By Renée Goodwin • 08 Nov, 2022
By Renée Goodwin Photos: Arthur Daniel It’s been said that if Willy Wonka had a private island, it would be Grenada. One could also argue that if Willy Wonka had a “Must Attend” event in his calendar, it would be the Grenada Chocolate Fest. 2023 will be the 10th year of the annual Grenada Chocolate Festival, a celebration of Grenada’s inspiring and growing chocolate industry. Grenada currently has the most chocolate factories and companies per capita in the world (more than 6 in the small 144 square mile island) and each one offers a different product and experience. They come together for the Grenada Chocolate Festival, and if it’s true what they say about dark chocolate being good for brain function, well….attending the Chocolate Festival is a pretty smart move. The beauty of the Chocolate Festival lies in its schedule of activities. While the home base of the festival is True Blue Bay Resort in the south of the island, the activities take you all over Grenada – into cocoa fields and various chocolate factories, on to other hotels in the island and even on the sea. While the programme changes every year, visitors can count on a holistic and immersive experience. Some of the staples are a 5 course chocolate dinner- both savoury and sweet- and a bazaar where the chocolate companies and local craft vendors have stalls with tons of goodies for sale. Chocolate yoga features every year as well; the chocolate comes into play with a tasting as you meditate. Visiting a cocoa farm in one of Grenada’s outer parishes is a big favourite as the tree-to-bar story is highlighted and visitors get a chance to explore the farm and even harvest their own cocoa right from the tree. The Festival also engages other businesses – a popular feature night is at the West Indies Brewery, a local craft brewery that makes chocolate-based beer especially for the Festival every year. In addition to the mainstays, the founder, Magdalena Fielden, really keeps the Festival fresh with new and interesting additions, such as art and self-care sessions, rum pairing, sailing excursions, cooking demos and educational activities. The Grenada Chocolate Festival is definitely a signature event of the World’s First Culinary Capital, and an experience not to be missed. Just ask Willy Wonka ;) Find out more here.
