This Caribbean Island Has an Immersive Culinary Event With Star Chefs, Local Eateries and a “Food Cave” 

It’s the flavor, “straight up.” The bold spices. The fresh ingredients. The local, the authentic. For star Chef JJ Johnson, Caribbean food is a connector — it “really brings everyone together” he tells Caribbean Journal. 

JJ Johnson is always looking to connect with chefs and “dive into their culture,” the star chef tells Caribbean Journal. And he’ll be doing just that at one of the year’s top gastronomic events next week. 

Johnson is a sizzling star in the culinary world whose FIELDTRIP restaurant just opened its first Caribbean location last year and whose “Simple Art of Rice” is one of the most celebrate cookbooks of the last decade. 

And now he’s taking his culinary talents to one of the most beloved food festivals in the Caribbean: Taste of Virgin Gorda, set on an island that’s always had a buzzing culinary scene. 

Taste of Virgin Gorda is back again on March 22 with what will be an unforgettable night, featuring direct engagement with the island’s top eateries and an up-close experience with Johnson himself. 

It’s an immersive experience that brings together some of VG’s most popular hotspots, from CocoMaya to MOKA to Sugarcane Restaurant, The Jerk Pit and Lee’s Roadside Bar, among others. 

The event includes live cooking demonstrations from all of the participating restaurants, with copies samples, perfect beverage pairings and live music from Syothesax and Final Faze and a set by DJ Quanie. 

Taste of Virgin Gorda is about celebrating the culinary heritage in the British Virgin Islands, says Clive McCoy, the BVI’s tourism director. 

It will include a “food cave,” where eateries can show off their top dishes, and taste some of the BVI’s freshest ingredients. 

And yes, it will include a live demonstration from Johnson, a chef at the forefront of the Afro-Latino Caribbean food movement. 

“[I’ll be] showcasing local ingredients in my demo, tasting those super-fresh island flavors and just feeling the community vibe,” he tells Caribbean Journal. “It’s gonna be an experience.” 

Prices start at $100 per person, including free transportation to and from the venue, The Ruins at Nail Bay. There’s also ferry service from Tortola starting at $25 per person out of Beef Island. 

This year’s Taste, and the appearance by Johnson, are a sign of Virgin Gorda’s growing import in the food world. 

Of course, there’s more than that, as Johnson reminds. 

“Who wouldn’t love to be on a beautiful island?”