For 18 years, Taste of St. Croix has celebrated the special spirit and flavor of our island. This year, the event will showcase St. Croix’s post-hurricane Culinary Industry readiness for our upcoming 2018/19 season.
Traditionally hosted at Divi Carina Bay Resort in April, Taste of St. Croix will be held in downtown Christiansted this year. On November 15, restaurateurs, chefs, caterers, farmers and fishermen will set up from the Caravelle Hotel & Casino to the Company House Hotel. Tickets are available for $75 per person general admission or $125 for VIP and you will enjoy locally sourced ingredients in creative presentations by more than 30 purveyors. Buy Tickets online or at Urban Threadz or Riddims.
Stroll through this street culinary soirée from the Caravelle Hotel & Casino to the Company House Hotel. Taste of St. Croix is a spectacularly good time filled with elegance, art, culture, and laughter – all wrapped up in an event that gives back to the community it celebrates. ~Taste of St. Croix
Two stages will have live music by St. Croix favorites: Spectrum Band and R&B Connection. There will also be four different after parties at Company House Hotel, Caravelle Arcade, Cloud 9 and balter (ticket required).
The Coldwell Banker Connection
Coldwell Banker St. Croix Realty’s own, Kelly Odom, and Un Amore owner, Katherine Pugliese, founded Taste of St. Croix in 2001 with a vision to achieve sustainable island farming. Leading up to the 2017 event, Kelly shared with The Virgin Islands Consortium that “the goal is to ensure that products being used in restaurants on the island come from our farms and our waters, so that nothing is frozen, but always fresh.” Discussions following kindled an enthusiasm to reduce food imports and again be considered “the bread basket of the Caribbean”. Kelly and her husband were the owners of Tutto Bene and, after 17 years in the hospitality industry, she decided real estate would be a good next step in sharing her love for St. Croix with others.
The Charity Connection
In addition to being a culinary event, Taste of St. Croix also has a charitable mission. The organization has donated more than $350,000 to community programs and local organizations since its inception. In 2016, Taste of St. Croix gave $10,000 to The Lighthouse Mission, granted two full-time scholarships to the University of the Virgin Islands Hospitality and Tourism Management Program, and established a travel fund for high school students participating in culinary competitions. In addition, the Taste of St. Croix 365 Program comprises a year-round calendar of projects to support and promote the island hospitality industry, including Reef Responsible, St. Croix Culinary Juniors, Farmer-to-Table, Social Media Marketing Classes, 50/50 Taste Coupon Program, ServSafe Certification Courses, and the Youth Hospitality Training Program
In a letter addressed to potential sponsors, event organizer Collin Hodge said:
After two Category 5 storms just one year ago, we at Taste Inc. feel that it is more important than ever before to showcase our restaurants and other industry partners, not only to our community, but to the world abroad, letting them know that our culinary industry is ready and open for business.
Learn more on the Taste of St. Croix web site and Facebook page.
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