THE CARIBBEAN BUSINESS REPORT
BNRC honors restaurants at Wine & Food tasting
By Tangerine Clarke
The Brooklyn Borough
President Nightlife and
Restaurant Coalition,
International Food & Wine
and Tasting (BNRC) began in
2015, and has fast become the
place for popular restaurants
and connoisseurs to showcase
their talents and brands to the
Brooklyn community.
On Monday, June 24, was a
fitting example of the success
of the event, when BNRC
Coordinator, June Persaud,
welcomed scores of food and
wine lovers alike, to the JLoft
on 45th Street, Brooklyn, to
sample delicious fare from
some of the Borough’s top
Caribbean eateries.
From Jerk Pork to Mac &
Cheese, Pasta, Curried Goat,
Baked Salmon, Peas and Rice,
and a Yuka dish, Cod Fish
Fritters, Veggie Roll, enticed
foodies to pile plates with the
delectable servings from the
islands.
BNRC, whose mission, is to
improve relations and dialogue
between bar and restaurant
industry stakeholders, the
communities in which they
UN chief attends CARICOM Heads of Government summit
18 Caribbean Life, July 5—July 11, 2019 BQ
operate, and the City of New
York, recognized business
owners, with BNRC Awards
Certificates, and Certificates of
Achievements, from the Office
of New York State Senator,
Kevin S. Parker.
Persaud, Brand Manager
of Guyana’s finest, XM rum,
also courted top sponsors,
Bartenura Product of Italy,
and Royal Wine of New Jersey,
to ensure guests sipped, as
they enjoyed an evening of
entertainment.
Persaud presented Lorna
Welshman-Neblett of Lorna’s
Lip Smacking Peppersauce
with the Women Owned
Business Award, Kelly Ann
Daniel’s KA Cakes, received the
Newest Business Award, Suede
Restaurant received the Best
Franchise Award, the Ambiance
Award went to Caribbean
Social, and Oxygen Nation
Cocktail Lounge received
the Most Improved Award.
The Most Creative Business
Award went to Funbash USA
Entertainment.
Persaud, who celebrated her
birthday on the day of the event,
in turn received a Certificate of
Appreciation from the office of
NYS Senator, Kevin S. Parker.
Other awards went to JLoft
for Business of the Year,
Caribbean Life Contributing
Writer, Tangerine Clarke,
received the Media Award,
while the Longevity Award
went to Pelican Reef, for being
in business for 25 years and
Tasty Delicious, honored with
the Community Award.
An Indian dance performance
by Marcia Hamilton-Castillo,
and costumes displayed
by T&T Boys Int. Costume
Band throughout JLOF, and
Love Life Sounds, showcased
the organization whose
membership encourages
businesses to open an
establishment that holds a
Department of Health Food
Services establishment license
or an on-premises liquor
license, distilling, or brewer
license.
BNRC Coordinator, June Persaud, presents Women Owned Business Award to Guyanese-
American, Lorna Welshman-Neblett of Lorna’s Lip Smacking Peppersauce, at the 4th
Annual International Food & Wine Tasting at Jloft in Brooklyn. Photo by Tangerine Clarke
Owner of Pelican Reef, Longevity Award recipient, serves
fi ne fare to guests at BNRC’s 4th Annual International Food
& Wine tasting at Jloft, in Brooklyn. Photo by Tangerine Clarke
By Nelson A. King
United Nations
Secretary General António
Guterres says he will be
attending the 40th Regular
Meeting of the Conference
of Heads of Government of
the Caribbean Community
(CARICOM) that is taking
place this week in St.
Lucia.
In a wide-ranging,
exclusive Caribbean Life
interview, just before his
departure for the region on
Tuesday, Guterres said he
will attend the summit on
Wednesday and Thursday.
“This is a visit of
solidarity with the
Caribbean people,” he said.
“I will meet with Caribbean
leaders and listen to their
concerns, learn about how
they’re tackling their most
pressing challenges, and
find out how the UN can
support their countries.
I’m also looking forward
to meeting the people of
St. Lucia.
“As people in the
Caribbean know, climate
change is one of the
biggest challenges that the
region is currently facing,
and I want them to know
that the UN is working
to increase the ambition
of all countries to address
this issue,”
The UN boss was last
in the region two years
ago, when he visited
Barbuda and Dominica
in the aftermath of the
devastation caused by
Hurricanes Irma and
Maria in 2017.
“This was not the first
time that the Caribbean
has faced such devastation
and loss, but what is new
is that climate change is
making these disasters
more frequent and more
severe, putting people’s
lives at risk, as well as
all the development gains
that countries have fought
so hard to achieve,” he
said.
Guterres, however,
noted that the Caribbean
is not alone in this
experience, stating that
this is happening the
world over – from floods
in the US to drought in
Africa and most recently
the heatwaves in Europe.
Just a few months ago,
Guterres said he visited
the South Pacific, where
he said he saw how climate
change is threatening
small island nations.
He said sea-level rise in
some Pacific countries is
four times greater than the
global average, “posing an
existential threat to several
island States. Oceans
are in serious trouble,
from coral bleaching
to biodiversity loss to
plastic pollution. Extreme
weather events are on the
rise, jeopardizing lives and
livelihoods.”
“All this makes it clear
that we must urgently
reduce global emissions
and work collectively
to ensure that global
temperature rise does not
go beyond 1.5 degrees
above pre-industrial
levels,” Guterres said.
“This is not just the
responsibility of small
countries that are already
being affected, it is a global
responsibility.”
In this regard, the
UN chief said he will be
convening a Global Climate
Summit in September,
and is asking governments
and businesses to “come
with concrete plans and
not just speeches.”
“Everyone has a part
to play, and countries all
over the world must know
that what is happening
to small island countries
in the Caribbean and the
Pacific affects all of us,”
he said.