WESTERN BUREAU — THE third staging of the Curry festival held at the Mannings High school saw Couples Hotel walking away with the top prize in the culinary section.

They were also lauded for displaying the best food and vegetable carving. Team members Rohan Whitelocke, Haniff Williams, Wilton Paltie and Vernon Banham were tops with their variety display. Among the dishes they displayed were curried pork and green banana, curry chicken soup, curry cheesecake, curried rice pudding and curried crackers.

Riu Hotel placed second and Hedonism II took third place.

Couples team captain, Vernon Banham, was pleased with the results.

“It feels extremely gratifying, because we have been patronising this festival for the third year, so it feels really good. A lot of work has paid off,” he told the Observer.

A lot of emphasis was placed on the event, he added, which was part of the hotel’s community outreach program .

More that 5,000 people attended the weekend which highlighted all things curry.

From as early as 9 am, the security guards had their hands full as patrons from all over Jamaica started strolling in.

The entertainment segment was just as entertaining as Fab 5 treated the crowd to a musical feast.

The festival, which started three years ago, is one of the major fund raising event for Mannings High school.