Glitz, glamour & rain heralded the silver anniversary celebrations of the
Jamaica Observer Table Talk Food Awards powered by Mastercard,
staged on Thursday, June 27 at Devon House.

The red carpet arrival attracted members of the global fabulocracy like Ambassador Theresa Roberts, Jamaica Patty Co-co-founder who jetted in for one night only from the United Kingdom for the event, Emmy Award-winning actress Sheryl-Lee Ralph and future daughter-in law Stephanie Wash; celebrity chef, TV host and cookbook author Roger Mooking; reggae icon Marcia Griffiths; Jamaica Observer Executive Chair Adam Stewart; Mark Cole, recipient of the Chairman’s Award; Derrick Cotterell, chairman and CEO, Derrimon Trading Company Limited, recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award and Food Awards judges and nominees.

The spectacular setting came courtesy of luxury event planner Shikima Hinds.

The rains that threatened to put a damper on the festivities mere hours prior, were the proverbial “showers of blessings,” as the evening of excellence got underway with a heartfelt rendition of the National Anthem sung by Emmy-Award winning actress Sheryl-Lee Ralph.

It was only up from there as Food Awards Chair Novia McDonald-Whyte guided the proceedings with excited awardees stepping up on the stage to collect their coveted plaques. Though many things have changed over the past

two and a half decades, the Award’s mantra of celebrating the instincts, skills and efforts of creatives remains the same. And so more than a dozen of the industry’s best were rewarded for their contributions to the development of an industry that has evolved to enviable heights.

If you had any doubt about what the Jamaica Observer Table Talk Food Awards meant to those it was crafted to serve, the satisfying smiles plastered across the faces of the award recipients at Devon House on Thursday night were enough to settle them.

Some described their win as a dream come true while others heaped praises on conceptualiser Novia McDonald-Whyte and her team for not only carving out a niche on the culinary circuit, but for concocting a legacy rivalled only by the success stories it has unearthed.

From Best (New) Local Product to Lifetime Achievement Award, culinarians were lauded for their outstanding contributions. And, if the awards showcase itself wasn’t enough, the “Oscars of Food” showed its class through lavishly-decorated stands and gastronomical delicacies that had patrons revisiting booths throughout the night.

Indeed, Mooking who was revisiting the Awards after a decade shared on his IG page the following morning. “Congratulations to Jamaica on the 25th anniversary of the Jamaica Food Awards, I’ve been to ALOT of food events all over the world BUT the vibes and execution of this one is really a special thing.”

For Jamaica Observer Table Talk Food Awards judge Annaliesa Lindsay, the Awards recognises everything “unique and world-class about Jamaica.”

Style Observer shares highlights from the 25th iteration of the Oscars of Food.