Birmingham celebrates Caribbean cuisine

Poppy Brady, Contributor

THE tastes, sounds and smells of the Caribbean swept right into the heart of Birmingham with the city's first-ever Caribbean food festival which attracted a host of stars who mingled with festival visitors.

Even the weather mirrored the Caribbean for the two-day spectacular, sponsored by Grace Foods, as visitors were able to sit back and chill out in the hot sun and sip a rum cocktail or two.

Soul diva Beverley Knight lent her support to the event, along with two anchors of the Caribbean celebrity chef world - Rustie Lee and Levi Roots.

While singers such as Jaki Graham, X Factor finalist Dominic Harris and traditional Jamaican dancers Jamfolk, entertained the crowd.

Denise Mickle, who helped to promote the event, said: "Birmingham has the German market in the winter, so we want to create something for the summer - and what says summer better than the Caribbean?"

brilliant experience

Joan Blaney, one of the organisers, said: "It's been a brilliant experience for everyone. People have been able to taste, see and enjoy Caribbean culture. It was good to see such a mix of people, giving us all a good representation of Birmingham.

"This is the first event of its kind that we've held in Birmingham, but it's proved to be a valuable rehearsal for our second festival next year, which will coincide with the arrival of the Jamaican Olympic athletes at their Birmingham training camp."

Just under a dozen local Caribbean restaurants and catering companies who had festival stalls, worked to provide non-stop authentic Caribbean favourites. Long queues formed for jerk chicken cooked on giant traditional Caribbean barbecues, but everyone agreed it was food worth waiting for.

One stallholder, who has run a Caribbean catering company in Birmingham for decades, said: "It's been a wonderful experience to have been part of this festival. It's been a long time coming!"

Joan added: "We've had so many calls about one company, F&M Catering Cuisine, which served up some delicious recipes - vegan recipes such as spicy pumpkin and black bean stew. People were delighted with the food. There's been such a great response to the whole event."

supreme pairing

Celebrity chef Levi Roots, who came up from London to enjoy the second day of the festival, said: "Music and food go together - that's the Caribbean way, and it certainly works."

Soul singer Beverley Knight lent her support to the day by helping out at her mum Deloris' stall, where her home-made rum and banana cake was selling out fast.

Beverley, who has a new album out next month called Soul UK, said: "I was born and raised on Caribbean food. I think it's one of the easiest ways of understanding our culture - by trying our food."

George Phillips, business development director for main event sponsor Grace Foods UK, producer of the famous Encona sauces, said: "We've had a terrific welcome in Birmingham, and it's made us realise we should visit our customers here more often. "Not enough companies actually go out to their customers and talk to them to find out their likes and dislikes, but we've had a great time meeting everyone."