Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands – 31 January 2014 – Cayman’s largest culinary event, the Taste of Cayman Food & Wine Festival, is going green this year as a result of partnerships with local companies Hew’s Hotel & Restaurant Supplies and Junk Recycling Services which will ensure a more environmentally-friendly experience for everyone at the Festival Green, Camana Bay on Saturday, 8 February.

Hew’s Supplies, a long time sponsor of Taste of Cayman, will be providing the disposables for the event which includes everything from forks, spoons and cups to soufflé bowls, beverage napkins and stirrers.  For the past three years, the company has been using eco-friendly products such as corn-plastic and sugarcane-based cups, plates and cutlery.

“At Hew’s we endeavour to provide as many environmentally friendly products as possible,” said Kristen Thomson, Sales and Marketing Manager at Hew’s.  “We work closely with our suppliers to source products that are suitable for our clients at the right price, and balanced by our desire to reduce waste locally in Cayman.”
Perhaps the best example of Hew’s efforts is their supply of the Taste of Cayman souvenir wine glasses that Festival-goers receive at the event.

“These glasses are not only excellent quality but will ensure that all those wine glasses from the tastings don’t end up in our landfill,” explained Thomson.  “They can be used for years to come, are dishwasher safe and a great keepsake.”

Patrons to the Festival will also be able to dispose of their foodservice items and contribute to Cayman’s recycling effort too, thanks to Junk Recycling Services, Cayman’s only inclusive recycling business covering the collection and recycling of glass, plastic, aluminum, cardboard and paper.  Junk will be putting its bins in strategic locations around the Festival Green for the collection of aluminum, plastic and glass items.

“We reached out to Taste of Cayman because it is our endeavour to work along with events such as this to spread the recycling message in an effort to get the island cleaned up and push forward a greener Cayman while reducing our carbon footprint,” explained Cindy Rosan-Jones, Junk Operations/Marketing Manager.  “It is time for us to get serious about this issue.”

Junk currently provides three 95-gallon blue recycling receptacle bins for consumer recycling of plastic, glass and aluminum bottles and containers. The plastic (type 1 & 2) and aluminum are shipped overseas to be recycled and the glass is recycled on island.

“We are very excited about Taste of Cayman going green this year as a result of our partnership with Junk Recycling Services and the products that Hew’s continues to provide for the Festival,” said Jane van der Bol, Executive Director of the Cayman Islands Tourism Association, organiser of the Festival.

“As one can imagine, an event of Taste of Cayman’s magnitude generates a huge amount of trash.  We are expecting to use approximately 50,000 pieces of plastic ware throughout the day and into the evening.  However, we and our vendors, restaurants, sponsors and attendees alike can feel confident that we are using environmentally-friendly products and our refuse will be disposed of in a way that takes our environment into consideration.”

Taste of Cayman tickets are on sale now for $35 per person ($45 on day of event) and can be purchased online at www.tasteofcayman.org, or at Books and Books, all Blackbeard’s and Big Daddy’s locations and the Cayman Islands Tourism Association Office.

For more information about the 2014 Taste of Cayman Food & Wine Festival, log on to www.tasteofcayman.org, email [email protected] or call 949.8522.

The Taste of Cayman Food & Wine Festival is sponsored by Camana Bay, Z99, Rooster 101, Blackbeard’s, Big Daddy’s, Heineken, Appleton, Vibe FM, Spin 94.9, Hew’s Hotel & Restaurant Supplies, WestStar, Massive, Cayman Airways and Flava.

About the Cayman Islands Tourism Association:

CITA is an not for profit independent body comprised of private tourism sector businesses that band together to market, develop and support the destination. The over 250 members represent the full spectrum of the tourism industry from watersports, restaurants, hotels, condos & villas and allied members such as services, financial and those in arts and entertainment.

The CITA is governed by a volunteer board of directors who provide leadership and guidance to the association. Members have opportunities to meet regularly, network, share knowledge and experiences for the betterment of the Cayman Islands tourism product.

The association was formed in March 2001 through an amalgamation of the Restaurant Association, the Watersports Association and the Cayman Islands Hotel and Condominium Association and this year marks CITA’s 13th Anniversary. CITA is wholly funded by membership subscriptions and fundraising and the group actively promotes the continuing improvement and development of Cayman’s tourism industry through the exchange of information, Government Relations, training and education, marketing, and events.

Visit www.cita.ky for more information.

Related story:

Get a Taste of The Cayman Islands

From The Westin Cayman

Save the date for the 26th annual Taste of Cayman Food & Wine Festival, coming up on Saturday February 8th, 2014. This open air event features 45 restaurants and distributors that will dazzle the tastebuds of thousands of festival-goers. There will be live music, a photobooth, and a whole slew of different attractions to choose from, including:

Demonstration Kitchen: The demo kitchen, sponsored by Bon Vivant, will feature the island’s best chefs to mix it up in the festival’s state-of-the-art kitchen, while they wow the crowd, and show them how to make their favorite local and international dishes.

Heavy Cake Competition: This popular festival staple promotes awareness of the Cayman Island’s unofficial national dish. Cash prizes are awarded to those who can make the best Heavy Cake – a dark, dense, and moist cake that features cassava, or yucca root. (You can find a recipe for the cake here.) It’s definitely a must-taste attraction.

Mixologist Competition: Are you a fan of rum? Local rum company Seven Fathoms has just the thing for you with its “Mix Off” competition, featuring the islands bartenders.

Throughout the night, a number of awards will be handed out to award Taste of Cayman’s “Best Of” in different categories. This includes Best Booth, Best Food, Best Drink, and more.

Cayman’s Favorite Restaurant is the most coveted award of the night, and every festival attendee gets to vote. The winning restaurant wins the title and a $1,000 cash prize!

Advance tickets are $35, admission for children 17 and under is $20; free for those under 5 years. Visit tasteofcayman.org for more details.

For more on this story go to:

http://www.westincaymanblog.com/2014/01/get-a-taste-of-the-cayman-islands.html