News
7th Annual Food and Wine Festival Still on!
#TurksandCaicos, October 20, 2017 – Providenciales – Grace Bay Resorts, in partnership with the Turks and Caicos Tourist Board and The Wine Cellar, today announced the 7th Annual Caribbean Food & Wine Festival will take place as scheduled in Providenciales from November 2-4, 2017 after Hurricanes Irma and Maria impacted the island. The three-day festival is the Caribbean’s leading culinary event, pairing internationally renowned chefs and winemakers with Turks & Caicos’ diverse local talent for an authentic and avant-garde celebration of Caribbean cuisine.
This year’s headliners include:
- Tiffany Derry– Founder of Tiffany Derry Concepts (TDC) and cast member on Bravo TV’s “Top Chef” and Spike TV’s “Hungry Investors.”
- Victor Yu– Executive Chef and joint owner at Yu Alderley Edge, known for infusing ingredients and spices from the Far East.
- Meherwan Irani– Executive Chef and co-owner of Chai Pani Restaurant Group, famous for his authentic Indian street food in Asheville, Georgia.
- Greg Stach– Winemaker at Landmark Vineyards, renowned for crafting elegant, world-class vintages.
- Tuck Beckstoffer– President of Tuck Beckstoffer Wines and pioneer of the Napa Valley grape growing industry, known for his highest rated Sonoma Coast wines.
- Neil Collins– Executive Winemaker and Vineyard Manager at Tablas Creek Vineyard. Voted by his peers in 2013 as “San Luis Obispo County Wine Maker of the Year”
“Turks & Caicos strong is a special kind of strong, and the resilience and passion of our nation to recover from these hurricanes has left no question that the festival will continue this year,” said Nikheel Advani, Caribbean Food & Wine Festival Co-Chair. “Following six successful years, this year’s Caribbean Food & Wine Festival will continue its stellar reputation of blending the world’s best chefs and winemakers together with our local community for a one-of-a-kind taste of local culture with inspiration from the latest global gastronomic trends. We’re still cooking!”
The not-for-profit festival, which has consistently sold out year after year, will this year raise funds for Turks & Caicos educational institutions damaged by Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria with grants for rebuilding efforts. When possible, the grants will continue the festival’s legacy of supporting and encouraging young local chefs to develop skills that will assist them in pursuing careers in hospitality, a vital industry of Turks and Caicos.
“The Caribbean Food & Wine Festival has become both a key calendar event and a noteworthy island tradition—and this year serves as a special testament to the strength of the Turks & Caicos Islands people and government in our efforts to recover from recent Hurricanes” said Hon. Ralph Higgs, Minister of Tourism. “The festival showcases our nation’s exceptional culinary reputation with a taste of global culinary trends, and furthers the Turks & Caicos Islands place as leaders in the Caribbean food and beverage scene.”
Guest Chefs
The seventh annual event welcomes Tiffany Derry, an entrepreneur, restaurant consultant and television personality from Bravo’s Top Chef. A Texas native, Derry began her culinary career at the local International House of Pancakes, quickly working her way up to become the youngest person to hold a management position. Derry expanded her fan-base and gained international fame when she appeared on Season 7 of Bravo’s Top Chef where she achieved a place in the competition’s final four. Derry’s southern charm and culinary expertise made her a finalist on Bravo’s Top Chef. In 2011, she opened Private|Social in the heart of Uptown, Dallas, where she was named one of the best chefs in Dallas-Fort Worth. Additionally, she launched Tiffany Derry Concepts (TDC), a company established to support her business and culinary ventures, which includes television shows and partnerships with the world’s most recognized brands. Derry continues to find success on her Spike TV series, “Hungry Investors” alongside Jon Taffer and Chef John Besh.
Victor Yu is the executive chef and joint owner at Yu Alderley Edge, recognized as one the leading high-end Chinese restaurants in Aderly Edge, United Kingdom. Yu is passionate about taking Chinese cuisine to the next level, using the best ingredients to blend fine dining with both traditional and modern methods of cooking. Yu incorporates new techniques and skills he learned from his father, Charlie Yu, to create award-winning, distinctive dishes. Yu views Yu Alderley Edge as a restaurant that brings a new spirit of Chinese dining to the hospitality industry. Yu will add a nice flare to this year’s Caribbean Food & Wine Festival, bringing his Chinese heritage to the island as he continues to push the limits with cooking styles and trends.
Meherwan Irani, Executive Chef and co-owner of Chai Pani and a partner in Asheville’s hottest barbecue restaurant Buxton Hall, will also join this year’s all-star lineup. Buxton Hall, which Bon Appetit magazine lauded as “the best new BBQ joint in America,” aims to revitalize Carolina barbecue history and bring flavorful traditions to the present. Chai Pani, an authentic Indian street food operation in downtown Asheville, tells a story of spice markets, hawkers, rickshaws and streetside chefs smell, flavor, color and taste. A two-time James Beard Award nominee for Best Chef in the Southeast, Irani recently opened his fifth restaurant, a catering company. His self-taught talent and restaurant ventures have resulted in coverage in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, GQ, Food & Wine, Men’s Health, USA Today, and Bon Appetit, among others. He credits his business success to the people he works with each day, including his business partner and wife, Molly.
Guest Winemakers
Winemaker at Landmark Vineyards, Greg Stach is known for crafting the vineyard’s elegant, world-class vintages and creating some of the best single vineyard Pinot Noirs of the decade. For the past 10 years, Stach has brought his enthusiasm and expertise in Pinot Noir to Landmark’s winemaking team. He has helped establish Landmark’s distinguished Pinot Noir program, which is quickly gaining acclaim as one of the premier wine programs in California. His winemaking philosophy incorporates traditional winemaking techniques with a “less is more” attitude. Believing that great wine begins in the vineyard, Stach intervenes during the winemaking process to ensure consistency and quality, but relies heavily on the fruit’s intense, ripe flavors and distinct vineyard characteristics. Under his direction, Landmark’s wines have consistently earned exceptional reviews from top wine critics, including six honorable appearances on the Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list. The vineyard’s wines are also a favorite of U.S. Presidents, and have been served regularly at White House functions since the Reagan administration.
Tuck Beckstoffer, President of Tuck Beckstoffer Wines, produces a dozen of Napa Valley’s most sought-after wines. Pioneers of the Napa Valley grape growing industry, the Beckstoffer family made the vineyards both their lives and their livelihood. Beckstoffer’s extensive viticultural knowledge drove a desire to learn more about the winemaking process. Studies with winemaking legends in wineries both at home and abroad only whetted his appetite to create a wine of his own. After making Tuck Beckstoffer Cabernet Sauvignon in 1997 to critical acclaim, collectors and connoisseurs asked for more. His Semper Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays are among the highest rated and most critically acclaimed Sonoma Coast wines produced today.
Born and raised in Bristol, England Neil Collins trained as a chef, he moved into winemaking with stints with John Munch at Adelaida Cellars and Ken Volk at Wild Horse. At Adelaida, Neil met Robert Haas and the Perrins of Château de Beaucastel when they were just beginning the search for Tablas Creek. Neil was so intrigued by the project that he offered his services, and spent a year working and learning at Château de Beaucastel. Before the year was finished, Neil was offered the winemaker position at Tablas Creek, and he has overseen both the organic vineyard and the winery since 1998. His philosophy is that great wines can only come from great grapes, and that the art of winemaking is founded on starting out with the very best grapes and bringing their juice through fermentation as naturally as possible.
Schedule of Events
Thursday, November 2 – Grace Bay Club
Welcome Dinner
The kick-off dinner for the weekend-long events, features exceptional creations by Chef Victor Yu and wines by Tuck Beckstoffer Wines.
Friday, November 3
Women of Wine Luncheon – Solana Restaurant
This event caters to the adage “it’s 5 o’clock somewhere” by offering an extended lunch break in a relaxed environment for women who love wine with headliner Chef Tiffany Derry.
Gourmet Safari – Progressive gourmet dining experience
This interactive ‘dine around’ gives festival-goers an opportunity to discover the Island’s incredible restaurants, this year with wines by Landmark Vineyards. Now in its tenth year, the Gourmet Safari was the original event that served as a catalyst for the festival and continues to be a guest favorite today.
- Grace Bay Club – Innovative cocktails
- Coyaba – First course
- Seven Stars – Fish course
- The Regent Palms – Meat course
- Gansevoort – Dessert
Saturday, November 4
Dinner with the Stars – The Shore Club Turks & Caicos
Headlining Chef Meherwan Irani pairs his signature recipes with the Tablas Creek Vineyard wines for a lavish dinner experience, allowing guests to dine under the beautiful Long Bay stars alongside the festival’s featured stars.
For tickets and additional event information, please visit www.caribbeanfoodandwinefestivaltci.com or contact info@caribbeanfoodandwinefestivaltci.com
Turks and Caicos, April 06, 2026 – Technical excellence early in their jumps became the defining factor for two Turks and Caicos
athletes, as David Hall soared to gold in a nail-biting Under-20 high jump final at the 53rd CARIFTA Games in Grenada. Herwens Guerrier added to the country’s success with a 1.90 metre clearance to secure silver in the Under-17 division, finishing in a tightly contested field where all three medalists cleared the same height.
Both events were decided on countback — meaning the medals were determined not just by height cleared, but by which athlete did so with fewer failed attempts, highlighting the importance of precision and composure under pressure.
A wave of national pride followed the results, with congratulatory messages pouring in for the athletes who delivered under pressure on the regional stage. In a statement, Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam praised both competitors, saying their “hard work, discipline and determination have made the entire nation proud,” while encouraging the wider team to continue striving as competition unfolded at the Kirani James National Stadium in Grenada.
Team Turks and Caicos finished just outside of the top ten among 28 competing nations, and anticipation is already building for what is expected to be a spirited homecoming for the standout athletes, whose performances have ignited pride across the islands.
The 53rd staging of the CARIFTA Games, held at the Kirani James National Stadium in Grenada, unfolded under warm, at times testing
conditions, with intermittent showers and shifting winds challenging athletes across disciplines.
Jamaica once again asserted its dominance, capturing its 40th consecutive CARIFTA title, continuing an unmatched run in regional athletics. Among the standout performers was Shanoya Douglas, whose electrifying run in the Under-20 200 metres earned her the prestigious Austin Sealy Award — the Games’ highest individual honour — after she shattered the long-standing record of Bahamian Shaunae Miller-Uibo, who went on to become an Olympic gold medalist in the 400 metres. Douglas clocked an impressive 22.11 seconds to rewrite the CARIFTA record books.
For Turks and Caicos, however, the spotlight remained firmly on the field, where two high jumpers delivered performances defined by discipline and growth. Hall’s gold medal-winning clearance of 2.00 metres marked a significant step forward in his development, improving on his 1.89 metre silver medal performance at the 2025 Inter-High Championships. Guerrier’s 1.90 metre effort in the Under-17 division similarly places him among the country’s top emerging talents, signalling a strong future for the event locally.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
NASSAU, Bahamas — What should be a simple five-minute drive is fast becoming an expensive, hour-long ordeal, as rising fuel prices collide with worsening traffic congestion across New Providence.
As of early April 2026, gasoline prices across The Bahamas have climbed sharply, with motorists now paying an estimated $5.50 to over
$6.50 per gallon, depending on the station and grade. The increases, seen at major retailers including Esso, Rubis and Shell, reflect a volatile global oil market driven by escalating geopolitical tensions.
The latest spike — in some cases jumping more than 50 cents per gallon within days — is being driven by uncertainty surrounding escalating tensions involving Iran. U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a direct ultimatum, warning that the United States could launch aggressive strikes on Iranian infrastructure, including power plants and key facilities, if demands are not met. While he has also expressed hope for a swift resolution, the threat of rapid escalation is already rattling global oil markets — and The Bahamas, heavily dependent on imported fuel, is feeling the impact almost immediately.
At the pumps, the frustration is real.
Drivers are now paying significantly more just to sit in traffic. Commutes that once took minutes are stretching into hour-long crawls, burning fuel with little movement and compounding the financial strain. For many residents, the issue isn’t just the price per gallon — it’s how quickly that gallon disappears.
Industry players are also bracing for impact. Higher diesel prices are expected to ripple across key sectors, including trucking, construction,
and shipping — all of which ultimately feed into the cost of goods and services. In short, this is not just a fuel story; it’s an inflation story in the making.
Despite the surge, the Bahamas Petroleum Retailers Association has moved to calm fears, confirming that there is no fuel shortage. Supply remains stable, but consumers are being urged to adjust behavior — from maintaining proper tyre pressure to considering carpooling — small measures that could stretch every dollar a bit further.
Retailers, however, are not offering much comfort on price relief. While fluctuations are expected, insiders say the days of sudden price drops are unlikely in the immediate term. The “shock” increases may level off, but a meaningful decline hinges on global stability — something that currently feels out of reach.
For Bahamians, the reality is tightening: higher fuel costs, longer commutes, and a growing sense that relief isn’t coming anytime soon.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands — It’s that time again — a period of compliance, accountability and transparency for those entrusted with public office and captured under the category of “Specified Persons in Public Life.”
The Integrity Commission is reminding all individuals who fall within this category that they are legally required to file their Declarations of Income, Assets and Liabilities, in accordance with Section 39 of the Integrity Commission Ordinance.
The declaration window is now officially open, running from April 1 to June 30, 2026, and applies to a wide cross-section of senior
public officials, statutory board members and others operating within the machinery of government.
This is not a routine administrative exercise. It is a cornerstone of good governance — designed to ensure that those in positions of power are transparent about their financial interests, and to guard against corruption, conflicts of interest and illicit enrichment.
Who Must File
The Commission outlines several categories of individuals required to submit declarations this cycle.
They include:
- Persons who last filed on or before June 30, 2024
- Individuals newly appointed to statutory boards or government positions from April 1, 2026 onward
- Those who have demitted office, resigned or whose contracts have ended — who must file within 90 days of leaving their post
- Individuals who may not have previously realized they fall under the legal requirement
The net is wide — and intentionally so.
“Specified Persons in Public Life” includes elected officials, senior civil servants, financial officers, law enforcement leadership, members of statutory bodies, and other key decision-makers whose roles carry influence over public resources and policy.
Among them are Members of the House of Assembly, Cabinet Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, Heads of Department, senior police officers, and individuals serving on public boards and commissions.
The Commission notes that the full schedule of designated roles is extensive, and persons are encouraged to consult the official list available through its office or website to confirm whether they are captured under the law.
How to File
Unlike many modern reporting systems, this process remains deliberately controlled.
All declarations must be:
- Submitted in person
- Delivered by appointment only
- Accompanied by supporting documentation
Declarants will be contacted directly with their assigned appointment details, including date, time and location. The Commission has made it clear — submissions through third parties, email or mail will not be accepted.
This approach reinforces the seriousness of the process and ensures the integrity of submissions.
Declaration forms are available via the Commission’s website, and assistance is accessible through its Providenciales office for those needing clarification.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
The warning from the Commission is unambiguous.
Failure to file a declaration without reasonable cause is a criminal offence.
Penalties include:
- Up to one year imprisonment
- A fine of up to $15,000
- Or both
Additionally, the Commission is mandated to publish the names of non-compliant individuals in the official Gazette — a move that carries both legal and reputational consequences.
Confidential but Critical
While the process is strict, the Commission emphasizes that all declarations are confidential documents, handled with discretion.
Still, the purpose is clear: transparency does not always mean public disclosure — but it does mean accountability to an independent oversight body.
In a region where public trust can be fragile, these filings serve as a quiet but powerful mechanism to reinforce confidence in governance.
For Turks and Caicos, this annual exercise is more than paperwork — it is a test of integrity at the highest levels.
And for those required to file, the message is simple: comply, disclose, and do it on time.
For more information or to confirm filing obligations, individuals are encouraged to contact the Integrity Commission directly.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
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