The Saint-Barth Gourmet Festival is St Barth’s November celebration of French cooking, when chefs from some of the best kitchens in France and beyond cook side by side with the island’s restaurants. It began in 2013, and 2026 is the 13th edition. Here is every year we could verify, newest first. Going this year? See our Saint-Barth Gourmet Festival 2026 guide.
At a glance
| Founded | 2013 |
|---|---|
| Where | Saint-Barthélemy, French West Indies: partner restaurants across the island |
| Organiser | Comité Territorial du Tourisme de Saint-Barthélemy (CTTSB) |
| Editions to date | 12 through 2025. The 13th runs 9–15 November 2026 |
| Official pages | saintbarthgourmetfestival.com · St Barth Tourism on Facebook |
Guest chefs by year
The festival has no competition winners. Its stars are the invited chefs.
| Year | Guest chefs (selection) |
|---|---|
| 2026 | David Toutain, Jean-Philippe Blondet, Nicolas Masse, Amaury Bouhours, Claire Heitzler, Cyril Lignac, Álvaro Clavijo and others (14 chefs) |
| 2025 | Eugénie Béziat, Manuelle Ferraz, Beatriz Gonzalez, Franck Putelat, Alexandre Koa |
| 2024 | Christophe Bacquié, Dimitri Droisneau, Fabien Ferré, Marcel Ravin, Florian Favario, Julien Duboué, Claire Heitzler, Louis Gachet |
| 2022 | Gérald Passédat, Christopher Coutanceau, Jean-Georges and Cédric Vongerichten, Alan Geaam, Tom Meyer, Fanny Rey, Mohamed Cheikh, Georgiana Viou, Cédric Grolet, Juan Arbelaez |
| 2019 | Eight chefs, including Jean-Denis Rieubland, Arnaud Faye, Taku Sekine and Guillaume Goupil |
Year by year
2026: 13th edition
The largest line-up in years: 14 chefs from mainland France and South America in 12 restaurants, including three new venues, Le Grain de Sel, Le Fish Corner and La Cantina. A public Gastronomic Village is new for 2026, alongside the opening culinary show at Espace Rockefeller and the children’s Petites Toques contest. The recap will be added after the festival.
2025: 12th edition
Described locally as a transition year, the 2025 festival had a smaller, mostly female line-up of five guest chefs, led by Eugénie Béziat and Manuelle Ferraz. Highlights included a caviar masterclass, the Petites Toques children’s contest and a bartender contest on St-Jean beach.
2024: 11th edition
Three three-star chefs, Christophe Bacquié, Dimitri Droisneau and Fabien Ferré, headed an eight-chef line-up that also included Martinique-born Marcel Ravin and pastry chef Claire Heitzler. The festival opened at Le Sereno, with a bartender contest at Rosewood Le Guanahani and a Chef Challenge at Bonito.
2022: 9th edition
A star-studded year, with Gérald Passédat, Christopher Coutanceau, Jean-Georges and Cédric Vongerichten and pastry chef Cédric Grolet among eleven guest chefs. It was the first edition in which every guest chef committed to cooking at least one dish with local products.
2021
The tourism board announced eleven guest chefs for the 2021 festival, introducing them in a casting-style video.
2019
Eight visiting chefs, seven of whom had run Michelin-starred kitchens, including Meilleurs Ouvriers de France Jean-Denis Rieubland and Arnaud Faye. The festival marked the island’s comeback after Hurricane Irma, with renovated hotels and restaurants back in business.
The early years: 2013–2018
The CTTSB launched the festival in 2013 as a tribute to French gastronomy and a curtain-raiser for the winter season, pairing visiting chefs with island restaurants for a few days of special menus.
FAQ
When did the Saint-Barth Gourmet Festival start? In 2013. The 2026 festival is the 13th edition.
Who organises it? St Barth’s tourism board, the Comité Territorial du Tourisme de Saint-Barthélemy (CTTSB).
When is it held? Every November, at the start of the island’s high season. The 2026 edition runs 9–15 November.
Is there a competition? The main festival is about the guest chefs, but side events include a bartender contest and the Petites Toques children’s cooking contest.
Going this year? Read our Saint-Barth Gourmet Festival 2026 guide, see what else is on in the Caribbean Events Calendar, or browse more Caribbean event histories.
Sources
- Saint-Barth Gourmet Festival (official)
- Journal de Saint-Barth: 2026, 2025, 2024
- Luxury Travel Magazine: 2024
- Travel Agent Central: 2022
- Fortune: 2019
Last checked: November 2026. We include only years we could verify. Know an edition we’re missing? Let us know.