Number of Shops at Port Zante in St. Kitts to Increase

Work is progressing steadily on a number of buildings at the Port Zante cruise terminal in St. Kitts. The buildings will house a number of duty free stores that will sell jewellery and clothing as well as provide restaurant space and office accommodation. It is expected that with the opening of these new stores, the shopping experience at Port Zante will be greatly enhanced. For more information please refer to the article below.

That's all for now.

Amicia Mussenden
Your Online Guide to St Kitts and Nevis
http://www.discover-stkitts-nevis-beaches.com




250 persons could be employed in 55 shops Eight buildings under construction at Port Zante, progress made on 250-room hotel and casino next to marina

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, AUGUST 29TH 2006 – Port Zante expects to be home of some 55 shops by December and employing close to 250 persons by December, the start of the 2006/2007 cruise ship season, Manager of the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), Mr. Jason Kelsick has disclosed.

He said the 8 buildings to house jewelry, clothing stores, restaurants, offices and various other businesses are at varying stages of construction.

“Right around the main pedestrian walkway - the walkway around the center of the property – all the properties on both sides have been sold. In existence right now we have 65,000 sq. ft. of buildings and under construction we have another 130,000 sq ft,” said Kelsick in an interview with the Communications Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister (CUOPM).

He said that the lots behind the main pedestrian walkway have also been sold and the UDC was close to conclude the sale of property for a 250-room hotel and casino site next to the marina.

“The group already has a hotel banner. They have architects in place so they have gone quite a long way down the route to establishing the hotel on Porte Zante. It’s going to be probably in the vicinity of 250 rooms in three to five stories with a casino. On the eastern side, they are looking at things like luxury condominiums and very upscale shopping with brand names,”
disclosed Mr. Kelsick.

He said the developer is also looking at the construction of a second cruise pier on the eastern side of Porte Zante, that will be built with private funds, but at a time when the cruise ship traffic at Port Zante warrants a second pier.

“I don’t think we need it right now, but perhaps in two to three years, we should need a second pier and this is one group looking at both sides of Porte Zante,” said the UDC Manager.

The developer, which he did not name has expressed an interest in purchasing the land on the eastern side of Port Zante for the construction of luxury condominiums and entertainment facilities in a US$150 million investment.

He said the three completed buildings house 15 stores. “By the end of this year, December 2006, we anticipate an additional 40 stores, that will comprise, I suspect with fixtures, fittings, an inventory of US$50 million in those new forty stores here on Porte Zante,” said the UDC official.

Mr. Kelsick said he expects some 200 to 250 persons to be employed in the shops on Port Zante.









Photos by Erasmus Williams

easyCruise heads for St. Kitts and Nevis and the Caribbean in December

Discount cruise line easyCruise with rates as low as £9 per person per night is including St. Kitts and Nevis on its Caribbean cruise itinerary for the 2006/2007 cruise season. Now in its second season, easyCruise's itinerary allows cruisers to sample both the day and the night life in the various ports of call. For more information about easyCruise second season in the Caribbean visit http://info.easycruise.com/gb/splash/Caribbean0607.html. More information is also available in the press release below.

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BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, AUGUST 27TH 2006 - Cruise liner, easyCruise, which is getting rave reviews from budget-minded 20 and 30 something’s and is charting a new course through the canals of Holland and Belgium, is adding St. Kitts and Nevis to its new schedule of Caribbean sailings during the upcoming Cruise ship Season.

easyCruiseOne, is currently sailing the French and Italian Rivieras and will make a transatlantic crossing later this year in time for a new schedule of Caribbean sailings. easyCruiseTwo is sporting a new look along with the new itinerary; out with the traffic cone color and in with battleship grey.

Starting December 8th, easyCruiseOne will visit the islands of St. Maarten, St. Bart’s Anguilla, St. Kitts and Nevis and Antigua. The ship will spend three weeks being renovated before it heads to the Caribbean. It will be refitted with a new cafe, bar and restaurant, and windows will be added to nearly sixty cabins.

The loosey goosey easyCruise is more like a floating hotel, minimising time at sea so passengers can party in port. Additionally, guests can choose to embark and disembark at any port, as long as they stay for two nights.

easyCruise plans to expand its concept to hot spots such as the Greek Islands, Florida and the Bahamas, with two bigger, better ships.
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That's all for now!

Amicia Mussenden
Your Online Guide to St Kitts and Nevis
http://www.discover-stkitts-nevis-beaches.com

Oualie Beach Resort Chef Wins International Culinary Competition

I know it has been a while since I last posted here. However, upon hearing about Chef Jason's win I just had to take take some time out of my busy schedule to congratulate him on his win and also share his success story with you. Chef Jason is a member of the St Kitts and Nevis travel forum at Discover St Kitts Nevis Beaches who has been extremely helpful in answering questions posted by persons thinking about visiting Nevis. Below is the press release that tells about Chef Jason's win at the 7th Annual USMEF International Culinary Competition.
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Oualie Beach Resort Chef Jason Bishop wins the 7th Annual USMEF International Culinary Competition in Mexico City



NEVIS, West Indies. (August 8th, 2006) – Executive Chef Jason Bishop of Oualie Beach Resort , Nevis is an award-winning Caribbean Basin chef in the 7th International Foodservice Competition sponsored by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

The final competition was held in Mexico City on August 2nd at the famous Le Cordon Bleu cooking school. Chef Jason Bishop entered two original “home chef” recipes featuring: Beef Bottom Sirloin Tri-tip (roast or steaks) and Pork Loin Roast/Chops. Competing chefs were required to use readily available ingredients from the island and cooking styles that could easily be repeated in Caribbean kitchens.

Moments before the contest began, the chefs were assigned one of their two entered recipes and allowed a maximum preparation time of two hours. Chef Jason Bishop prepared a Caribbean-inspired dish, “ Carib beer marinated beef Tri-tip with charred tomato salsa,” accompanied with local pumpkin slaw and Christophene. The resulting dishes from all finalists were evaluated by a panel of five judges on the merits of originality, versatility and the ease of adaptability to a home Caribbean cook as well as the kitchen skills and sanitation of the competing chef. Chef Jason’s winning recipe will be used in various promotions this coming year, and will also be featured in a consumer publication to be developed by USMEF.

In addition to a $1,000 U.S. cash award, Chef Jason will receive a nine-day, expense-paid trip to tour venues within the U.S. food, wine and meat industries. He will be on tour from September 19 – 27, 2006 with stops in New York City, San Francisco and Napa Valley. Chef Jason will also spend two days in classes at the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone site in Napa Valley studying Asian and Spanish cuisines, plus tour numerous wineries, and eat at the best restaurants.

“ Chef Jason’s winning performance is proof positive that the little Island of Nevis and Oualie Beach Resort can compete successfully with the best of the Worlds eating establishments. We look forward to him leading a team of Nevis chefs to the Taste of The Caribbean Competition in June 2007,” says John Yearwood, Managing Director of the Oualie Beach Resort, Nevis.

Chef Jason comments, “ This experience has given me the opportunity to exchange ideas with other talented Caribbean and Mexican Chefs. I plan to share these ideas with our Nevis Chefs in order to help forge a formidable Nevis Team to compete internationally. I look forward to also working closely with our agricultural department to share ideas on how to raise the standard of local meat production.”

Amicia Mussenden
Your Online Guide to St Kitts and Nevis
http://www.discover-stkitts-nevis-beaches.com