Anguilla Culinary Experience to Return This May With Global Chefs and Local Talent

The Anguilla Culinary Experience (ACE) will return for its fifth year, May 13 to 17, featuring five days of visiting chefs creating gourmet dishes side by side with Anguilla’s own culinary talent. The event builds menus around Anguilla’s seafood and local produce for residents and visiting guests celebrating together, and raises funds for culinary and hospitality programs for young Anguillians.

Headlining this year’s ACE 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. 

The May 13th ACE 2026 opening night takes place at Karaya, the new Shoal Bay West restaurant from Veya and Sandbar owners Chef Carrie and Jerry Bogar. A lively evening is planned with grill stations and substantial, Mediterranean-inspired passed 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 May 14th features 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 sold-out, four-hands dinner merging French technique with Veya’s signature “Cuisine of the Sun” 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.

Friday May15th offers an immersive encounter at the Malliouhana resort. Culinary Directory Chef Kerth Gumbs, alongside Executive Chef Wilson Macedo and Leon’s Head Chef Jomal Mc Bean, turn 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 accommodations at the award-winning resort, as well as two tickets to the dinner and cooking classes with its all-star culinary team.

Later that evening, 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, May 16th 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 music. Entry is free and food and drink tickets can be purchased online or at the door. 

That night, the festival branches out 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. 

ACE wraps up May 17th with a music-filled “Sunday Funday” at Leon’s at Meads Bay at Malliouhana. Tickets and full event details are available at www.AnguillaCulinaryExperience.com. 

“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, flavor, and hospitality that makes our island so special,” said Kendisha Hall-Prentice, Chief Marketing Officer, Anguilla Tourist Board.

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