World-Renowned Celebrity Chefs Brought the Heat at Blue Diamond Resorts’ Gastronomic Food Festival

CANCUN, Mexico, Sept. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Blue Diamond Resorts has successfully concluded its first annual Food + Drink Experience at the adults-only all-inclusive Royalton CHIC Suites Cancun. Seventeen celebrity chefs and eleven world-class mixologists and sommeliers provided endless entertainment during the seven-day event, giving guests the exclusive opportunity to experience world-renowned culinary excellence.

Gathering in picturesque Cancun in the Mexican Caribbean, guests were introduced to a diverse palate of culinary offerings by esteemed chefs Aarón Sánchez, Ray “Dr. BBQ” Lampe, Ted Reader, Dean Max, Cindy Hutson, Rick Moonen, Bernard Guillas, Tim Grandinetti, Debbie Gold, Jorge Valencia, Federico Lopez, Reyna García, Zaraida Fernandez, Rosalia Chay Chuc, and Blue Diamond Resorts’ talented executive chefs Alfredo Romero, Freddy Chi, and Carlo Magno. With a great meal comes the perfect drink pairing, and several talented mixologists and sommeliers showed up for the task, including David Araya, Edson Frikitiki Arzate, Alejandro Perez, Eliu Salazar, Brandon Orozco, Federico Moreno, Jaime Basauri Alvarado, Gerson Soriano Cruz, Joaquín Torres, Javier Toledo, and Emanuel Micieli.

The Food + Drink Experience kicked off with welcome sentiments from Jordi Pelfort, President of Hotels and Resorts at Sunwing Travel Group, followed by the ceremonial ribbon cutting officially marking the beginning of the weeklong event. Between Chef Rosalia’s traditional Recado Negro recipe, Ted Reader’s beach Burger Bar and Poutinerie, Edson Frikitiki Arzate’s interactive mixology sessions, and the Signature Pairing Dinner with Chefs Dean Max and Debbie Gold, the first day of the Food + Drink Experience was off to a successful start and a sign of what was to come – a show-stopping experience. As the week continued, guests were treated to interactive culinary demonstrations by Jorge Valencia, Federico Lopez, and Rick Moonen, sampled Tim Grandinetti’s Southern cuisine and Zaraida Fernandez’s plant-based meatballs, shared Cindy Hutson’s love of traditional Cuban food, and learned the key to classic American BBQ with Ray “Dr. BBQ” Lampe, and much more.

To wet the palate, event sommeliers lead guests through intimate wine tastings of some the best vines from Spain and Mexico, and dove into the complex world of mountain and Boutique Wines, while mixology Extraordinaires wowed guests with their unique creations and walked them through the tips and tricks of cocktail making. Throughout the week, ten of the best mixologists and bartenders across the Cancun-Riviera Maya region competed in the first-ever Mexican Caribbean Tiki Mixology Competition to showcase their take on a Tiki Cocktail. After multiple rounds witnessing unlimited creativity, it was Ramón Celis Esquivel who won judges over with his “Krakatoa” cocktail infused with flavors of coconut, saramuyo fruit, and allspice syrup.

Celebrations continued into the night as eventgoers enjoyed the lavish themed after-hours parties throughout the week featuring live music and energetic sets from Royalton CHIC Suites Cancun’s resident DJ.

“Connecting Blue Diamond Resorts’ passion for food and drink with the best culinary talent in the world translated to an indescribable guest experience and memories that will last a lifetime,” says Erik Peters, Corporate Food and Beverage Director of Blue Diamond Resorts. “Epic culinary demonstrations and non-stop entertainment ignited all the senses in this first edition of the Food + Drink Experience.”

Blue Diamond Resorts was thrilled to welcome HB S-Delli as the title sponsor of the Food + Drink Experience, alongside key sponsors Encore, Pilsa, and Front of House. Special thanks to Caribe Mexicano and many more for their support and participation at the inaugural event.

Stay up to date on recent news and upcoming events from Blue Diamond Resorts by visiting our newsroom at www.bluediamondresorts.com/media-room/news, or follow our resorts on Instagram and Facebook.

About Blue Diamond Resorts        
Since its inception in 2011, Blue Diamond Resorts has curated an impressive portfolio encompassing 45 properties, exceeding 15,000 rooms in ten countries. Taking a proactive approach to differentiating brands under each market’s demands, the resort management company caters to a range of budgets and interests from adult-only elegant getaways to fun-filled family vacations. Award-winning, All-In Luxury® Royalton Luxury Resorts offers signature amenities including All-In Connectivity™, modern Sports Event Guarantee™ and in-suite wellness elements. Royalton Luxury Resorts’ adults-only sub-brands include Hideaway at Royalton, an adults-only experience with exclusive dining and preferred accommodations, plus the stylish lifestyle resorts, Royalton CHIC, located in the Caribbean’s best beachfront locales. In Jamaica, Grand Lido Negril provides those over 21 with an upscale and luxurious naturist vacation along with a secluded shore for the utmost privacy. Memories Resorts & Spa offers a vacation designed to impress the entire family, featuring a popular kids club with famous themed characters, Toopy & Binoo™, while Starfish Resorts provides amazing value for customers in convenient locations. Planet Hollywood Hotels and Resorts invites guests to Vacation Like A Star™ with an engaging and interactive experience, plus famous pop culture items from iconic movies, music and sports. Mystique by Royalton, a boutique-style resort collection, offers personalized vacations in strikingly beautiful locals full of endless adventures.

To learn more about Blue Diamond Resorts, please visit www.bluediamondresorts.com.

About Royalton Luxury Resorts
Epitomizing modern elegance, award-winning Royalton Luxury Resorts offer All-In Luxury® vacations in some of the world’s most popular tropical destinations including Antigua, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Saint Lucia, Mexico, Cuba, and Grenada. Boasting an array of world-class all-inclusive features including the premium, handcrafted DreamBed™, unlimited reservation-free luxury dining, a Sports Event Guarantee™ and more. Many of the resorts cater equally to families and couples alike, with industry-leading supervised kids and teen activities offered at no additional cost combined with family-friendly accommodation and dining options.

To learn more about Royalton Luxury Resorts, please visit www.royaltonresorts.com/royalton.

For additional information, please contact:
Blue Diamond Media
[email protected]