Last Friday at the Kingston Waterfront, downtown was the place to be for seafood and beer lovers! The Jamaica Food+Drink Festival (JFDF) hosted the third in a series of food events: Crisp. And whilst the bar was set high by the two previous happenings — Pork Palooza and Vintage — Crisp which featured the much-loved seafood and classic beer, did not disappoint.

The multi-award-winning festival, now in its eighth year, secured Rainforest Caribbean, Heineken and Visa as the evening’s presenting sponsors.

On the range were a selection of crispy seafood creations. Think: Lobster, shrimp, salmon, scallops and calamari, curated by chefs Theo Smith, Jacqui Tyson, Hiromasa Takahashi, Paul Bennett, Samantha George and Trevanne Donegal. The standout booth was Jacqui Tyson’s which offered crispy fried sesame-crusted salmon with a trio of sauces — Scotch bonnet aioli, sweet chilli and classic mornay. Besides the mixed drinks served at the Heineken booth was its signature cocktail, Hei-chee Paradise (made with Heineken, lychee syrup, canned lychee, Tanqueray gin, apple juice and lime juice), a perfect complement to the delectable seafood. Other food and drink stations on site were Select Brands, National, Chive and Sora Japanese Sky Cuisine.

Nicole Pandohie, Jamaica Food and Drink Festival director, told Thursday Food, “The turnout for all our festival events has always been amazing and this year is no different. Post-COVID, people want somewhere to go, we’re back live, we’re back to seeing people, and this has always been a great event because it brings together great food, great drink, great people and great company. It brings out all the best that Jamaica has to offer in one space. Crisp’s offerings focus on seafood; it’s [Jamaica] an island, people love seafood, and because Rainforest is our major sponsor tonight, we are showcasing a range of seafood, so it’s not just lobster and salmon. Plus, we really wanted to showcase what our chefs in Jamaica can do, because as everyone knows, we are world-class.”

As in past stagings, this year’s Food+Drink Festival featured live entertainment. Recording artiste Zac Jone$ was on-site to maintain the vibe.

Thursday Food shares highlights.

National 360 Granola

At the Jamaica Food and Drink Festival Crisp event, crowds flocked to the Kingston Waterfront to savour the taste of everything fried. And while Crisp served up an enticing platter of seafood and beer from food industry giants, National Baking Company offered a different kind of bite with the introduction of its newest product line — National 360 Granola.

Pairing the three fresh flavours of Granola with creamy yoghurt, National whipped up a variety of parfaits for patrons amid Friday night’s fried food fanfare.