The luxurious Cliff Hotel on Negril’s famed ‘West End’ hosted the third voyage of its utopia-like Gourmet Getaway ballasted with culinary experiences, cocktail events, and wellness activities including yoga and excursions. All seamlessly packed into a five-day, four-night jaunt from Thursday, June 8 to Monday, June 12.

The Gourmet Getaway promised a delicious fun-filled weekend with tasting and exploring the cultures of Jamaica and the Caribbean. Hosted by chefs Cindy Hutson and Jonhoi Reid with Michelin Bib Gourmand award and James Beard nominee Niven Patel of Ghee Indian Kitchen, Mamey, and Orno.

The voyage set sail on Thursday with a cocktail party and rum tasting diving into the various blends of Appleton and what gives them their distinctive taste profiles. (Fun fact: Appleton rum is aged in American White Oak Bourbon barrels.) This was followed by a welcome dinner whipped up by the Cliff Hotel culinary team led by chef Johnoi Reid.

On Friday afternoon guests were treated to a cooking class with Chefs Cindy Hutson and Niven Patel on deck. Cocktails and a barbecue with menu offerings of barrel-smoked jerk chicken, Whiskey BBQ baby back ribs and mango mousse closed Day 2.

Saturday’s offerings opened with a Jamaican cooking class hosted by Chef Johnoi Reid, followed by a mixology class. The pièce de résistance was a five-course dinner, a showpiece of specially created dishes paired excellently with wines by the Cliff Hotel’s culinary advisor Delius Shirley (son of the late Jamaican culinary giant Norma Shirley).

The five-course meal included a local conch salad for the first course followed by a tandoori paneer, courses from Chef Patel. These were paired with an Albarino — Mar de Frades, a Spanish wine with grapes harvested in 2022, — and a Chablis — Louis Lator, France 2020. The third and fourth courses came from Chef Hutson’s knife: Grilled jumbo prawn and Bavette steak. Dessert was a mango ‘misu’ from Chef Johnoi Reid.

A rum brunch and leisure activities, including spa and excursions to off-site attractions, filled the time on Sunday with breakfast offerings on Monday completed an elysian weekend.

Chef Patel, in an interview with Thursday Food, outlined his thought process and approach to the weekend.

“From the event perspective, it’s all about bringing a little bit of Miami into the Jamaican space and show the guests a great time.

My style is very free-flowing and organic. We’ve created a menu, but once we’re in an environment like this, it morphs and changes based on what is available and how you’re feeling at the time. For this weekend, though, I wanted to deliver flavour bombs, have an experience of flavours we’re familiar with but haven’t tasted it done in a particular way,” Patel explained.

Photos: Aceion Cunningham