Save the dates: Anguilla Culinary Experience (ACE) returns for its sixth year April 28 through May 2, 2027, bringing international guest chefs, food lovers and Anguilla’s own culinary talent together for five days of collaborative dinners, beachside bartending and cooking competitions, interactive culinary experiences and a full menu of reasons to linger in one of the Caribbean’s top-rated destinations. Most importantly, ACE raises funds for culinary and hospitality training programs in Anguilla, while giving young Anguillians opportunities to work alongside visiting and local chefs and gain hands-on experience. The result is an annual gathering that feels good in more ways than one: delicious food, real connections and a chance to make a difference.
“ACE isn’t a festival built around big crowds. It’s personal. Visiting and local chefs and wine experts create together, share ideas, sit down with guests and become friends. The tables are more intimate, the conversations more authentic, and our island’s famously warm hospitality is an ingredient in every meal,” says Nathalie Le Sénéchal, manager at ACE 2027 Gold Sponsor Grands Vins de France Anguilla.
Last year’s festival once again offered a taste of exactly what ACE does best. Over five days, award-winning guest chefs and Anguilla’s culinary stars cooked side by side at restaurants, resorts, villas and on the beach, turning the island into a collective dining room. Highlights included a music-filled opening night party at seaside Karaya, multicourse dining experiences at Jacala Beach Restaurant, Malliouhana, Four Seasons Resort Anguilla and Zemi Beach House; a six-hands chefs’ dinner at luxury Villa Alegria; murder mystery dinner at Savi Beach Club; guided tastings in Zemi’s Rhum Room; a Moke island rum crawl chauffeured by Quest Experiences; a sunset sail with Calypso Charters; and the annual Cape Air & NCBA Beach BBQ co-hosted by Trudy Nixon of True Anguilla Magazine & TV Show and Janine Edwards of Sunset Homes Anguilla and JanineConnects.com. Held at Anguilla Great House, residents and visitors gathered for just-off-the-grill barbeque and mystery-basket bartending and cooking battles. Taking home first place medals for 2026 were Sandbar’s bartender and floor manager, Kyrleson Klaren, and private chef Karan Kumar. Sandbar bartender Kelly Hodge’s recipe won the annual rum punch tasting.
Each year at ACE, the common thread is connection. Guests can meet the chefs behind their meals, talk with winemakers and rum experts, discover Anguilla’s indigenous ingredients and traditions, and move easily from an elegant candlelit dinner to a barefoot beach party.
“ACE has always been about bringing people together in a way that feels genuinely Anguillian,” says festival co-founder and Villa Alegria Anguilla owner Wendy Freeman. “You come for the food, but you leave with lifelong friendships. That’s the magic of sharing a kitchen and a table, and it’s why we’re so excited to welcome both new and returning guests in 2027.”
ACE is also about savoring the moment while giving back. Proceeds support culinary and hospitality programs at Anguilla Community College, Albena Lake Comprehensive School, the Anguilla Youth and Business Foundation and the Anguilla National Culinary Team, while young chefs and students gain hands-on experience and mentorship from seasoned professionals. And between events, there’s time to enjoy Anguilla’s 33 beaches, explore its 35 square miles and discover more than 100 bespoke restaurants. You won’t find any chain eateries on island.
In 2027, the table is set again. Anguilla Culinary Experience takes place April 28 to May 2, 2027. The ACE 2027 event schedule, participating chefs and online tickets will be available on the festival website at www.AnguillaCulinaryExperience.com later this fall.
To stay updated on festival details, follow ACE on Facebook and Instagram at @anguillaculinaryexperience.
To become a guest chef or ACE 2027 sponsor, email anguillaculinaryexperience@gmail.com.
