More than 4,000 people attended the 23rd annual Taste of Cayman food and wine festival.

The annual event was held in Camana Bay’s Crescent on Saturday, 29 January. According to organisers Cayman Islands Tourism Association, 40 food vendors, 50 wines to sample and 10 local bands were represented.

“The 2011 Festival was undoubtedly the most successful yet with more restaurants, fabulous food, a wonderful atmosphere and above all, more people coming to share the experience of local food and drink,” said executive director, Trina Savage-Christian.

The winners of the many prize categories were announced in a release to the media this week. New to the festival for 2011 was the heavy cake baking competition. Of 10 competitors, Kristi Welds took the top prize, with Naomi Manoy as runner-up, followed by Clint Hunter as a close third.

A new voting system for the people’s choice award for Cayman’s Favourite Restaurant was introduced all visitors were given a wooden coin to vote and the award went to Decker’s Grille and Lounge.

Other awards

Other awards selected by the Taste of Cayman Committee included Best Booth, Chicken! Chicken! / Cimboco / Breezes; Best Drink, Rum Point Mudslide; Best Food: Lobster Pot; Best Dessert, Seven Mile Sticky Toffee Cake Company; Certificate for Environmental Conservation Efforts, Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink.

There were also several other prizes. Grand Prize winner Rosa Romero plus guest snagged the biggie and will spend six nights exploring the Concha y Toro winery and experiencing the Las Condes district in Santiago Chile. The prize includes hotel accommodations at the Marriott Santiago and $500 spending cash.

Cayman Airways round trip ticket winners were as follows: New York, Ann Whiting; Chicago, Scott Stone; Miami, Nicole Thompson; Tampa, Brian Lorenz; Cuba, Kim Becker; Jamaica, Pat Rutty; Cayman Brac, Ron Fowler; Little Cayman, Katie Drew.