| Bridgetown, Barbados — October 28th, 2025: The countdown is on for the return of the iconic Barbados Food and Rum Festival as organizers aim for a third consecutive win as the Caribbean’s Leading Food Festival under the theme, Barbados Is On The Menu.
Excitement for the festival is already heating up with this year’s edition set to reflect the island’s deepening commitment to a sustainable future. There will be a heavy emphasis on the “Farm to Table” concept across all the new and familiar events.
Chief Operations Officer of the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI), Cheryl Carter, said that this year, as always, the festival will embody culinary mastery, community spirit, and innovation.
“The Food and Rum Festival is a showcase of excellence that reaffirms why Barbados continues to lead as the destination where gastronomy is celebrated as both culture and heritage,” Carter said.
In 2023 and 2024, the World Culinary Awards crowned Food and Rum the Caribbean’s Best Food Festival, and this year, the organizers are excited about the possibility of securing the accolade for a third consecutive year.
“This recognition is more than a title. It is a testament to the dedication of our chefs, mixologists, and community. It elevates Barbados on the world stage and validates our rightful position as the Culinary Capital of the Caribbean,” Carter added. “It demonstrates that Barbados does not simply market tourism; we export culture, excellence, and identity.”
One exciting addition to the event calendar is the new Community Cook-Off Competition — a culinary showdown that will bring together the finest home cooks from across the island in what promises to be a fiery, flavourful, head-to-head battle to crown the island’s best community chef. The Community Cook-Off will be a free event held on November 7th in Queen’s Park.
This year’s festival calendar of events includes the Rum Route South, which will begin at Pelican Island on November 7th. That will be followed by Rise and Rum Breakfast Beach Party on November 8 at Copacabana Beach Club. Also on November 8 is Rum Route North, which will start at Speightstown, St Peter. The grand finale, Liquid Gold Feast, will be held on November 9th at CARIFESTA House.
Chief Executive Officer of Barbados’ National Cultural Foundation (NCF), and producer of this year’s festival, Carol Roberts, said, “Our celebration honours our island’s rich culinary traditions while embracing the bold, modern twists brought to life by our nation’s top, award-winning chefs. Furthermore, we are deepening our commitment to a sustainable future this year by heavily emphasizing the “Farm to Table” concept across all our events, ensuring our invaluable local farmers, manufacturers, and producers are central to every delicious, traceable bite served. This emphasis highlights the critical importance of.”
Visitors hoping to travel to Barbados in time for the festival can do so easily. Carter gave this assurance as she highlighted the ever-increasing connectivity, which has made it easier than ever to travel to the island.
“Copa Airlines offers four weekly flights from Panama, soon to become five. The U.S. provides daily and weekly services from major cities via American Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, and United. Canada’s Air Canada and WestJet fly from Toronto and Montreal. Across the United Kingdom and Europe, our valued partners include British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Air Caraibes, and Condor Airlines. KLM Airlines will resume services from Europe on October 28th, enhancing access to Barbados for European travellers eager to attend the Food & Rum Festival this year,” she said.
Regional flights to Barbados are also available on Caribbean Airlines, LIAT-AIR, WINAIR, Surinam Airways, and InterCaribbean Airways.
Tickets for the Barbados Food and Rum Festival are now available through www.ticketlinkz.com. For more information on the festival, visit www.ncf.bb or www.visitbarbados.org
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