(PHOTOS: LIONEL ROOKWOOD)

What should one expect from the 26th staging of the Simply Red: Wine and Food Festival? A celebration of Caribbean flavour, flair and fashion, of course! The Simply Red launch event — hosted by the Heart Foundation of Jamaica (HFJ), in cooperation with Fidelity Motors and Bumble Bee — saw guests streaming onto the lawns at the home of the Chilean Ambassador Eduardo Bonilla on Tuesday.

Guests feasted on scrumptious fare from local chefs and caterers Jacqui Tyson, Theo Smith, and George Matthews, and the Delicious Occasion Young Chefs Cooking Club.

The gathering was entertained by the Pembroke Hall Methodist Church BLUprint Steel Band and Byron Lee and the Dragonaires jazz guitarist Rupert Bent. The Simply Red: Wine and Food Festival is slated for Friday September 25 on the lawns of Jamaica House. Friday Social shares the highlights.

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HFJ treasurer and founder Peter Bangerter has the attention of Devine Wine Services co-principals Chris and Kerri-Anne Reckord.

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Simply Red fashion ambassador Keneea Linton-George wears a clinging sleeveless column.

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Deputy Chief of Mission at the Chilean Embassy Maximiliano Jara (left) with his wife Fabiola Viera (second left), and Spanish Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Carmen Rivas, with JN Foundation Project Manager Anthony Brown.

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Getting comfy in the Victoria Mutual Building Society booth were (from left) the company’s Development Officer Calvin Blackellar; Wendy Palma, Deputy Ambassador at the Nicaraguan Embassy; the Venezuelan Embassy First Secretary of Commercial Affairs Josefa Amador; and Victoria Mutual Knutsford Boulevard Branch Manager Ainsley Whyte.

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Victoria Mutual Building Society Financial Services specialist Jody-Ann Wright welcomes our photog.

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Supreme Ventures Foundation administrators Dayna Marks (left) and Ovril Ebanks.

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From Thought to Finish chef Akai Lindsay sautés shrimp and seasonings in preparation for his pasta dish.

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Chilean Ambassador to Jamaica Eduardo Bonilla shares a photo with Miss Jamaica Universe Kaci Fennell.

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Andre Dryakin (left), head of the Russian Federation consular section with Russian geologist Alina Necheva (second left), South African High Commission First Secretary Jongikhaya Rabe, and wife of the chargé d’affaires at the German Embassy Nertila Dumke.

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From left: Peter Bangerter, treasurer and founder of the HFJ; Miss Jamaica World 2015 Sanneta Myrie; Dr Marion Bullock DuCasse, chief medical officer at the Ministry of Health; HFJ ambassador Cindy Breakspeare; Kandise Morgan-Small, Massy Distribution Business Manager, HFJ chairperson Dr Andrene Chung, Executive Director Deborah Chen, and Simply Red fashion ambassador Keneea Linton-George.

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The Pembroke Hall Methodist Church BLUprint Steel Band in performance.

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Bolivar Bookshop & Gallery proprietor Hugh Dunphy with his fashion designer belle Janet Harris.

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Miss Jamaica World 2015 Sanneta Myrie (second row, third left) shares a photo with members of the Delicious Occasion Young Chefs Cooking Club. They are (back row, from left) sous-chef Joniann James, and young chefs Jason Panton, his sister Kimberly, Lori Nelson, chef instructor Latoya Panton; and (front row, from left) Aman Dhinan, Leah Nelson, and Noah Azan.

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Kandise Morgan-Small, Business Manager at Massy Distribution; Fidelity Motors Limited Marketing Officer David Crawford, and HFJ Events Manager Yasmin Salmon-Russell.

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Renowned guitarist Rupert Bent entertains guests.

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Wife of the Chilena Ambassador Martha Bonilla (seated) receives guests (from left) Guy Sevrin, Belgian Ambassador to Jamaica, and his son Dylan, student at Saint Martin College in Germany; Chargé d’affaires at the German Embassy Michael Dumke; engineer Gumer Gamero, and businesswoman Maritza Warwar