Where else can you go scuba diving with José Andrés or play Pétanque with Eric Ripert?
Iam at the 15th anniversary of Eric Ripert’s Cayman Cookout, and this is the best food festival I’ve ever been to. As a food journalist who has attended more than 100 food festivals over the course of my career, oftentimes as a judge or moderator, I’m not that easily impressed, but Ripert is a gracious host, and this annual beach soirée is like a reunion for the high-profile chefs who return year after year to enjoy a relaxing week in Caribbean paradise.
Even if you don’t get a spot in the sold-out Jose Andrés excursion (the most coveted and intimate opportunities sell out quickly), you’ll see him smoking a cigar and playing the drums on stage at the barefoot beach barbecue, a favorite signature event for guest chefs.
Cayman Cookout is a far cry from the typical food and wine festival. It’s not just cooking demos, walk-around tastings, and seated dinners (although there are plenty of those). There are so many unexpected non-food activities, like deep sea fishing with Emeril Lagasse or playing Pétanque with Eric Ripert, where guests can hang out with chefs as humans, not just as somebody serving delicious food. The chefs honestly appear to have as much fun as the guests.
“We never thought it would become such a great event with such a variety of things to do,” Ripert says. “At the beginning, it was just four or five chefs, and we did it just to have fun and to be in the Cayman Islands when it was cold in New York.”
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Over the last 15 years, Cayman Cookout has grown organically into nearly 100 events over the course of five days, with repeat guests booking rooms and flights half a year in advance. I spoke with a number of guests who say they wouldn’t miss it for the world and that it’s the one event they’ll plan a vacation around. There are moments guests come to expect each year (like chef Bernard Guillas’ legendary whole roasted red snapper at the barefoot BBQ), but a rotating roster of new chefs and sponsors each year keeps things fresh.
“I think we have done pretty well at keeping the integrity of what we were thinking at the beginning,” Ripert says. “We wanted to create something extremely luxurious because the Ritz is a luxurious hotel. We want to enjoy what Cayman has to offer, which is, of course, the beach and water, so we have a lot of events that are in contact with nature, and then to have the intimacy with the guests and chefs interacting together.”
Guests can pick and choose their experience depending on their personal interests since events are individually ticketed, and there’s a nice balance of exclusive events with less than 20 people to grand events where you have hundreds of people dancing on the beach under the stars beside the glow of a bonfire. Chefs are not paid to participate, but they are flown down, hosted in a beautiful room for the week and they can bring their family. Every chef has three assignments – a demo, a lunch or a station at the BBQ or beach bash, and a dish at the gala dinner – so there’s plenty of time to enjoy the resort amenities and one another’s company.
After watching interactive cooking demos by Kristen Kish and Kwame Onwuachi during the day, I had a chance to chat with them casually over a luscious table of petite desserts by pastry chef Antonio Bachour during the beach barbecue, and we were all equally awestruck by the intricate drone show. What a chic and more sustainable alternative to fireworks.
Elevating Grand Cayman’s Culinary Scene
Over the years, Cayman Cookout has had a lasting impact on elevating the culinary landscape of Grand Cayman. Even if you don’t have a chance to visit during Cayman Cookout, travelers can enjoy a wide variety of local restaurants in George Town and all across the island.
“What I like about Cayman is the size,” Ripert says. “It’s fairly small but not too tiny. The beauty of the island and the size of the beach. The temperature of the water is amazing here. There’s no difference here between the air outside and the temperature of the water. It’s a very safe island. You can walk anywhere on this island, and nothing will ever happen to you.”
With a jam-packed schedule of events, I didn’t have time to explore much off-property this time around, but I’m already itching to return and see more of Grand Cayman.
One of my favorite events was the Discover Cayman daytime tasting hosted by Andrew Zimmern, where independent restaurants and food artisans from around the island were invited to showcase their food and drink. I tried a local purple-hued gin by Cayman Spirits Co. flavored with uniquely Caribbean botanicals like roasted coconut, roasted pineapple, and seagrapes, along with the requisite juniper berries.
One of my favorite bites was slow-cooked jerky beef with local mango jam and pineapple salsa on a toasted mango brioche bun from Brussels Sprouts – chef/owner Anthony George worked at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman’s steakhouse Steven for five years before opening his own restaurant.
“The event gives a lot of opportunities to young people from the island to get inspired by what is happening out there and the possibility to go and try and work somewhere else,” Ripert says. “It’s definitely inspiring to a young generation.”
For example, last year, Cayman Cookout’s Sunday brunch competition was a practice run for young hospitality industry hopefuls aspiring to represent the Cayman Islands at the global competition Young Chef Young Waiter. Sebastian Amaya, currently a cook at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman’s banquet kitchen, traveled to Europe for the first time last year when he competed at Young Chef Young Waiter in Monaco.
“I was blown away by the quality of the food and the seriousness of the hospitality business there,” he says. “Then during Cayman Cookout, to be able to compete and be judged by some the most famous chefs like Andrew Zimmern and Eric Ripert was an amazing experience that money cannot buy.”
Fifteen years ago, when Cayman Cookout started, there was no farmer’s market on Grand Cayman, but now there’s a lively market in George Town. Farming is still a challenge with no fresh water on the island, but hydroponic container farms are offering new possibilities to grow plantains, mushrooms, and callaloo greens, while fish like snapper, grouper, wahoo, and mahi mahi are available from local fishermen. Cayman Cookout has certainly bolstered the island’s local foodways and elevated the culinary landscape far beyond the annual event.
“Every party needs to begin with a warm welcome and end with a fond farewell,” Langevin says. “As soon as the event concludes, we start planning for next year and how can we make it even better?”
From personalized welcome amenities and gifts to the fun new friends, you’ll make sipping late-night cocktails at the spa speakeasy, everything is over the top but in the best possible way. Keep an eye on their website for more details about next year’s event.