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Every destination has its signature flavour. In Italy, it might be truffles. In France, fine wine. On the tiny Caribbean island of Nevis, it’s the mango – a fruit so deeply woven into the island’s identity that every summer it takes centre stage during one of the Caribbean’s most delicious food festivals, Nevis Mango Festival.
Nevis
Nevis
Nevis
Part of the independent nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, the island sits in the eastern Caribbean Sea, part of the Lesser Antilles. It gets its name from its cloud covered volcanic peak which Spanish navigators mistook for snow. They named it “Nuestra Señora de las Nieves” which was later anglicised to Nevis.
Nevis
Nevis
Nevis
With over 44 different types of mangos, Nevis proudly embraces its reputation as the “Mango Capital of the Caribbean.” During the annual Mango Festival, chefs, bartenders, farmers, food lovers, and curious travellers come together to celebrate the island’s sweetest treasure – think inventive cuisine, lively competitions, immersive culinary experiences, and authentic island hospitality.
Mangos
Mangos
Mangos
From silky Julie mangoes to fragrant Graham, sweet Amory Polly, and the beloved Long Mango, the island’s remarkable diversity of fruit inspires menus that stretch far beyond traditional desserts. Mango appears in fresh salads, seafood dishes, barbecue sauces, cocktails, pastries, chutneys, and gourmet tasting menus, proving just how versatile this tropical fruit can be.
Mangos
Mangos
Mangos
For travellers seeking hands-on culinary inspiration, the festival also offers cooking demonstrations. This year it’s the turn of Chef Eric Adjepong, a Ghanaian American chef, TV personality and author, to serve as the official Culinary Ambassador. He’ll be hosting exclusive dining events, judging the island’s premier cooking competition and be sharing his expertise at a special outdoor masterclass.
Chef Eric Adjepong
Nevis
Nevis
The festival has grown from a one day event in a single location to a multi-day spectacle, embracing the entire island. This way visitors can explore the island at a leisurely Caribbean pace. It’s a novel way to explore Nevis through its food, people, and stunning scenery.
Nevis
Nevis
Nevis
The first evening, at the Four Seasons Hotel, Chef Eric hosts an exclusive sold-out Supper Club. His multi-course menu places mangos at the centre, masterfully paired with fresh-caught tuna and island beef. He marries these with rich, West African spice profiles and finishes with a Mango Pavlova paired with Sorrel Sorbet.
The first day kicks off with Mangomania, a family-friendly celebration that captures the playful spirit of the festival. This lively event combines energetic mango-eating contests, mango-stoning competitions, tugs-of-war, and mixology battles.
Nevis
Nevis
Chef Eric Adjepong
It kicks off with a cooking masterclass led by Chef Eric surrounded by mango aficionados at their work stations. He leads them through the process of making Mango Escovitch, a mix of finely shredded peppers, onions, vegetables and mango in a spicy sauce. They pair this with grilled salmon or chicken plus boiled rice to create a dish which looks like a multi-coloured picture on the plate.
Nevis
Nevis
Nevis
I also get to taste a selection of the island’s mangos, although competition is rather fierce. Everybody wants a slice so there’s a certain amount of friendly jostling but perseverance pays off. This is a preamble to a competitive blind tasting with four blindfolded contestants invited to taste and name five distinct varieties. For outsiders, a mango is just a mango but for Nevisians, it’s an identity.
Nevis
Nevis
Nevis
The Mango-Eating Competition is the festival’s most anticipated spectator sport. At the sound of a horn, contestants dig their teeth deep into their fruit, tearing through the tough outer skin to reach the flesh. It’s not pretty as they spray sweet fragrant juice across their faces and the front row of the audience. The winner is the first to strip the fruit to the white of its hairy stone, not as easy as you might think.
Nevis
Nevis
Nevis
Nevis
Nevis
Nevis
Next day is the Passport Food Tour, an island-wide culinary adventure that encourages visitors to discover Nevis one bite at a time. Participants set off on buses on a journey that stops at restaurants, beach bars, cafés, and local shacks. Each serves up a specially created mango-inspired dish and cocktail.
Nevis
Nevis
Nevis
It’s also an opportunity to showcase the incredible range of Nevisian cuisine. One stop may feature jerk chicken paired with spicy mango salsa while another may have pizza with mango slices. My favourite, though, is Carbo’s Goat Water, a rich savoury goat stew, slow-simmered in a broth fragrant with cloves, thyme, and garlic and, of course, mango.
Nevis
Nevis
Nevis
After seven stops, the tour finishes on the rugged eastern coast of the island at Rosie’s Patties. Her flaky, golden beef and vegetarian patties infused with a secret, sweet and spicy mango hot sauce, are a definite hit. What’s good about the tour is that it gets people out of their hotels to explore the island and connect with the locals.
Nevis
Nevis
Nevis
The festival reaches its crescendo on Sunday with the grand finale in the Malcolm Guishard Recreational Park. Over 60 local food and beverage vendors set out their stalls and the air is thick with the aromas of wood smoke, jerk seasoning, and caramelising sugar.
Nevis
Nevis
Nevis
In the centre, a massive culinary stage is set for the Chefs’ Cooking Competition – competing chefs from across different Caribbean islands push the boundaries of flavour, innovation, and presentation during two demanding rounds. Mango must be the star ingredient of every single plate and Chef Eric oversees the judging.
Nevis
Nevis
Nevis
While adults relax in the shaded VIP lounge sipping mango-infused prosecco, children dart across the grounds participating in a high energy Kids’ Mango Hunt. As night falls, the culinary tents give way to the closing Mango Festival Concert. Under a canopy of stars, capping off a weekend of sensory overload, everybody dances the night away to the pulsing soca and calypso rhythms.
GO: BA flies direct to St Kitts from London Gatwick, then it’s a water taxi to Nevis.
The Gatwick Express is the fastest way to the airport from central London.
INFO: Nevis Naturally has information about the island.
The next Nevis Mango Festival takes place from July 1-4, 2027.
STAY: Montpelier Nevis is a boutique hideaway in one the island’s 18th century sugar plantations.
The Four Seasons Nevis Resort offers luxury by the sea.
The post Nevis Mango Festival, West Indies appeared first on The Travel Magazine.
Sofas are investment pieces. Working in interiors, I’m well aware that a good one doesn’t come cheap. However, now and again, I come across those unicorn sofas that are not only design-forward, well-reviewed and under the £250 mark, and that is exactly what the £209 Marseille 2 seater sofa at Dusk is.
The online homeware store, Dusk, is already famous on the Ideal Home desk for delivering high-end looks with low price tags. However, right now they are holding one of their many big sales, making their luxe-looking furniture, best sofas and home accessories even more affordable.
The Marseille range of sofas and armchairs is relatively new, launching as part of the Dusk SS26 collection. At full price, the range was already incredibly affordable, with the most expensive sofa, the Marseille 3-seater, costing £449 (currently reduced to £404), and the 2-seater sofa in Latte has been reduced from £349 to £209.
The Marseille sofas are available in two colours, Chenille Ivory and Latte. The Latte colourway in the 2-seater has the biggest saving on it, with £140 knocked off the price, while the Ivory 2-seater has only been reduced by £30 from £299 to £269.
However, even at the slightly higher price, this sofa is a steal (even for a two-seater). It’s a price point I’ve only seen rivalled at IKEA, Habitat and Dunelm, and trust me, they look nowhere near as stylish.
This is one of the most affordable sofas at Habitat, reduced to £220 using code FURN20 at Habitat. It would be a stylish addition to the seating area in an open-plan kitchen or at the end of a bed as a luxe upgrade on a classic bench.
If you prefer a classic look, then this Beatrice sofa at Dunelm is for you. It is currently reduced to £299. However, the reviews for it are mixed, with the material not suiting some households.
It’s the sculptural arm shape that makes the sofa, and its armchair counterpart, which is currently reduced from £259 to £155, look so expensive. The curved arm is a design feature I’ve only seen in higher-end designs, such as the Rockett St George Ivory Boucle Fabric Curved Arm Armchair, which was priced at £1,340 but is now on sale for £670.
I also love the luxurious-looking latte colourway; however, I am holding out hope that the sofa will soon be available in the rich terracotta colourway they’ve launched the Marseille armchair in, priced at £233 (down from £259).
Of course, there will be compromises you have to make with any sofa under £300. In the case of the Dusk Marseille sofa, the main ones I can spot are the extra support leg poking out of the middle of the seat and the thin-looking cushions.
However, the reviews of the range rave about the comfort and design. ‘The design is a little different and gets lots of compliments, it’s also comfy!’ writes one reviewer. ‘The sofa looks so modern and stylish. Easy to assemble and so comfortable. Such good quality but not pricey at all,’ writes another.
The summer sale won’t be on forever, so if you love the look of this sofa or the matching armchair, I’d move fast. However, don’t forget to factor in the delivery cost to the final price. For the two-seater sofa, you will need the two-man X-Large Box delivery, which should work out around £40.
Dusk also has been known to have long lead times on its furniture; however, for these particular sofas, I’ve found delivery slots available from 29th July.
This isn’t the only item I’m eyeing up in the Dusk summer sale. Here are the other design-forward buys I’m planning to snap up to give my home a luxe look on a budget.
I can’t resist a slogan cushion when it looks this chic with the black fringe detail.
I had to do a double take when I spotted this lamp was just £27, it has a chic marble look that looks effortlessly elegant.
I’ve been desperate to get my hands on some wishbone style chairs, Dusk have some of the best on the market and right now they’re reduced by £66 making them an even better price.
