Experience Caribbean Cuisine at Antigua and Barbuda Culinary Month 2026

Pack your appetite and maybe a beach hat — Antigua and Barbuda Culinary Month is cooking up a comeback this May, and it’s shaping up to be the tastiest event in the Caribbean calendar. First launched in 2023, this island-wide food celebration has grown into a full-blown culinary carnival, spotlighting local Antiguan and Barbudan talent while bringing in some serious Caribbean firepower from abroad. And yes, it just won Caribbean's Best Emerging Culinary City Destination 2025 — no big deal.

So what’s on the menu for 2026? A month of feasting, flavor, and cultural celebration, served with ocean views and a few celebrity chefs thrown in for good measure.

Eat Like a Local, Dine Like a Star

Throughout May, Culinary Month will feature three signature pillars:

Eat Like a Local – a celebration of authentic island cuisine through casual cookshops and hidden gems (think pepperpot, fungee, ducana, and all the comfort food your tastebuds can handle).
Restaurant Week (May 3–17) – over 50 local restaurants offering prix-fixe menus at $25, $50, and $75 price points.
FAB Fest (May 23) – a one-day blowout at Cedar Valley Golf Course turned food-and-art village with chef demos, local bites, music, mixology, and more vibes than your average food fest.

A Culinary Avengers Lineup of Caribbean Chefs

This year’s chef roster reads like a Caribbean answer to the Food Network’s Hall of Fame — blending returning fan favorites and bold new flavors. Look out for:

Andi Oliver – British TV personality with Antiguan roots.
Kareem Roberts – the Cambridge-based chef who’s been with the fest since the beginning.
Claude Lewis – Chopped Champion and proud first-gen Antiguan/Barbudan.
Nina Compton – the James Beard and Food & Wine award-winning chef behind Compère Lapin.
Tristen Epps – Top Chef Season 22 winner, bringing the heat from Houston.
Paul Carmichael – the Barbadian genius behind New York’s 3-star Kabawa.

Also on deck: Angel Barreto (Puerto Rican flair from DC), Devan Rajkumar (Toronto-Guyana flavor fusion), Kerth Gumbs (repping Anguilla from London), Suzanne Barr (Jamaican-Canadian queen), and more local stars like Maurine Bowers and Jason White of Jumby Bay.

Check the full roster — it’s a delicious who’s who of Caribbean culinary royalty.

Mark Your Calendar: Key Culinary Month Events

There’s more than just dinner reservations to worry about. Here’s a taste of what’s happening throughout the month:

May 3–17: Restaurant Week. Three-tiered menus, 50+ restaurants. Come hungry.
May 21: Caribbean Food Forum, hosted by Grace Foods. This hybrid hospitality conference brings together chefs, farmers, and policy makers for a big-picture convo on the Caribbean’s food future.
May 22: UK Chefs Andi Oliver, Kareem Roberts, and Kerth Gumbs team up for a special dinner at Rokuni at Sugar Ridge.
May 23: The main event — FAB Fest. Food. Art. Beverages. Live music. Local vendors. All under the sun at Cedar Valley.
May 24: Puerto Rican BBQ takeover at The Hut, Little Jumby, with Angel Barreto on the grill and DJs on the decks.
May 27: Star-powered collab dinner with Paul Carmichael, Tristen Epps, and Claude Lewis at Catherine’s Café on Pigeon Point Beach.
May 29: A fundraising dinner at the soon-to-open Moon Gate Hotel & Spa spotlighting Caribbean women chefs — Nina Compton, Suzanne Barr, Brigette Joseph, and Maurine Bowers.
May 30: Grand finale beach cookout at Wild Tamarind Restaurant, with Devan Rajkumar, Amalin Raj, and pastry talents like Jahkaydah Isaac (The Flaky Crust) and Kendel Harrigan (The KenDen).

Casual Eats Get Their Spotlight Too

If white tablecloths and tasting menus aren’t your style, Culinary Month still has you covered. The ever-popular “Eat Like A Local” campaign returns, inviting visitors to dive into the island’s vibrant cookshop scene. It's your chance to savor homemade goat water, saltfish, ducana, and everything that makes Antiguan cuisine sing. There’s even an interactive map to guide you to the island’s best-kept culinary secrets.