As if you didn’t need another excuse to head to Cancun, Blue Diamond Resorts will be hosting the first Food + Drink Experience featuring more than a dozen well-known, international chefs. And it all takes place at the luxurious Royalton CHIC Suites Cancun, September 19-26, 2021.
Curated by Blue Diamond Resorts, sixteen renowned chefs, such as Aarón Sánchez and Ray “Dr. BBQ” Lampe, will lead the week-long culinary festival showcasing mouthwatering cuisine and mixology demonstrations.
All week long there will be interactive experiences and entertainment including cooking exhibitions from Chef Cesar Castañeda and Chef Jorge Valencia, a beach barbecue with Freddy Chi, a signature barbecue pairing hosted by Chefs Ted Reader and Ray Lampe, Chocolate and Mezcal pairings with Chef Benjamin Nava, the first ever Mexican Caribbean Tiki Mixology Competition, and much more.
Food + Drink Experience Schedule Highlights
Sunday, September 19
- Inaugural party
- First round of the Mixology Competition
Monday, September 20
- Culinary Demonstration of Racado Negro with Chef Roalia
- Burger Bar and Poutinerie with Ted Reader
- Wine Tasting & Seminar
- Culinary Demonstration of Gazpacho with Chef Zaraida Fernandez
- Mixology Session with Edson Friktiki Arzate
- Culinary Demonstration of Tuna Tartare with Chef Bernard Guillas
- Signature Paring Dinner with Chefs Cesar Castaneda and Dean Max
Tuesday, September 21
- Culinary Demonstration of Cauliflower with Chef Cesar Castaneda
- Baja California Wood Fire BBQ with Chef Alfredo Romero
- Foam Party
- Tequila Tasting
- Mixology Session with David Araya
- Culinary Demonstration of duck tamales and roasted peach coulis with Chef Jorge Valencia
- Signature Paring Dinner with Chefs Rick Moonen and Bernard Guillas
Wednesday, September 22
- Culinary Demonstration of Octopus with Longaniza Powder with Chef Federico Lopez
- Beach BBQ Taco Party with Chef Tim Grandinetti
- Chocolate and Mezcal Paring with Mezcalero Benamin Nava
- Mixology Session with Eliu Salazar
- Culinary Demonstration of Fish Tea with Chef Dean Max
- Signature Pairing Dinner with Chefs Reyna Garcia and Cindy Hutson
Thursday, September 23
- Culinary Demonstration of plant-based meatballs with Chef Zaraida Fernandez
- Riviera Mayan BBQ with Chef Freddy Chi
- Wine tasting and seminar
- Culinary Demonstration of lobster tacos with Chef Aaron Sanchez
- Signature BBQ Paring Dinner with Chefs Ted Reader and Ray Lampe
- Heineken and XX after party
Friday, September 24
- Culinary Demonstration of Tikin Xic with Chef Reyna Garcia
- Classic American BBQ with Celebrity Pit Master Dr. BBQ
- Tequila tasting
- Chillout Jazz Lounge
- Mixology session with Federico Moreno
- Culinary Demonstration of lobster gazpacho with Chef Rick Moonen
- Signature pairing dinner with Chefs Federico Lopez and Tim Grandinetti
Saturday, September
- South American BBQ with Chef Carlo Magno
- Foam Party
- Wine tasting and seminar
- Mixology Session with Alejandro Perez
- Culinary Demonstration with Chef Cindy Hutson
- Signature paring dinner with Chefs Aaron Sanchez and Jorge Valencia
Sunday, September 26
- Farewell Brunch
With Safety Always in Mind
As the second largest travel market in the Mexican Caribbean, Cancun is the most recognized Mexican tourist destination in the world and currently the most connected. Its picturesque surroundings, authentic Mexican culture, and approach to safe travel is the reason why Cancun was selected as the inaugural destination for a festival of this size. Since reopening to international guests June of 2020, proper health and safety protocols continue to be in place to ensure a safe travel experience. That includes COVID-19 and antigen testing for guests returning to North American locales, advanced procedures at the resort level, and more.
