The International Chef Exchange dinner between The Cliff at Cap, Cap Maison's highly sought after restaurant and Drakes of Brighton took place yesterday evening to kick off the Brighton & Hove Food festival. Part of a reciprocal exchange between Drakes hotel and Cap Maison, Craig Jones, a white, welsh, Rastafarian and executive chef at The Cliff at Cap, took to the kitchen alongside Drakes' chef Andy Mackenzie to create a St-Lucian inspired four-course gourmet menu including snapper ceviche, yellow fin tuna, Caribbean shrimp tortellini and pan roasted oxtail.

The desert didn't disappoint, with an avocado ice cream and spiced doughnut with banana foam. The meal was accompanied by thematically matched wines, Cap's signature rum punch and a coffee and chocolate truffle from Rabot Estate in St Lucia. Cap Maison's solera-blended rum finished off the evening in style.

The reciprocal event will be taking place with a 'Taste of Sussex' event featuring Drakes chef Andy Mackenzie at Cap Maison in St Lucia between Friday 23rd – Saturday 24th October. http://bit.ly/1KQckHk

Editors notes

Cap Maison

Cap Maison is a family-operated boutique villa resort located on the northernmost tip of St. Lucia in Cap Estate, one of the most exclusive areas on the island. Guests are treated to dramatic cliff scenery with the tranquil waters of the Caribbean Sea on one side and the brisk Atlantic Ocean to the other. Designed in an elegant Spanish Caribbean style, Cap Maison's 49 beautifully-appointed suites are spread over three acres of tropical landscaped grounds. Guests have access to a pretty, secluded sandy beach and enjoy a truly bespoke service throughout their stay.

The Cliff at Cap

Cap Maison's restaurant The Cliff at Cap is one of Saint Lucia's finest dining experiences, offering panoramic sea views from every table and al fresco dining enhanced by lingering sunsets. The kitchen is under the direction of Executive Chef Craig Jones, who has created a nouveau French West Indian menu, based on the rich range of local spices, organic produce and fresh seafood.

Drake's restaurant

Drakes is Brighton's most acclaimed fine dining restaurant, having received the highest score of all Brighton restaurants in The Good Food Guide 2015, for the 6th consecutive year.  Head Chef Andy MacKenzie offers an accomplished range of contemporary European dishes, specializing in local and seasonal menus in the superb surroundings of this intimate 40-cover restaurant.  A strong new and old wine list, including a fine and rare selection, complements the regularly changing menu.