Charela Inn, a Spanish hacienda-style resort, hosted an elevated five-course dining experience through its Le Vendome Restaurant, curated by Chef Andre Sewell on Saturday, January 21, on Negril’s famed Seven-Mile strip.

The resort, known for its fine dining options, is also famed for its culinary evenings with French chefs. However, principal Daniel Grizzle, an ardent advocate of Jamaican cuisine, decided to pivot with the start of the guest chef series this year.

“We personally like good food and we enjoy seeing our guests enjoying local fare. Our options are always healthy, and we are keen on variety. We have a fusion of French and Jamaican cuisine as our main offerings and we believe this is a perfect culinary delight. We make everything on property, including our breads, ice cream and croissants. Our kitchen is also supplied by our farm. This evening was about highlighting that we have fine chefs in Jamaica and that we can produce excellent dishes. The menu was all-Jamaican, something to be proud of, an overall celebration of our country, food and heritage,” Grizzle explained.

Chef Andre Sewell explained that the inspiration for the menu came from a love of Jamaican dishes and ingredients and the opportunity to remake Jamaican classics.

“In alignment with my new-found purpose, the idea was to take Jamaican classics or ingredients and present them in elevated ways. Every single course was either a remake of a dish we know and love, or a celebration of ingredients we’re used to,” Sewell stated.

Sewell also spoke on his reimagining of Jamaican dishes and the opportunity for an international audience to experience some of that, in furtherance of highlighting Jamaican cuisine.

“I love our flavours. When I think about executing any of these things, my love for our local flavours and ingredients, coupled with just the nostalgia of foods I’ve had growing up, completely takes over. Jamaican cuisine is already world-renowned for bold, amazing flavours. I think where our presence is lacking is in the fine dining/elevated cuisine space. If we do the absolute best versions of Jamaican classics, then our cuisine would be a greater force to reckon with. We have visitors explaining that fine dining in Jamaica at times has menu items they could have gotten back home. This doesn’t need to be the case. Our local produce is fantastic and we can do amazing things. That’s why opportunities like this are important,” Sewell added.

Grizzle added that more Jamaican chefs will be invited as part of the series this year to get more locals involved.

“I will be making greater effort to attract more Jamaicans to these evenings, as it gives me great pleasure in seeing locals and guests enjoying our music, meals and appreciating the finer qualities that Jamaica has to offer,” Grizzle said.

— Text & photos by Aceion Cunningham