As we look back at 2018 we can’t help but reminisce about all the wonderful moments we’ve had this year in the world of food! At the beginning of 2018 we pledged that this was our year to find our food happiness and many of you joined our movement. So we explored the question: what is our Food Happiness philosophy? Let us give you a quick rundown of the idea!

We believe that food is a wonderful thing not only because we need it for survival (obviously!) but we also use food to create meaningful moments in our lives. We celebrate by eating and we welcome people into our lives by inviting them to share a meal with us. We often begin new relationships over meals and drinks. When we are mourning, people bring us meals to express their love and compassion. To quote the wise George Bernard Shaw – “There is no sincerer love than the love of food,” and boy is he right; no matter who you are, we embrace food happiness every day!

2018 has been the year for exploring – food exploring! We’ve experienced new flavours, experimented with cuisines and adopted food cultures from all over the world. Many of you fully embraced your own versions of food happiness this year and we loved seeing your stories on social media and spending time with you at our new events. 

We had so many Food Happiness moments this year it’s impossible to mention them all, so we’ve narrowed it down to our top 5 favourite moments of 2018.

First edition of the A&D Sessions

Our first edition of the A&D Sessions took place in June and it was revolutionary for Anchor & Den! Our unique twist on brunch at dusk was the first of its kind on island and we had lots of curious locals attending. We transformed our space into the ultimate foodie experience featuring unlimited mouthwatering food and decadent drinks. We thought it was the perfect combination of good grub, live tunes and a buzzing atmosphere! It was such an unforgettable evening that we did it all over again in December, this time with a festive vibe. We can’t wait to see what A&D Sessions will taste like in 2019!

A&D Social 2018

We wanted to show our appreciation for our dedicated customers so started the tradition of the A&D Social in 2017, which was a complimentary evening for our loyalists to enjoy the restaurant’s new menu items, cocktail selection and entertainment. This year, we continued the tradition and it was a huge success with more than 250 guests in attendance! We loved taking the opportunity to recognise and celebrate our growing loyal clientele. Plus, it was a great reason to throw a party!

A Mid-Summer’s Night Dream Market

The Night Market has become a staple on the island’s calendar of things to do since it was launched in June. A monthly event, it is the ultimate street food fest! Our Mid-Summer’s Night Dream Market in July was one of our favourites. We said hello to summer and experienced an authentic city night market in the heart of Cayman. With a variety of stalls that featured street food bites, sun-kissed cocktails, a collection of endless summer goods, live art shows and tunes from our resident DJ and live band – it was one summer fun at its best!

The Rituals of Hanami

For this beautifully presented culinary and drinks event, in collaboration with Cayman Cocktail Week, we went on a cocktail adventure to the Far East where we paid tribute to Hanami, the Japanese tradition of enjoying the ephemeral beauty of the adored Cherry Blossom (Sakura) tree. This sacred ritual, which happens from the end of March to early May, celebrates the short life of the Cherry Blossom, when these trees bloom all over the country and last for only a week.

The significance of the Sakura in Japanese culture goes back hundreds of years. In their country, the Sakura represents the fragility and the beauty of life. It is a reminder that life is overwhelmingly beautiful but at the same time is also poignantly short.

For this amazing event, we offered our guests a three-course cocktail and Japanese-inspired culinary menu that told the beautiful story of the journey of the Sakura.

Chef’s Cut

We were super excited to have been selected by Marriott International as the only hotel in the region to participate in an initiative called “Chef’s Cut.” At a global level, only six properties participated. 

Chef’s Cut ran over the course of five evenings and featured a curated menu personally developed by the Star Chef of the night in the intimate setting of Anchor & Den. For guests, it was a great opportunity to meet the Chef tableside as he led them through his journey of inspiration. Our Star Chefs included: Chef Damian Manfre, Chef Kilian Werner, Chef Balakumar Ramaraj, Executive Chef Steve Griffon andExecutive Sous Chef Andres Davila.