Pumpkin featured on Restaurant Week menusBy Monique Washington
The bright colours and the inviting aromas of appetizers, main courses and desserts with the main ingredient pumpkin, were all on display on Saturday and ready to taste at the Mt. NevisHotel as part of the Restaurant Week Tasting Showcase.
Restaurant week is in its second year and stems for the St. Kitts Department of Agriculture “Eat What We Grow–Eat Local” campaign where pumpkin was being featured.This year, 40 restaurants in the Federation will participate in the event. Eleven restaurants are from Nevis. All participating restaurants are expected to offer a special Restaurant Week menu in four categories. Restaurant week runs from July 13- 24.
In opening remarks, Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism John Hanley explained that Restaurant Week is designed to “promote strength and showcase the restaurant sector during the low tourism season.”
“The restaurant sector of the tourism industry is a vital and often overlooked component,” he said adding that restaurants contribute 12 percent of tourist revenue.
Hanley commended the Ministry of Agriculture on St.Kitts for putting forward the idea of restaurant week and thanked the Federal Ministry of Tourism for “whole-heartedlyproviding this remarkable opportunity to boost the restaurant sector. Thanks to the Department in St.Kitts for their foresight and collaboration will to involving Nevis in this venture,” he said.
Permanent Secretary for Tourism on Nevis Carl Williams noted that one of the ministry’s objectives is to “grow businesses during the slow season.”
“Tourism season is marked by extremeseasonality,” Williams said. “Events like these make our destination more appealing during the low seasons.”
He said that the department has made a special effort by promoting the Blues Festival, the Mango Festival, Culturama and now Restaurant Week during the low season.
Kathleen Pessolano, Consultant to the Ministry of Tourism on St. Kitts Thanked the Nevis Ministry of Tourism for adopting Restaurant Week.
“Restaurant Week is a celebration of local cuisine and the beautiful produce that you have available on St.Kitts and Nevis. It is also a celebration of your dining scene, which is exemplary,” she said.
Pessolano also introduced the Restaurant Week Dinning Challenge.
“The person who dines the most times and orders from the Restaurant Week menu at participating restaurants the most times, wins a two-day pass to the Mt.NevisHotel. The prize isa premium room, with check-in from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on any day before Oct. 31. The winner can enjoy the entire facility, including lunch for two.Entrants have to collect receiptsfrom the restaurants and turn them into John Hanley at the Ministry of Tourism,” Pessolano said.
Carlene Henry–Morton Permanent Secretary for Tourism in St. Kitts gave brief remarks commending staff at all participating restaurants for being committed to the event.
“The mere fact that you are here this afternoon speaks volumes of how you feel about Restaurant Week and the potential that it has to develop into something great where our culinary tourism is concern,” she concluded.
