Top restaurant chefs, women entrepreneurs coming to ‘Flame & Flavour’

A live culinary experience is part of the unique new undertakings at this year’s Flame and Flavour: Tapas, Rum and Wine event, which will see Guyana’s top restaurant chefs and women entrepreneurs take the spotlight.

The event is organised by the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) and will be hosted on March 29 at the Railway Courtyard, Lamaha.

Patrons will immerse themselves into the activities that allow guests to experience the culinary process, while four women-owned food establishments will also get visibility, Arianna Beharry, the Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security said at the event’s official launch on Monday.

“It’s not enough for us to just have talented Guyanese women with just ideas…we decided to have these women in a room and link them to key stakeholders so that their products are not just in the shelves at the airports in Guyana but we also have been working behind the scenes,” Beharry said.

She said four women-owned businesses, Dixie Punch de Creme, Seleina’s Craft & Things, Mili Makes, and Coriolis, will be featured.

Through this collaborative approach, the chefs and the entrepreneurs will get valuable platform for exposure and support for their development. Three-time participant, chef Salina Yhun from the Amici Restaurant said she is prepared for the event and excited to contribute to its success.

“Tapas has always been amazing, I love it, it’s good exposure for chefs, and I’m excited to be here again, and I will always do it as long as they keep running it,” she said.

Tapas, Rum and Wine is more than a dining experience, it provides a unique opportunity for patrons to observe and participate in the making of their favourite dishes. Each appetizer, main and dessert is curated to reflect the chefs’ signature styles.

President of THAG, Mitra Ramkumar said the culinary scene must tap into international shifts and trends to maintain high interest. Importantly he said this event offers patrons the delight of tasting local ingredients, merged to prepare delicacies.

“These chefs are actually using local ingredients to prepare and you can witness that. That itself is a pull… I want to emphasise that we want locals to participate,” he said

He said that immersive food and beverage concepts and the inclusion of small, women-led businesses signal a shift toward more inclusive and experiential tourism offerings.