The Tribune

SCOTIABANK has signed a multi-year deal to be the Presenting Sponsor of the Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival at Baha Mar, expanding its role after only one year of involvement with an event that brings some of the world’s best-known chefs to Cable Beach.

Under the agreement, the bank is also the festival’s exclusive financial services partner. The festival’s fifth edition opened yesterday and runs until Sunday. Neither Scotiabank nor Baha Mar disclosed the value of the deal or how many years it covers.

The bank said strong engagement with clients and business leaders during its first year as a sponsor persuaded it to broaden the partnership. Roger Archer, vice president and country head of Scotiabank Bahamas, said: “Our expanded partnership with Baha Mar reflects our strong belief in the Caribbean’s future and in the unique power of culture to bring people together, inspire new opportunities, and contribute to sustainable economic growth.”

Mr Archer said the festival gave the region’s chefs, artists and hospitality businesses a world-class platform, and allowed the bank to deepen its relationships with clients and communities. Scotiabank said the sponsorship fits its mandate to support businesses in hospitality, which it described as a significant income earner for many island states.

The deal also ties in with the bank’s Global Arts Program, which manages nearly 10,000 works of art across its international operations.

This year’s line-up includes the festival’s master chefs Daniel Boulud, Marcus Samuelsson, Dario Cecchini and Scott Conant. They are joined by Bahamian chef Simeon Hall Jr and Bahamian mixologist Marv “Mr Mixx” Cunningham. Organisers have put a deeper focus on Caribbean cooking this year, adding Saint Lucia-born chef Nina Compton, Tristen Epps, who draws on his Trinidadian heritage, and Lisa and Chris Binns of Jamaica’s Stush in the Bush.

Grammy-nominated band OneRepublic will headline the Taste of Baha Mar welcome party on Friday night. The FUZE Art & Culinary Expo, the festival’s showcase of Caribbean art, runs on Saturday and Sunday.

Scotiabank, which trades on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges, reported assets of about $1.5 trillion as of July 31, 2026.