Craig Young (Programme Host): Now Oswald Harding, let me ask you now to put your expertise to work and give us an idea, your review then, of the Table Talk Food Awards.

Harding: Well first of all I’d like to congratulate the Observer on their 10th anniversary and for sponsoring the Food Fair for the past five years. Special thanks and praise to Novia McDonald Whyte, for coordinating the event. As a matter of fact the event, I think, was Novia’s idea.

Now this year has been an improvement on last year.

Each year it gets better.

The participants are the best that we have in Jamaica who exhibit. And you know, I have to interject; you know it reminds me a little bit, there was a famous man called Gulbenkian, Nubar Gulbenkian from the family who used to have all the money out of Persian oil. He was a very famous man living in England and he was once asked, “what is your idea, mister, of a great meal”. He says “myself and a good head waiter”.

Now some people feel that’s exactly what good food is about. It’s a relationship between you and what you’re actually eating. But we looked at the whole fair last night and it’s become one of the social events of the year. I think you had better put it down in your social calendar. The world and his wife are there, and his girlfriends too I would imagine, and it’s the creative use of local foods, by and large.

Let me just run down very briefly some of the exhibits because I think they are worth mentioning:

* The Courtleigh – they had a calaloo and jerk chicken roti, that was excellent.

* Pegasus – their desserts were excellent. There was a gingered gizzarda which I gave full points to.

* Thomas Finnegan wine and cheese has a new one-and-a-half litre bottle which, if you’re interested, I think you really should see.

* Tweedside jerk seasoning used by Island Grill was worth visiting.

* Then there was ‘When we were just kids’, some very good displays. A place for parents for birthday parties. Unique, a very unique concept.

* Then there was Suzanne Couch, fashion foods. Excellent presentation of Japanese, Indian and Middle East foods. For décor I gave it full marks. For taste I gave it full marks. For service I gave them full marks.

* Then there was Toscannini Italian Restaurant downstairs Harmony Hall outside Ocho Rios and they had a marinated Marlin, one of the best you will ever taste. Now this is the ancient method of marinating. The secret is in the proportion of salt to sugar. Nothing is done with it. It’s just marinated salt to sugar. Of course the secret is they won’t tell you what is the proportion of the salt to sugar.

* Then there was Carla Pasta. The pasta is imported by National Meats. This is world standard pasta and they will recommend the right wine also.

Going along and reviewing some more of the exhibits we had Real Rock with their Yardie Shandy. Three flavours — Ginger, Lime and Cola. It was very good and of course Catherine Peak water was there as usual for the people who were thirsty.

Grace Kennedy — Zesty, that’s one of their new drinks and they had an excellent beef vegetable pizza with sweet potato base. Now this was very creative use of food.

Ritz Carlton – Dennis McIntosh displays a culinary fruit and vegetable carving – out of this world. You’ve got to see it to believe it.

Future Bakery in Ocho Rios – there was a variety of breads, rolls all kinds of pastries. The Almond Croissant was excellent and the presentation was excellent.

Then there was our traditional Busha Browne – the ginger jelly, pepper jelly, pineapple ginger jelly and this was really first prize for the best condiments.

Tetrasol – first time entry, they had a pimento flavoured charcoal and the Rosemary flavoured charcoal. You know, in other words you use this charcoal when you’re cooking and of course the flavour gets into the grills and bar-b-ques.

Young: Let me just stop you for a second so our listeners know who they are listening to. You’re listening to Oswald Harding who is a connoisseur of food himself and he’s giving us a review of the Table Talk Food Awards 2003 which took place yesterday at 6 o’clock in the evening at the Devon House East Lawns. And he’s going through some of the foods and those who were represented there yesterday and it sounds really great so far and I do want to thank you for giving us this review. What else do you have for us that took place.

Harding: Well Norma’s had a very exotic display. Sugar cane in Shrimp Sauce – now how about that – excellent appetizer and Norma is not afraid to try new combinations.

Then there was mention of Livity. This is a new vegetarian restaurant. I haven’t really been there as yet. That’s on Old Hope Road I believe.

The guest speaker for the evening was chef Orlando Satchell from St Lucia. He spoke on presentation, creativity and the local ingredients, Jamaican food etc.

There was Strawberry Hill. They had pan-seared conch with black bean and mango salsa. Then there was JoJo’s with their vegetable juices, natural juices.

The Food Awards is really something to behold. The Best Lunch Spot was awarded to Norma’s at Whitehall Avenue. We are used to going to Norma’s at Devon House, this is Norma’s at Whitehall Avenue.

The best brunch – Terra Nova. The Best New Restaurant – Coconut Café and Bar, Ocho Rios. The best bar – Margaritaville and the best supermarket – Sovereign, Liguanea. Chef of the Year – Dennis McIntosh from the Ritz Carlton. Restaurant of the Year – Jasmine Room, Ritz Carlton. The best display – Bullseye Restaurant and Steak House. So these were actually the people who got these awards.

I should just mention this Margaritaville. If you’re interested in Margaritas, that is the place to go. You know that Margaritas is usually drank with salt either around the rim of the glass or you put it on your hand. This of course is the Mexican tradition, because it’s Tequilla that makes these Margaritas.

So here you are in Kingston, lovely evening going to food fair. You can have all the exposure to all these things right here, without having to travel the world or to go to other restaurants. The food fair is wonderful because it brings all of these things together. It’s a kind of competition and it brings out the best.

Young: Can I ask you Oswald Harding, now that the exposure has taken place what do you see for the future of Jamaican food right now.

Harding: Oh there’s no doubt about the place that Jamaican food has and it’s important that we advertise it, make it known because this is a country where we have visitors and we expect and hope to have more visitors and when tourists travel, yes they’ll have the ackee and the saltfish and we encourage that, we encourage the local foods no end and our stew peas and rice. But they need to know, in terms of international cuisine, that we have a Jamaican variety, I say Jamaican variety because they’re international standards but a lot of the ingredients are Jamaican.