Last Sunday afternoon, Friday Social journeyed to Strawberry Hills for brunch with Tourism Minister Ed Bartlett. The occasion? Day three of the Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Festival. Indeed, three days of activities culminated with the Blue Mountain Coffee Trail — which involved the participation of 14 restaurants and heritage sites along the way that offered coffee-centric products, fare, entertainment and experiences for all.

Day two in Newcastle, proved to be a success. With indigenous arts and crafts showcases, activities for the kids, coffee trivia, private dinners, and wonderful coffee-infused delights, the combined efforts of the Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Festival were, according to Tourism Minister Ed Bartlett, to position The Rock in the international sphere as a gastronomic destination, to attract tourists and improve economic wealth. “There’s a big future for gastronomy in Jamaica…this is how the tourism dollar is going to stay in Jamaica,” Bartlett remarked.

Musician Peter Ashbourne led a quartet that provided live entertainment, whilst Minister Bartlett shared the plans for the current foodie year. “In a more structured way, with Devon House being established as the gastronomy centre of Jamaica, we’re planning to host pop-up kitchens leading up to the official launch of World Gastronomy Day, June 18, and we want a big event to celebrate Jamaica’s [participation]. We’re going to be [asking] diplomats to bring strains from their cultures to fuse [cultures] with the Jamaican food.” We are, after all, out of many, one.

In addition, the tourism ministry intends to host several festivals revolving around indigenous Jamaican foods, including coffee, rum, ackee, cocoa, and yam. And, to show and prove, executives from the Jamaica Tourist Board and Tourism Linkages Network travelled to Berlin on Tuesday, March 5, to participate in the world’s leading travel trade show, ITB Berlin.

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