As the 2025 Barbados Food and Rum Festival prepares to kick off, acclaimed local pastry chef Esther James is poised to bring a deeply personal, nostalgia-steeped creation to the event’s Liquid Gold Feast – one rooted in the simple, unforgetable flavours of her Bajan childhood.
Long before she was crafting award-winning celebration cakes and hyper-realistic edible art for A-list clients, James’ love of confection began with a humble, no-recipe childhood treat: fresh fruit sprinkled with salt. That small, everyday joy is the foundation of the surprise dessert she will unveil at this year’s festival, and while she is keeping the final recipe under wraps, she is eager to share the story behind it.
“My greatest hope is that when people take that first bite, they instantly recognize the flavour and get that warm, nostalgic rush – that moment of ‘Oh my gosh, I remember this,’” James explained. For James, this ambition aligns perfectly with the quiet magic of her work: her intricate, visually stunning creations often stop guests in their tracks before they even take a bite, inviting wonder at how she transforms sugar and dough into works of edible art, before revealing the layered flavours beneath.
James’ journey into pastry began alongside her mother in their family kitchen, where weekend Christmas prep and Sunday lunches opened the door to a world of culinary curiosity. As a child, she developed a deep love for rich, creamy sweets – from sago with milk powder to Ovaltine and Milo sweetened with condensed milk, tastes that still inform her obsession with indulgent chocolate desserts today. Cooking through international cookbooks with her mother sparked a lifelong curiosity for global flavours, while also teaching her to respect the fundamentals of recipe craft. “I always make a point to master a recipe exactly as it was originally written before I add my own twist,” she notes, a discipline that has shaped her career from its earliest days.
After completing studies at the Barbados Hospitality Institute and earning a hotel management degree from the University of the West Indies, James honed her skills working in the island’s luxury villa sector before launching her own brand, With Love By Esther James (later With Love Cakery), in December 2011. What started as a small side project making cakes for family and friends quickly grew: one of her first custom creations was a life-size Coach handbag cake for her mother’s birthday, followed by novelty designs shaped like a local minibus and a Berger Paint can, as she explored the boundaries of what cake could be.
Nearly 15 years later, her client list includes global names like Rihanna, Simon Cowell, and Justin Timberlake, and she has trained alongside world-renowned pastry chefs Michel Ernots and Amaury Guichon. Her wedding cake designs have been featured in top bridal publications including *MunaLuchi* and *Brides* – a far cry from her early days, and a career path she never could have imagined as a young aspiring hospitality professional. “Honestly, I don’t think my younger self ever dared to dream I’d be where I am today,” she said.
The secret behind James’ seemingly effortless art is a willingness to embrace failure that has come with experience. Early in her career, she demanded perfection on the first try; now, she says repeated missteps only fuel her determination to refine her craft. “The more I fail at a recipe, the more determined I am to figure out what went wrong and how to improve it,” she explained. Patience, she says, is a skill she had to learn – as was the confidence to experiment without knowing where an idea would lead. For James, it is the artistic challenge that keeps her passionate about her work. “In a nutshell, the art is what keeps me here,” she said.
For this year’s festival, which coincides with Barbados’ 60th Independence celebrations, James is digging deeper into her personal memories to create a dessert that honors the island’s culinary heritage. Balancing flavour and texture is at the core of her process: she tests every component, adding a pinch of salt to sharpen sweetness, a touch of acidity to lift rich flavours, or a hint of bitterness, spice or fresh herbs to create unexpected depth. She often pairs smooth, creamy bases with crisp, crunchy textural contrasts to keep every bite interesting. “When I take that final bite and my first reaction is just ‘mmm’… that’s when I know I’ve got it right,” she says.
This is not James’ first time at the Barbados Food and Rum Festival: two years ago, her piña colada bread pudding was such a hit that attendees flooded her with messages asking for it to return. That response, she says, is why she does what she does. “I’ve always loved seeing people enjoy my food, and moments like that remind me why I’m in this industry,” she explained. The dessert had moved from her kitchen to become part of someone else’s happy memory – exactly the effect she is hoping to replicate this year.
While she is keeping the exact details of her 2025 creation a surprise to build anticipation, guests can find it at Liquid Gold Feast – These Fields and Hills, taking place Sunday, November 8 at Carifesta House. James’ dessert will be a centerpiece of the evening, which celebrates Barbados’ identity through food, flavour and local creativity.
Tickets for the Liquid Gold Feast are priced at BDS$350, with a combined combo ticket for the festival’s Rise & Rum and Liquid Gold Feast events available for BDS$500. The full 2025 Barbados Food and Rum Festival lineup includes two free public events: Oistins Under the Stars on Thursday, November 5, and International Chef Demos on Friday, November 6. Additional ticketed events include the Rum Route on November 6 (BDS$200) and Rise & Rum on November 7 (BDS$250). Tickets are available for purchase in person at multiple locations across the island including CS Pharmacy in Bridgetown, Nu Look Company on Roebuck Street, Mpowered at Sky Mall, Très Classe Boutique at Sheraton Mall, A&B Music Supplies in Wildey, Visual Oasis in Six Roads, the Speightstown Lotto Booth opposite the bus terminal, and the National Cultural Foundation in West Terrace. Tickets can also be purchased online via TicketNation.bb, and updated information is available on the festival’s official Instagram account @foodandrumbarbados.