Time to get crackling at Caribbean305 

MIAMI (June 20, 2019) –

Which Caribbean destination serves the best pork shoulder?
Attendees at Caribbean305, South Florida’s premier Caribbean cuisine and culture celebration will soon find out as top regional chefs battle for porcine supremacy when they compete at the “2019 Contemporary Caribbean Individual Street Pork Competition” or “Pork Roast” in Miami on Saturday, June 22, 2019 at Mana Wynwood. 

Ahead of the Caribbean305 celebration itself, the chefs will compete in the U.S. Meat Export Federation- and U.S. Pork-presented event outside the entrance of Mana Wynwood. Later, they will serve up their savory creations to arriving attendees as they get ready to shake their trotters to Caribbean sounds during the event.

This food sport challenge requires each cook to create their destination’s best traditional street-style pork dish in a contemporary manner. 

Entrants will be judged by Bill Moore, Founder of Taste of Caribbean and Owner of Pushcart Foods; Michael Compton, President of the Caribbean BBQ Association and Smoking Hot Ventures; and Josué Merced-Reyes, an adjudicator of the Cattlemen’s BBQ Whole Hog Competition and Owner of El Buen Vivir. Featuring flavors and savors from over a dozen countries and territories,  Caribbean305 spotlights award-winning chefs and mixologists from 16 destinations – Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curaçao, Grenada, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos and the United States Virgin Islands. The event also brings in cultural influences from the Dominican Republic. 

“We are very excited to debut a new component to Caribbean305, featuring seasoned chefs as well as rising culinary stars in the region,” said Frank Comito, Director General and CEO of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), producers of the event. He joked that this year’s event should not be missed by attendees and is worth emptying every penny from their “piggy banks.” 

Caribbean305 VIP tickets are $125 per person and include one-hour early access to the event at 7 p.m., a separate VIP check-in area, a welcome cocktail, a premium goody bag, access to a VIP lounge area with an exclusive, private bar and passed tapas service, additional seating and unlimited food, drinks and entertainment. The limited number of VIP tickets will only be available online. 

General admission tickets are $75 and include access from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. with an all-inclusive experience of unlimited drinks, food and entertainment. 

Moko jumbie stilt walkers and carnival dancers in full-feathered regalia will welcome the guests, who will also party to live Caribbean entertainment, including reggae, soca, salsa and zouk. 

Visitors to Caribbean305 can learn about travel to the region from regional tourism representatives, and have the chance to win free trips to Caribbean destinations throughout the night. Caribbean305 is presented by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association, Monster Energy® and Belvedere Vodka, the official spirit of Caribbean305. Sponsors include Figment Design and the United States Virgin Islands Department of Tourism as platinum sponsors; Jamaica Tourist Board as a premium sponsor; and American Airlines, Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc., Belize Tourism Board, The Best Dressed Chicken, The British Virgin Islands Tourist Board and Film Commission, Caribbean Airlines, Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, Grenada Tourism Authority, the all-inclusive Hard Rock Hotels of Mexico and the Dominican Republic, Miami Carnival, Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, Sandals and Beaches Resorts, U.S. Meat Export Federation, and U.S. Pork as gold sponsors.

The “Pork Roast” is presented by U.S. Meat Export Federation and U.S. Pork, and sponsored by Halperns’ Purveyors of Steak and Seafood and PromiseLand. 

For more information about Caribbean305, visit www.caribbean305.com. 

About the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA)The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) is the Caribbean’s leading association representing the interests of national hotel and tourism associations. For more than 50 years, CHTA has been the backbone of the Caribbean hospitality industry. Working with some 1,000 hotel and allied members, and 33 National Hotel Associations, CHTA is shaping the Caribbean’s future and helping members to grow their businesses. Whether helping to navigate critical issues in sales and marketing, sustainability, legislative issues, emerging technologies, climate change, data and intelligence or, looking for avenues and ideas to better market and manage businesses, CHTA is helping members on issues which matter most.

For further information, visit www.caribbeanhotelandtourism.com.