Sandals launches Golf and Jerk Festival
Published:Thursday | April 6, 2023 | 12:20 AMShawntel Hill/Gleaner Writer
GOLF Enthusiasts and jerk-food lovers will have the opportunity to experience the love of food and sport in one spot at Upton Golf Course in St Ann on Saturday, May 6, with the return of the Sandals Golf and Jerk Festival.
While golfers tee off with eyes on hole-in-one prizes of $2 million and a flashy 2023 Kia Sportage, 12 two-man teams of chefs from Sandals will vie for $50,000 by showcasing their best jerk chicken and fish dishes.
Karen Zacca, operations director, Sandals Foundation, revealed that players will be able to enjoy scrumptious jerk and beer at the reopened Jerk Shack midway the course.
Lorraine Kemble, brand manager of sponsor Best Dressed Chicken, said it was an honour to be associated with the event which will benefit the Port Maria Hospital with the purchase of a security systems from proceeds.
“The Best Dressed Chicken believes this will be a wonderful celebration of the Jamaican traditions of hospitality, sport, and good food. The historical and cultural significance of jerk cannot be overstated, and it is a source of pride for us all, so it is then small wonder that the event has been crafted around ‘jerk’,” said Kemble.
To ensure a fair and safe competition, the jerk festival is guided by rules detailing declaration of ingredients among other requirements.
Chefs are required to use all items provided, chicken, fish and spices. Competitors must also use jerk pans to cook all ingredients. In addition teams must declare any other item they will bring and will use to try outdoing their rivals.
The Sandals Golf and Country grounds will be engulfed in the aroma of jerk. Entry fee for patrons to feast on the delectable recipes of competing chefs is $3,000.