Coco Fest celebration another hit

Coco Fest attracted young and old at this year’s celebration of the humble coconut, which took place last Saturday afternoon within the grounds of beautiful Pedro St James. The event was jointly hosted by the Tourism Attraction Board and welcomed hundreds to the lush lawns at Pedro’s for a taster of some delicious local fayre, some great music and some fun old-fashioned games and entertainment.

Ms Ailiane Barnes normally cooks on Seven Mile Beach where she enjoys cooking for the public. At Coco Fest, Ms Ailiane and her team, which included Noiy and Maria from Cuba and Ms Daphne from Cayman, served up some traditional Caymanian favourites, including conch stew and turtle stew and conch fritters, as well as coconut pineapple upside down cake, cassava, yam and sweet potato cakes, all with coconut in their recipes. Ms Ailiane’s food was therefore a great representation of the versatility of the coconut and demonstrated the important roles the coconut plays in Cayman Islands cuisine.

The excellent Powder Monkey stall was also offering an impressive array of more contemporary coconut-based delicacies, including coconut pineapple pepper jelly, coconut marshmallows, coconut-based energy balls, a coconut sweetbread, coconut turnovers and a delicious Pasteis de Nata Portuguese custard tart.

Coco Fest first took shape in 2016, and has been a hit annually (except for the pandemic years) ever since. It was created to allow people to come together and celebrate the Cayman coconut while preserving its ties to Caymanian heritage. It has grown into a really important festival that allows Cayman’s small businesses and producers a vehicle for showcasing their goods and products, which also includes hair and beauty coconut-related products as well as food and drink. Cayman’s Visual Arts Society was also part of the event, showcasing locally made arts and crafts for sale.

Coco Fest is a great way to bring together cooks, producers, artisans, and farmers through a shared love for the Cayman coconut.