The annual Caribbean Food Fest, hosted during Police Week each year, was a great success, as lots of workers in The Valley area stopped by the police station lawn on Wednesday, January 26, to pick up sumptuous lunches. Traditionally, the event takes place on the Wednesday of Police Week, and features native dishes of the islands from where local police officers originate.
The Anguillian visited the stalls and spoke with the Coordinator of the Food Fest, Ms. Ashley Richardson: “Well, this is our annual Police Week Food Fest,” she said. “We usually have this as part of our Police Week celebrations on the Wednesday. We would usually keep this event down at the People’s Market but, due to the upgrade of the road down there, we are here at the front lawn of the police station.
“This year, we are celebrating fifty years, and as usual we are featuring dishes based on the origin of our officers from across the Caribbean. We have cuisine from five islands this year. From Barbados we have the fish-balls made of salt-fish as well as souse. From Guyana we have vegetable chow-mein pellori with egg-balls.
“From Jamaica, we are carrying jerk chicken and oxtail served with rice or provisions.” When asked what about the ackee, she answered: “It was too difficult for us to get a supply of ackee this year.” She then described the dish from St. Kitts and Nevis. “We have St. Kitts and Nevis famous goat water, along with a cook-up with salt-fish and pig-tail,” she said. “We were unable to get the blood-pudding this year.”
When asked what Anguilla had to offer, she replied: “From our host country, Anguilla, we are featuring our favourite pigeon peas n’ rice, which goes well with fried fish. Along with that, we also have paw-paw n’ carrot stew. We have pig-tail soup, too, and our famous sweet potato dumplings wrapped and cooked in the traditional grape leaf.”
She said that the festival usually lasts for the entire day, until the food is done, and noted that sponsorship was provided for three of the islands as follows: “The dishes from Guyana were sponsored by the Guyanese Restaurant and Creative Delights, on the way to Rock Farm. The cuisine from St. Kitts & Nevis were sponsored by former police officer, Amethyst Saunders, of Cauls Bottom, who cater great Saturday lunches from her home. And Anguilla was sponsored by Eat Slow Feed Long, in North Hill.”
