The showers subsided just in time for patrons to populate the lawns of Devon House for the 25th staging of the Jamaica Observer Table Talk Food Awards on Thursday.

The brainchild of Jamaica Observer Lifestyle Editor Novia McDonald-Whyte, the annual hot-ticket event aptly dubbed the “Oscars of Food” attracted foodies from across the region in celebration of the culinary industry’s best and brightest.

More than a dozen prestigious awards were issued to food connoisseurs whose significant contributions have led to the success of the food and beverage industry in Jamaica.

In the words of McDonald-Whyte, the two-and-a-half decade long journey of the Food Awards has been an amazing one.

Reflecting on the road to the silver anniversary, McDonald-Whyte shared that 25 years ago, armed with “the deft guidance of a venerable set of articulate foodies”, her team set out to create a new narrative for food in Jamaica, one that has today blossomed into a showcase of the highest international standards.

A section of the huge crowd that gathered on the lawns of Devon House on Thursday to mark the 25th staging of The Jamaica Observer Table Talk Food Awards. (Photo: Joseph Wellington)

“Today, five years shy of 30 years, we have a very easy relationship with food; food that is boundary speaking, insanely creative, and supremely satisfying,” she said.

Also heaping praises on the Table Talk Food Awards for its incredible achievement, Dominic Beaubrun, Managing Director of the Jamaica Observer Media Group, said 25 years for any event, by any stretch of the imagination, is no easy feat.

“The thing about the Jamaica Observer Table Talk Food Awards is that it stands head and shoulders above anything else. It is  in a class by itself, a world class event that has managed to reinvent itself each year. Twenty-five years is an amazing achievement,” he said. “When people leave the event they feel like they’ve had an experience and I think that ought to be celebrated even more. We should applaud and praise visions like this when they come to life.”

Thursday’s 25th anniversary edition was truly an all-inclusive affair with an eclectic atmosphere that will not easily be replicated. From the beautifully decorated stands to the stunning gastronomic presentations, the vibe was pulsating.

But more significant was the immense pride and joy that emanated from the stage as awardees strutted front and centre to be recognised for their work. Their sense of gratitude was palpable, driving home the purpose from which the awards was birthed: ‘Taste it. Eat it. Drink it. Applaud it.’

Full list of winners from the 25th staging of the Jamaica Observer Table Talk Food Awards:

Best (New) Local Product: Smith’s Rum Cream

New Gastronomy Experience: Kamila’s Kitchen (Skyline Drive)

Jamaican Restaurant with Outstanding Gastronomy Experience: Miss Lily’s at Skylark Negril Beach Resort

Best Wine and Food Experience: Uncorked Sovereign North

Best Watering Hole (Kingston): Raw Bar

Best Watering Hole (Mobay): 27/27 Lounge

Best Ethnic Restaurant: Mystic Thai

Best Sunday Spot (Kingston and St Andrew): Jamaica Pegasus Hotel

Best Sunday Spot (Mobay): S Hotel

Best Place for Cocktails (Kingston): The Coppers

Best Place for Cocktails (Mobay): Lester’s Bar (Half Moon Resort)

Best Place for Vegetarian/Plant-based: Stush in the Bush

Jamaica Observer Table Talk Food Awards judge Annaliesa Lindsay presented the award for Best Place for Vegetarian/Plant-based to Lisa and Chris Binns from Stush in the Bush. (Photo: Joseph Wellington)

Best Cafe: Cafe Blue

Solomon Gardner Award for Outstanding Service: S Hotel, Kingston and Mobay

Bar Team of the Year: AC Hotel, Kingston

Chef of the Year: Chef Volae Williams

Restaurant of the Year: Sugar Mill, Half Moon Resort

Special Awards:

Gastronomy Innovation Award: Chef Volae Williams for ROK Supper Club Dinner

Dominic Beaubrun, Managing Director of the Jamaica Observer Media Group (Left) presents the Gastronomy Innovation Award to Chef Volae Williams of the ROK Hotel for ROK Supper Club Dinner. (Photo: Joseph Wellington)

Chairman’s Award: Mark Cole otherwise called, Fat Chef

Mark Theophilus Cole known affectionately as Fat Chef, was presented with the prestigious Chairman’s Award at Thursday’s staging of the the Jamaica Observer Table Talk Food Awards by Adam Stewart, executive chairman, Sandals Resorts International. (Photo: Joseph Wellington)

Culinary Ambassador Award: Chris and Lisa Binns (Stush in the Bush) for Dinner in Milan AND, Baldwin Shield, Founder of   Johnny Baldwin Cheesecakes

Lifetime Achievement Award: Derrimon Trading Company Limited

Derrimon Trading Company founder, chairman and CEO Derrick Cotterell (second right) is pictured with his wife, Monique and the company’s Chief Financial Officer, Ian Kelly (right) as they accept the Lifetime Achievement Award from Adam Stewart, executive chairman, Sandals Resorts International at the Jamaica Observer Table Talk Food Awards on the lawns of Devon House on Thursday. (Photo: Joseph Wellington)

Silver Anniversary Caterer’s Award:

Celeste Gordon – Whip it Up

Theo Smith – Great House Caterers

Petra Edward’s – Flame in Thyme

Michele Williams – Moveable Feast

Debe-Ann Chen – Cutting Edge Gourmet

Silver Anniversary Awardees:

Deamil Dalley: ROK Hotel

Rushell Kenlock: AC Hotel

Kenisha Phipps: AC Hotel

Richard Welch: Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel

Chez Ann Campbell: Uncorked Sovereign North

Sadae Campbell: Jamaica Pegasus Hotel

Joseph Jackson: Jamaica Pegasus Hotel

Kirk Clarke: S Hotel, Kingston

Silver Anniversary (Restaurateurs)

Sonia Thomas (Sonia’s Homestyle Cooking)

Claudette Tenn (M10)

Tina Newman (El Centro)

Gariel Ferguson (The Rib Kage Grill)

Winsome Hall (Crystal Edge)