IT HAS become commonplace today for food festivals to mushroom in various parts of the island. Recently, Jamaica made room for yet another in the tourist mecca, Negril. This particular festival was like no other. Celebrating the many virtues of the coconut, the Negril community partners staged the 'Negril Coconut Festival'. Patrons came from as far away as Kingston to get a taste of the delectable coconut.
The Negril Coconut Festival introduced a variety of coconut based recipes to lovers of the versatile fruit. Numerous booths showcased dishes which included; Shrimp in Coconut Cream Sauce, Coconut Run Down, Coconut Chicken Salad served in the Nut and Coconut Conch delights. Not to mention Jamaica Tamboo's that conjured up servings of the original 'coconut soup', and Beaches Negril Beach Resort and Spa's 'coconut patties'. Of course, we cannot forget the refreshing coconut water.
The coconut festival, the brainchild of Beaches Sandy Bay Beach Resort in Negril, brought about a catering alliance among hotels, restaurants and vendors. Many of the booths sold out their contents by 4:30p.m.
"Being a part of the coconut festival was a wonderful experience. I am gratified by the terrific response from patrons and especially pleased with the sales figures," said Kevin Broderick, Executive Chef at the Rock House Hotel.
