Antigua and Barbuda Culinary Month is a celebration of the islands’ food, culinary talent, and cultural heritage. Held throughout May, it brings residents and visitors together through Restaurant Week, local dining experiences, guest-chef collaboration dinners, the Food, Art & Beverage (FAB) Festival, and the Caribbean Food Forum. Together, these events offer an opportunity to discover the islands through their flavours and the people who create them.

The celebration grew from a culinary initiative launched by the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority in 2023. Beginning with Restaurant Week and related experiences, the programme highlighted local cuisine and encouraged visitors to explore the islands’ dining scene. In 2025, it expanded into Culinary Month, bringing a broader range of activities together under a month-long celebration.

At its heart is a recognition that food tells the story of a place. From roadside cookshops serving familiar favourites to restaurants offering contemporary interpretations of Caribbean cuisine, Culinary Month showcases the diversity of Antigua and Barbuda’s food culture. Traditional recipes, local ingredients, and cooking practices become a way to share history, preserve knowledge, and strengthen pride in the islands’ identity.

The celebration also creates opportunities for local businesses. Restaurant Week and the Eat Like a Local experience introduce diners to restaurants, cookshops, and food vendors they might otherwise overlook. Spending on meals and events can benefit hospitality workers, transport providers, and artists. When participating businesses purchase locally grown produce and locally caught seafood, those opportunities extend to farmers and fishers.

For tourism, Culinary Month gives travellers an additional reason to visit in May and explore the communities beyond their accommodation. Food becomes part of the destination’s appeal, encouraging meaningful encounters with local people and traditions. These experiences can build lasting connections that inspire return visits and recommendations to others.

The programme also supports professional exchange. Collaboration dinners bring island chefs together with visiting chefs of Caribbean heritage, creating opportunities to share techniques, ideas, and industry connections. Such encounters can help raise the visibility of local talent and inspire emerging chefs to pursue their ambitions.

Through FAB Fest, the celebration extends beyond the dining table to include art, music, beverages, and performances. Meanwhile, the Caribbean Food Forum provides a setting for discussion among culinary and hospitality professionals. These activities connect food with the islands’ wider creative community and the future of the regional industry.

The lasting value of Antigua and Barbuda Culinary Month lies in the relationships it builds and the opportunities it sustains. When diners return to a local cookshop, support an island chef, or choose locally produced food, the benefits continue beyond May. By placing local people and their traditions at the centre of the experience, Culinary Month can strengthen livelihoods while sharing the islands’ cultural richness with the world.