Foodie Festival Returns to the Caribbean Island fr the Fifth Year with a Fresh Line-Up of Events and Local & Guest Talent.
The Anguilla Tourist Board (ATB) is pleased to share that the Anguilla Culinary Experience (ACE) returns to the Caribbean island for its fifth year, taking place from 13 – 17 May 2026.
Shaped by the spirit of shared tables and shared kitchens, during five flavourful days, visiting chefs and Anguilla’s own culinary talent will work side-by-side at resorts, restaurants and villas, building menus around Anguilla’s seafood, local produce and traditional and global influences for residents and visiting guests to celebrate together.
Importantly, the Epicurean festival raises funds for culinary and hospitality training programmes and gives young Anguillians direct access to top-tier mentors and a chance to work alongside experienced chefs.
The 13 May ACE 2026 opening night sets the tone at Karaya, the new Shoal Bay West restaurant from Veya and Sandbar owners Chef Carrie and Jerry Bogar. Expect a lively, walk-around evening with grill stations and substantial Mediterranean-inspired hors d’oeuvres from Poilevey, Dean, Bogar and Karaya’s Chef de Cuisine Joel Reyes, accompanied by cocktails crafted with Anguillita Rum and Clifton Estate spirits, wines from Grands Vins de France Anguilla, and live music from Jenique Javois and Dennis Warrington.
Thursday 14 May leans into exploration. The returning Quest Experiences Moke Tour and Rum Crawl chauffeurs guests across the island in open-air Mokes in search of the island’s best rum punch. This year’s route includes stops at Funzone, Anguilla Sands and Salt, and Tasty’s POV, plus a new boat detour to Gorgeous Scilly Cay.
Dinner that night splits into two paths. At Villa Alegria Anguilla, Poilevey and Carrie Bogar reunite for a four-hands dinner merging French technique with Veya’s signature “Cuisine of the Sun” and paired with wines from Grands Vins de France Anguilla. At Karaya, Dean and Reyes present “Tasting Anguilla,” a multi-course menu centered around fresh-caught seafood and just-harvested ingredients, with option to add Boisset La Famille des Grands Vins wine pairings presented by Meuley.
For those who want to go deeper into the glass, Thursday and Friday nights also feature a guided “rum sniffer” experience in the Rhum Room at Zemi Beach House, showcasing five ultra-premium pours selected by the inhouse “Rhummelier.”
Friday 15 May brings an immersive encounter at Malliouhana. Culinary Directory Chef Kerth Gumbs, alongside Executive Chef Wilson Macedo and Leon’s Head Chef Jomal Mc Bean, turns dinner at Celeste by Kerth Gumbs into a five-senses experience, with each course revealed through sight, sound, scent, texture and taste, with the full menu only unveiled at the end. Malliouhana is also offering a special ACE 2026 package that includes luxury accommodation at the award-winning resort, as well as two tickets to the dinner and cooking classes with its all-star culinary team.
Before heading out to dinner that night, Calypso Charters offers a scenic sunset sail aboard a catamaran with Champagne from Grands Vins de France and light bites by Sandbar.
Also that evening, Jacala Beach Restaurant’s Chef Proprietor Alain Laurent teams with Meuley and Nathalie Le Sénéchal of Grands Vins de France Anguilla for a French menu with Caribbean flair, with each course paired with wines from Boisset La Famille des Grands Vins and explained tableside.
Later, Four Seasons Resort Anguilla hosts a 10-course Chef’s Table experience at Salt. Executive Chef Manu Calderon and Sous Chef Aaron Gumbs trace the evolution of Anguillian cuisine from the island’s west to its eastern shores.
Saturday 16 May shifts to the sand. The annual Cape Air and NCBA beach barbeque at Anguilla Great House and Beach Resort brings together local chefs, including the Anguilla National Culinary Team, residents and visiting guests for a family-friendly afternoon of just-off-the-grill favorites, high-energy mystery basket bartending and cooking battles, prize raffles, island trivia, Kidzkare crafts and DJ. Entry is free and food and drink tickets can be purchased online or at the door.
That night, the festival branches again. At Zemi Beach House, a rum tasting led by Bars Manager Alfonso Di Lorito transitions into a multi-course dinner at Stone, where Executive Chef Emanuele Sabatini draws on his Roman roots. Over at Savi Beach Club on Meads Bay Beach, dinner becomes interactive, with Executive Chef Dario Schiavo’s five-course menu paired with an audience-participation murder mystery performance.
Throughout ACE, there’s plenty of time to explore Anguilla’s 35 square miles of natural beauty, 33 all-public beaches and 100 bespoke restaurants. ACE wraps on 17 May with a music-filled “Sunday Funday” at Leon’s at Meads Bay’s Malliouhana.
“Anguilla Culinary Experience is about more than just a great meal in a fabulous location; it’s about the magic that happens when visiting talent and our own local stars cook side-by-side,” says festival co-founder and Villa Alegria owner Wendy Freeman. “By sharing our kitchens and tables, we aren’t just creating incredible menus, we’re forming long-lasting connections while collectively raising funds to mentor the next generation of Anguillian culinary and hospitality leaders.”
“Anguilla Culinary Experience is a true reflection of the excellence, creativity and authenticity that defines our destination and continue to position Anguilla as the culinary capital of the Caribbean. It is a celebration of remarkable talent, flavour, and hospitality that makes our island so special,” said Kendisha Hall-Prentice, Chief Marketing Officer, Anguilla Tourist Board.
Headlining this year’s Anguilla Culinary Experience are Gold Sponsor Grands Vins de France Anguilla; Chef Oliver Poilevey, the James Beard Award nominee behind Chicago’s Obélix and Le Bouchon; Washington, D.C.- and Largo, Maryland-based Chef Timothy Dean, owner of Timothy Dean Catering and a Bravo TV “Top Chef” alum; and Cyril Meuley of Lyon, France, the Director of Exports for Boisset La Famille des Grand Vins’ South American and Caribbean markets. Janine Edwards of JanineConnects.com and Trudy Nixon of True Anguilla Magazine and TV Show return as festival co-hosts.
Visit the ACE website at www.AnguillaCulinaryExperience.com to see event details, read bios, and buy tickets. Follow @anguillaculinaryexperience on Facebook and Instagram.
For information on Anguilla, please visit the official website: www.ivisitanguilla.com.
