islands for this one-of-a-kind food festival, which takes place every January.
The multi-day extravaganza sees the world’s most celebrated chefs, culinary influencers, and drinks experts come together in an interactive celebration on Grand Cayman’s stunning Seven Mile Beach.
The festival offers an exciting agenda featuring tasting menus, demonstrations, auctions, brunches, beach barbecues, pool parties, and more.
I have to admit my expectations are high. This is a luxury destination, after all, and some of the world’s best chefs will be present.
Most of the events are taking place at my hotel, the Ritz-Carlton, which is a big name in high-end travel in its own right.
But even though I anticipate being impressed, nothing prepares me for how good the Cayman Cookout actually is. There are events running all throughout the days and evenings, and I have tickets to some of the best.
Cayman Cookout Events
A caviar lunch with Thomas Seifried, Chef de Cuisine at the Caribbean’s only AAA Five Diamond restaurant, Blue by Eric Ripert, kicks things off on a decadent note.
Four courses of fish and seafood are paired with Paramount Caviar’s finest and vintage Dom Perignon. It’s a great start to my Cayman Cookout experience.
As if that’s not impressive enough, I enjoy another lunch by Clare Smyth, who runs the two-Michelin-starred restaurant Core by Clare Smyth in London.
Clare was given the World’s Best Female Chef Award by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2018, and I can’t wait to taste her food.
Her “Challenging the Perception of Fine Dining” menu does unspeakably delicious things to the humble potato and elevates British chocolate Maltesers to divine heights.
But it’s not all fine dining at the Cayman Cookout. One afternoon I enjoy a festival-like atmosphere on the Great Lawn at the Ritz-Carlton.
Stalls from local restaurants tempt me with everything from Cayman-style lionfish to conch a la plancha, and there are tables set up in the middle for enjoying the food and drinks.
All the while, culinary expert and television personality Andrew Zimmern interviews local chefs about their dishes and restaurants over a loudspeaker.
And speaking of festival atmospheres, one night I go to a barefoot barbecue on the beach at the Royal Palms.
All the famous chefs in town for the Cayman Cookout have stalls set up on the sand, and there are plenty of cocktails and fireworks to liven things up.
I taste my heart out to the beats of a DJ, eventually settling on the queen snapper dish from Bernard Guillas, Executive Chef at La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club, as my favorite.
Back at the Ritz-Carlton, there are plenty more Cayman Cookout parties to attend. From a Rose it Out champagne pool party to a Rum and Robusto afternoon of Caribbean cocktails and cigars, I have a good time night and day.
And that’s to say nothing of mornings. The Bon Vivant Chef Competition Brunch is one of the most decadent morning meals I’ve ever had.
The famous chefs go to work to show us their skills, and everything from sushi to caviar and pastries fills tables adorned with ice sculptures and floral arrangements.
While we eat, The Today Show‘s Al Roker hosts a cooking competition on stage, providing us with entertainment as champagne flows around the room.
But it’s not all cooking at the Cayman Cookout. I also watch demonstrations by the likes of Jose Andres, Spanish chef and founder of World Central Kitchen, a charity that provides meals in the wake of natural disasters.
He brings paella to life with an animated demo on the beach, and his enthusiasm for the dish is contagious.
Clare Smyth also shows off her skills on the sand. She cooks dishes like steamed mussels in less than 15 minutes, revealing that good food doesn’t have to take ages to prepare.
In fact, I get a chance to catch up with Clare one-on-one during the Cayman Cookout.
In an interview, she tells me that the demonstration I went to consisted of “things that people could cook at home. I want to share recipes with people and be able to say that…these dishes are fine dining dishes. You can do this with very few ingredients and it can be a real restaurant-quality dish. That approachability to food is something that is really important for everyone.”
And in case the Cayman Cookout feels a bit too hedonistic, the organizers bring things back to earth with a panel discussion about how the chefs are giving back to the community.
Andrew Zimmern hosts chefs Jose Andres, Daniel Boulud, and Xavier Salomon, along with Ritz-Carlton General Manager Marc Langevin, in a discussion about their charity work.
And just when I think the panel could use some diversity, superstar chef Dominique Crenn, the only female chef in America to get three Michelin stars for her San Francisco restaurant, Atelier Crenn, rocks up and talks about her work feeding Californians affected by wildfires.
Beyond the Cayman Cookout
There’s more to do in the Cayman Islands beyond the Cayman Cookout, too. I’m lucky enough to have a few extra days on Grand Cayman to experience some of the highlights.
I start with a trip to the Queen Elizabeth II Royal Botanic Park, where a guided tour reveals local flora and fauna like angel’s trumpets and green parrots.
Next door, I meet blue iguanas, an endangered species of lizard endemic to Grand Cayman. A conservation program is helping revive the population, and I learn all about the work the center is doing and the lives of these unique reptiles.
I also visit the Cayman Crystal Caves, one of the island’s newer attractions. This series of caves is set in lush tropical forest and features everything from stalactites and stalagmites to spectacular underground lakes.
And speaking of water, I get out on the sea one morning on a kayaking tour with Cayman Sea Elements. The trip takes me through the mangroves, where I see iguanas and learn about the local ecosystem.
It’s a fun way to see the island and get some exercise at the same time.
On my last day I get a chance to visit Stingray City. Cayman Luxury Charters welcomes me on board one of the nicest boats I’ve seen in a long time and whisks me off to swim with the stingrays on a sandbar in the sea.
Afterwards we go to Starfish Point to see the sea stars and then to a restaurant called Kaibo to sip their legendary mudslide cocktails on the beach.
Restaurants on Grand Cayman
And the fun doesn’t stop here. While my main source of culinary inspiration during the trip comes from the Cayman Cookout, I have great meals at other restaurants on Grand Cayman, too.
A lunch of conch fritters and catch-of-the-day goes down a treat on the colorful picnic tables at Rum Point. The same goes for a lobster sandwich on the pier at Macabuca.
And one night I go for a special Harvest Dinner in the garden at The Brasserie, one of the best restaurants in the Cayman Islands.
And that’s to say nothing of the meals I have at the Ritz-Carlton. The quesadillas and fish tacos at Bar Jack keep me coming back throughout the trip, and the breakfasts and dinners at Seven hit the spot every time.
It’s also nice that the hotel is right on Seven Mile Beach, a long stretch of sand where I take as many walks as I can during my stay.
And when my stay comes to an end, I travel back to London on a direct flight with British Airways. It’s a smooth ride, if a sad one.
It’s hard to face the prospect of returning to winter in London after an incredible time at the Cayman Cookout and loads of winter sun on Grand Cayman.
But next year’s Cayman Cookout takes place in mid-January, and I’m already starting to plan my trip. I highly recommend you do the same.
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