Kalin Fontaine honoured at FAB Fest 2026

The Cedar Valley Golf Course transformed into a food and art village on Saturday, with local food vendors, live music, cultural performances, and an art exhibition delighting both locals and tourists alike and exciting the taste buds.

Now in its fourth year, FAB Fest forms part of Antigua and Barbuda Culinary Month, which also includes Restaurant Week, Eat Like A Local experiences, and the Caribbean Food Forum.

The 2026 edition follows Antigua and Barbuda’s recognition as Caribbean’s Best Emerging Culinary City Destination 2025 by the World Culinary Awards.

Among the culinary highlights this year was the VIP Chef’s Table Experience, an exclusive demonstration featuring Chef Tristen Epps, winner of Top Chef Season 22, and Chef Picky Blackett, known for his mastery of oxtail cuisine.

The chefs put a local spin on a Caribbean staple, presenting a saltfish preparation masterfully wrapped in avocado, drawing amazement from the VIP audience.

Meanwhile, Kalin Fontaine, restaurant manager at the five-star Carlisle Bay resort, was honoured at the festival, celebrated as the only Caribbean professional to place among the top 10 at the inaugural Leading Quality Assurance (LQA) Sirius Awards, held in Lisbon, Portugal.

Fontaine, who joined Carlisle Bay in 2018, was selected from thousands of nominees globally after an anonymous LQA professional guest assessed her performance and named her a star employee, eventually placing in the top 10 of the 100 professionals honoured at the Lisbon ceremony.

LQA, headquartered in London, is the global leader in quality assurance assessments and benchmarking for the luxury hotel industry, operating in more than 130 countries.

Two to three times per year, the organisation deploys mystery shoppers to evaluate luxury hotels worldwide, with assessors empowered to nominate up to three-star employees per visit.

Nominees are then reviewed by a panel of judges before 100 are selected as Sirius Award winners.

“So I was selected as a star employee out of ten thousand, went on a panel of judges, narrowed it down to 100, and then when I went to Portugal, I made it to top ten,” Fontaine said.

Carlisle Bay described the award as recognising individuals who deliver exceptional luxury hospitality through genuine warmth, intuitive service, and unforgettable guest experiences, calling Fontaine a true ambassador for both the property and Caribbean hospitality.