What better way to build on the Sagicor Sigma Corporate Run fund-raising momentum than with a ‘stush’ feast at one of the city’s buzziest event spots: Jamaica Food + Drink Kitchen? Last Tuesday, Sagicor Foundation partnered with 2025 Corporate Run Patron Cedella Marley, Stush in the Bush principals Chris and Lisa Binns, Select Brands, and Jamaica Food + Drink Kitchen for ‘A Stush Affair with Cedella Marley’.

The well-curated gastronomical affair saw guests hobnobbing with Marley while relishing menu favourites from the Stush in the Bush husband-and-wife duo.

“Tonight is a very special event. It is one of our fund-raising events for the Sagicor Sigma Corporate Run… the run is on Sunday, February 16. This year we thought about new and innovative ways to add other fun elements. We know food is a favourite and we hope to do this again next year. We think it is a wonderful success based on your attendance, and we hope you will enjoy the meal. But we want you to know that your donations and 100 per cent of the ticket sales are going to the Sigma Corporate Run beneficiaries,” shared Nicole Campbell-Robinson, vice-president, communications, digital media & CSR, Sagicor Group Jamaica.

The Sagicor Sigma Corporate Run, now in its 27th year, has raised over $750 million for health, child-related, and educational initiatives. The 2025 staging aims to raise $115 million for the Kingston Public Hospital, Father Ho Lung and Friends Foundation, and Sir John Golding Rehabilitation Centre.

“Sigma Run is a unifying event in this country, something we need more of. And it’s going to go to some of the best beneficiaries, ever! The aim is to ‘buss up’ $115 million!” said Sagicor Group Jamaica Limited President and CEO of Christopher Zacca.

“Stush come to town!” said Chef Lisa Binns, taking the stage. Though her award-winning farm-to-table fare hardly needed introduction, Binns, as she’s known to do at her Free Hill, St Ann eatery, guided guests through the origin of the ingredients, and the process of creating the dishes. “It is a pleasure to be in the space and to be asked to be in the space is something that is always truly, truly special… If you follow us on
Instagram, you would have seen a dedicated post for this, because I feel this year, we have so much to be thankful for. We have to be mindful about who we spend our time with and what we put our money behind. So I think it’s important that we do that in our own backyard. I feel that this is one of those wonderful causes that we are able to donate to,” said Binns, before introducing the evening’s offerings.

“No animals were killed in the process… so whether it looks to you like it should be milk or beef or any of those things, this is plant-based food, this is plant-forward food, this is not vegan,” she continued. “We have a couple of different stations, and you also have passed canapés. The juices are from the farm as well as the ginger beer, the pineapple, the mint, the lemongrass and ginger. And then… you have the pizza station… and a beignet station, I don’t have to say too much about this, except to say that our beignets are the best beignets you’ve ever had in your life… we’re also going to be passing some mini chocolate cupcakes with frosting and rose petals… there’s passion fruit curd and a couple strawberries for those of you who get there first,” said Binns.

On Select Brands decision to partner with Sagicor for A Stush Affair Luxury Portfolio Manager Debra Taylor Smith said, “The Sigma Run, as you know, is for an extremely, well, a few extremely worthy causes. Jamaica Food + Drink Kitchen and Select Brands have had a long and fruitful relationship, so there was that. Lisa, what can I say? We’ve also had a long and fruitful relationship, and so it was a no-brainer; it had to be done… We chose a few of Lisa’s [Binns] favourite things… wines that are agreeable but still at the ‘stush’ level.”

With the food and drink stations declared officially open, guests eagerly indulged, stopping only for wine or prosecco refills or spins on the dance floor to beats from Coppershot’s Marc Chin.