Photos: BTA Year End Food Culture Celebration
Earlier this week at an event hosted by Premier Michael Dunkley at Camden, the Bermuda Tourism Authority recognised “three key moments” in Bermuda’s food culture for 2015, which the BTA said were Muse winning the People’s Choice Award at Restaurant Weeks, the opening of Marcus’ at Hamilton Princess, and Rosa’s winning the Best Fish Sandwich Competition.
The BTA said they “recognised these key food culture moments because its product and experiences team is focused on growing visitor spending on Bermuda’s gastronomy scene, an objective of the National Tourism Plan.”
Pat Phillip-Fairn, BTA Chief Product & Experiences Development Officer
Ms Phillip-Fairn said, “For Restaurant Weeks 2015 we had four objectives:
- More participating restaurants… Check – We had 44 restaurants for Restaurant Weeks 2015
- More Bermuda authenticity… Check – We challenged local chefs to infuse authentic local food culture and Bermuda inspiration into their dishes and 31 accepted the challenge
- More consumer engagement… Check – We galvanised consumer engagement on social media in a significant way with the People’s Choice Award
- More revenue for our restaurant partners… Check – Participating restaurants said they saw a revenue boost in their bottom lines with sales up sharply… the proof was in the pudding so to speak.
“We didn’t only see these as victories for the BTA, but victories for Bermuda as we try to tell our food story when marketing the destination – not unlike New Orleans or Paris or Jamaica.
“So it’s fitting that we would ask diners in 2015 to vote for their favourite Bermuda-inspired menu during Restaurant Weeks. La Trattoria, Muse and Red fared the best, securing the most votes in each of their respective price categories.
“But only one could be crowned the People’s Choice champion. That honour went to Chef Enworth Davis and his team at Muse.
“With innovative dishes like Bailey’s Bay Mussels Chowder En Croute, Bermuda Old Rum & Bourbon Chicken and warm loquat & peach tart, Muse captured the essence of Bermuda food culture and also captured the imagination of consumers.
“For that reason the BTA would like to recognise Muse winning the Restaurant Weeks People’s Choice Award as a key moment in Bermuda food culture for 2015. It’s my pleasure to mark this occasion by presenting a bottle of Gosling’s Old Rum to Executive Chef Enworth Davis and the team at Muse.”
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Bill Hanbury, BTA CEO
Mr Hanbury said, “At Marcus’ celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson tells his staff they’re not striving to be the best restaurant in Hamilton, or in Bermuda, but he wants to have one of the best restaurants in the world.
“This is an ethos we support whole heartedly because at the BTA we’re not trying to market the best destination in the Atlantic, or the best island in the region… we want to be one of the world’s best visitor destinations – period.
“In May of this year Marcus’ at Hamilton Princess opened spectacularly with a packed house and exceptional fireworks. I remember it fondly and remember thinking it was truly a new day for the island’s food scene – thanks largely to the courage of the Green family and the creativity of Marcus Samuelsson himself.
Video interview with Marcus Samuelsson in June of this year:
“Since that day Marcus’ has generated a huge volume of media spotlight around the world. It has focused the world’s attention on our food culture. Chef Leo Marino and Chef Marcus have done truly breath taking things with local favourites – you need to look no farther than the starter menu at their restaurant.
“In one example, fish chowder has been reimagined as fish bites and those fish bites are flying out of the kitchen, dazzling the palates of visitors and residents alike. I’ve seen equally impressive things done with Bermuda rockfish or a spiny lobster.
“It is for all of these reasons the BTA would like to recognise the opening of Marcus’ as a key moment in Bermuda food culture for 2015. It’s my pleasure to mark this occasion by presenting a bottle of Gosling’s Old Rum to Chef Leo and the team at Marcus’.”
Premier Michael Dunkley
Premier Dunkley said, “When people travel they want to go where the locals go… eat where the locals eat. Travellers want to truly experience the destination.
“So the BTA set out to ask locals to help them find the best local fish sandwich. First they set a goal to recruit 20 local establishments to participate in a competition – they ended up with 40!
“They wanted to get a few hundred votes from the public and had more than 12-hundred when all was said and done. The competition swept the country.
“The winner, Rosa’s, may seem like an unlikely choice at first glance, but not when you hear the full story. The secret recipe that propelled Rosa’s to fish sandwich supremacy was not from a commercial kitchen, but instead was the family recipe of Bermudian Lindsay Durham.
“Lindsay is the restaurant manager at Rosa’s and she knew that if that recipe could satisfy her family dinner table for all these years, it could make some waves in the fish sandwich competition.
“She was right. They won the whole thing! I was happy to be there on Front Street making the presentation and I’m very pleased to see that Lindsay brought her family this evening to celebrate.
Video of Rosa’s winning the Best Fish Sandwich Contest in August of this year:
“If ever we needed proof that Bermuda’s food culture is home-grown…. is world class… that it can be an economic engine for our tourism industry – the Rosa’s story is exhibit A.
“It is for this reason, I am honoured, on behalf of the BTA, to recognise the victorious Durham-Simmons fish sandwich recipe as a key moment in Bermuda food culture for 2015. It’s my pleasure to mark this occasion by presenting a bottle of Gosling’s Old Rum to Pam Quarterly, Lindsay Durham and the entire Rosa’s team. Congratulations.”
Glenn Jones, BTA Director of Public & Stakeholder Relations
Mr Jones said, “Congratulations to all the recipients tonight. Above all else, this activity in the culinary space is about an important domino effect.
“The BTA wants to articulate Bermuda’s food culture, thus growing what visitors spend on food, and ultimately increase opportunities for culinary entrepreneurs and create jobs in the restaurant industry.
“That’s the game plan. And we believe it’s working. Let’s take the fish sandwich competition as an example.
- 73% of participating restaurants saw new customers through their doors
- 55% saw an increase in sales [1/3 of that number saw revenue jump more than 20%]
- And 97% — almost every establishment – said they would participate in the competition in given the chance to do it again.
“This is just one set of metrics that lets the product and experiences team know they’re on the right track and I think this bodes well for the future of Bermuda’s food culture.
“Thanks to all of you for being a part of that success.”
Click to enlarge photos:
