Chef Kareem Roberts

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The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority has announced the exciting lineup of celebrity chefs and culinary arts professionals who will be participating in the eagerly anticipated second annual Antigua & Barbuda Restaurant Week (ABRW), which runs from May 4th to May 19th.

During this two-week-long gastronomical event, locals and visitors alike will have the opportunity to indulge in a variety of special and discounted dining and event experiences, all designed to showcase Antigua and Barbuda’s delicious and diverse food, restaurants, art, and culture.

This year’s event promises even more elevated experiences from celebrity chefs of Caribbean heritage, including Chef Andi Oliver, who will be headlining events at the “The Pepperpot Rum Shop,” a 100-day food and cultural pop-up.

“The Restaurant Week annual celebration highlights the best culinary experiences we have to offer – from favorite casual spots to multi-course menus at the finest restaurants,” said Shermain Jeremy, Special Projects and Events Manager at the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority.

“Given the fantastic lineup of Caribbean celebrity chefs and guests confirmed for this year, we expect to draw record-breaking participation from food-loving locals and tourists. We’re excited to showcase the diversity of food from our twin-island nation, especially with an elevated twist.”

As ABRW grows in its second year, the event will feature a lineup of celebrity chef and beverage professionals exclusively of Caribbean heritage. Highlights include: – Chef Kareem Roberts: Born in Leicester and raised in Antigua, Kareem first set foot in a professional kitchen at 26.

He began composing salads at a small café in St. John’s, Antigua, and quickly moved to the high-volume kitchens at Sandals Grande Antigua.

Over the next decade, he would hone his skills in a variety of kitchens in the United Kingdom, ranging from fine dining establishments to hotels to gastropubs. 

Cookbook Author Althea Brown

Althea Brown is the creator and voice behind metemgee.com, a blog about Guyanese and Caribbean recipes and traditions.

She offers simplified recipes, made accessible with diet-specific tweaks. She is the author of the bestselling cookbook Caribbean Paleo.

You can often find her on social media sharing stories about traditional Guyanese food and culture, and how she remixes dishes to fit her dietary needs.

Born and raised in Georgetown, Guyana, Althea now lives in Aurora, Colorado, with her husband and three children. –

Chef Angel Barreto

Chef Barreto is a three-time James Beard Foundation Award semifinalist and finalist, StarChefs Game Changer (2022), and a Food & Wine “Best New Chef” (2021).

His highly-awarded culinary career spans more than a decade, with exceptional experience in both French and Korean cuisines.

He’s best known for his contemporary Korean cuisine at Anju in Washington, DC. Barreto is of Puerto Rican heritage and will be honoring Boricua cuisine at ABRW. – Chef Shorne Benjamin: St. Lucian-born and New York-based, Chef Benjamin is known for his ability to infuse Caribbean food with a modern flair.

Classically trained in French cuisine, he gained international acclaim as a guest chef at Mimo’s in London.

Career highlights include an annual presentation at the James Beard House, competing on the Food Network’s “Beat Bobby Flay,” becoming a finalist on Chopped, and winning the 2017 Jamaican Jerk Festival Celebrity Chef Throw Down.

Most recently, he opened Fat Fowl in Brooklyn, where he crafts new age-inspired dishes to showcase the richness and depth of Caribbean flavors through a healthy and imaginative lens. –

Chef Digby Stridiron:

A native of St. Croix, Chef Digby is inspired by ingredients indigenous to the Caribbean and the history of regional recipes.

He is best known for his work as chef of award-winning restaurants Balter and Braata in St. Croix, where he earned recognition as one of USA Today’s 10 Best restaurants in the Caribbean, and Food & Wine named his food “the new heart of Caribbean cooking.” –

Sommelier Nadine Brown

Born and raised in Jamaica and Puerto Rico, Brown fell in love with the hospitality industry after moving to the United States and started her career as a bartender

She then became a certified sommelier and has worked at some of the best restaurants in New York City. She is currently the wine director at City Winery in New York City and co-founder of the Black Wine Professionals, a community for wine professionals of color.

With such an impressive lineup of culinary experts, ABRW is shaping up to be an unforgettable event that celebrates the rich diversity of Caribbean cuisine and culture