written by Mary Montrichard
On May 17, 2025, the vibrant spirit of community, culture, and culinary innovation came alive at Food, Wine & Fête, an immersive experience that blended gourmet indulgence with a deeper mission: the empowerment of women and the advancement of culinary health. At the heart of this inspiring event was Vanessa James, dynamic media entrepreneur and founder of Vanessa James Media, whose passion for storytelling and empowerment continues to elevate voices often left at the margins.
In this exclusive interview, Vanessa reflects on the power of food as both nourishment and cultural expression, and shares how this year’s fête served not only as a celebration of Caribbean flavors, but also as a platform to spotlight women's leadership, wellness advocacy and the importance of reclaiming health through heritage-based cuisine.
Can you share your journey as the founder of Food Wine and Fete? What inspired you to create this event?
We came up with the idea for Food, Wine and Fete over scotch and coconut water under a palm tree in Tobago back in 2018! I’m from Trinidad, my partner Marcos is Cuban, and he loves the carnival culture. We’ve been going for about 10 years and want to really bring back the essence of all things we love about carnival and the carnival season to the experience here in South Florida.
How does your Caribbean heritage influence your work and the events you organize?
I really wanted to create a brand and grow it into what it's becoming now. We are in our fifth year of branding, third year of the event and honestly so proud and grateful for how it's been received in terms of patrons. We started off with 400 people and seeing what has evolved and bloomed is such an honor to experience first hand.
Creativity in the Caribbean:
In your opinion, what role does creativity play in Caribbean culture, particularly in the culinary arts?
Absolutely, I feel like it's really interesting, because for a long time, Caribbean food has been treated as a staple street food. Something you can quickly get, whether it be jerk chicken on the side of the road in Jamaica, doubles in Trinidad or flying fish with coucou in Barbados. Once we start expanding that creativity and branch out through travel, it makes you realize our food is not only delicious and savory, but elevated and refined just as other cuisines from around the world.
How do you see Caribbean culinary creativity evolving, especially with the influence of global trends?
Caribbean cuisine and our culinary creativity pair really well with the finest wines and spirits of the world, not just rum. Even though rum is quintessentially a Caribbean staple, there are so many different things that our food pairs well with. I think it's a brand new era in Renaissance for Caribbean cooking and creativity in the culinary space. From a global standpoint, I think finding ways to infuse all the islands and chefs of the Caribbean into one experience is what makes Food Wine and Fete such a special event. We definitely are going to see chefs and culinary creatives trying new things to showcase that variety.
Women in Business:
As a female entrepreneur in the Caribbean, what challenges have you faced, and how have you overcome them?
As a founder who’s a woman, I think second guessing ourselves can be something that is innate, not just as a woman but as POC from the Caribbean as well. There’s just so much coming at us as we navigate before even getting started with the project, the business idea or venture.
[Additional Read: Brown Gyal Diary's 'Glow & Flourish' is the Community Event Indo Caribbean Women Have Always Needed]
What advice would you give to young women aspiring to start their own businesses in the Caribbean?
The advice I would give to female founders or budding founders and creatives out there is to start. There’s a saying: Sometimes the messiest starts can be the most bountiful. It doesn’t necessarily need to be perfect. If you have an idea and you’ve been sitting on it, there’s probably a fair chance an audience is out there and waiting to receive it and support you.
The reception and the support we’ve earned from Food, Wine and Fete is rewarding; the DMs and messages of people thanking us for creating an event that feels like home, while simultaneously connecting them with people they haven’t seen in a long time, introducing them to new rums, wines and things they may have never tasted before.
Also, give yourself grace, it’s a learning process right? It's very important to grow through what you go through because then you get to see if it's really what you want to do and also it's great to try new things along the way and have fun refining your brand and target audience.
Leadership and Empowerment:
How do you define leadership, and what qualities do you believe are essential for women in leadership roles within the Caribbean?
Leadership for me comes down to three very important things: Follow up, follow through and following your inner guide. Following through with the things that you say you’re going to do is very important as a leader because people are depending on you. Even when you are tired, someone is waiting for instructions, or there’s a deadline that has to be met. It's very important to make sure that you’re present, especially if your name is behind something.
Making sure that you are getting people what they need so they can do their best on your behalf, whether that be for PR, logistics, vendors etc. is something that gets easier with time and consistency. If you’re building something, you’re building it with a team of people. So it's extremely important to make sure they feel supported when you’re present and communication is transparent. It makes it easier to navigate situations when the intention is there to follow through. It's equally important to trust your inner guide; we know when something feels off or when it feels right and when to scale down in certain aspects and not overthink the process.
As a founder, understand that people are counting on you and there’s going to be a team of people that want to see you win – help them so that the entire team wins. Sometimes it's hard to convert ideas into tangible outcomes and delegating allows you to help other people help you be successful and simplify the process.
Culinary Health:
Why do you think culinary health is a crucial topic for the Caribbean diaspora? How does Food, Wine and Fete promote healthy eating practices while celebrating Caribbean cuisine?
I would definitely say that in terms of influencing the vendors, I wanted to have for the event, showcasing the diversity of the islands and eco-conscious efforts of brands was super important. We partnered with Jar Car Oils out of the Bahamas who have clean, sustainable oils, cutting down on our waste, making sure that we’re getting signature drink cup that double as reusable souvenirs. Incorporating natural juices, showcasing brands like Choppi nuts so we could offer fresh coconuts which are biodegradable for people. Left Rose, introduced three different wines for the event and showcased how his wines are grown in France, in a eco- friendly sustainable way. I think there is always a challenge when it comes to sustainability and eco consciousness when you’re throwing a food festival; but we’re always trying to find ways to cut down on waste and really make sure that the resources are utilized effectively.
We also make sure that at the end of the festival, anything that’s non-perishable and not used, is donated. We have two charities that we partner with, One Miami Foundation and Net life for families in need.
What are your future plans for Food Wine and Fete, and how do you envision its growth in the coming years?
When the pandemic happened, it gave us some time to recalibrate and reflect on how to ensure growth was in a direction that could be sustainable. After having such an awesome reception, we were able to incorporate more chefs, we traveled to different food and wine experiences on different islands that we love and invited the chefs to be part of our culinary journey as we continue to evolve.
Personal Reflections:
Reflecting on your journey, what has been your proudest moment as the founder of Food Wine and Fete?
I think seeing your name in the sky and 1000 drones is never a bad thing, but taking a moment to really grasp what being able to execute something of that caliber made me reflect on this new season of my professional growth, where I’m trying to really savor and be fully present. It's easy to be in “go mode” all the time and then when you finally slow down, a decade has passed… you have all this amazing stuff you’ve accomplished, which is wonderful, but then there’s a feeling of not feeling present to really relish the hard work that’s been put in. Seeing the drone show is cumulative of a 10 year relationship with Adrian Allen (founder) and the team at Luna Lite and it feels amazing to see things come full circle from where we first started off.
Final Thoughts:
What message would you like to share with our readers regarding Caribbean creativity, entrepreneurship and culinary health?
Caribbean women have grown accustomed to assimilating in order to thrive in various environments that may or may not praise our diversity. Some of us are first-generation, born outside the region, or our parents emigrated from the islands; we share a common thread of ingenuity, resilience and creativity when showcasing our rich history. We’re no longer waiting to be seen or ashamed to celebrate our culture, or seen in spaces that may not have been accepting of our vibrancy.
Caribbean culture is extravagant at times, and therein lies the beauty of being West Indian. Our time is now. Plant your flag in the sand and say this who I am, proudly represent and open the path for other women to follow. Finding your tribe and honor your calling, whether it be throwing an event, launching an app or television platform. Something small in your community can have a tremendous impact when you leave room for other people to really bloom in their creative essence as well. When we lead from a space of authenticity, it gives us the opportunity to nourish the things we want to flourish.
To learn more about Food, Wine and Fete click here. To learn more about Vanessa James visit her website here.
