Culinary Diplomacy – Chef Nicola Blaque of San Antonio in residence at GaGa, Glasgow

San Antonio in Southern Texas, a designated UNESCO City of Gastronomy, is increasingly defining itself on the international stage through the quality and diversity of its thriving restaurant scene.

Visit San Antonio has been working with OCC to share the city’s distinct culinary story with UK audiences. This has included a focus on the role that leading chefs and restaurateurs are playing in the quest for equality, social justice and community empowerment.

As the final event in the successful Culinary Diplomacy programme from the US Embassy and OCC, one of San Antonio’s most admired chefs took up residency at Gaga, introducing her Caribbean inspired cuisine to Scottish diners. The event also enabled further exploration of the role played by leading food professionals in the fight for equality and social justice. Over 20 members of the press from across Scotland were invited to meet Nicola, enjoy her food and learn more about the Culinary Diplomacy initiative. 

 

Nicola Blaque is the executive chef and owner of Jerk Shack in San Antonio. She is passionate about creating cuisine that tells a story, which she has achieved at her newest venture, Freight Fried Chicken, a restaurant that pays homage to formerly enslaved women who sold fried chicken as a way to support themselves in post Civil War Virginia.

Chef Blaque is an army veteran and a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. Amongst many accolades, she was nominated for a prestigious James Beard Award, as Best Chef in Texas. She sits on the Board of Visit San Antonio as a cultural and culinary advisor.

Her successful residency in Glasgow took place at popular west-end restaurant GaGa, owned by chef and television personality Julie Lin. A rising star of the culinary scene, Julie is familiar to UK audiences through her regular appearances on BBC1’s Saturday Kitchen Live.

A press lunch, held on 25th September 2024, gave journalists and broadcasters from across Scotland the opportunity to enjoy Chef Blaque’s food, which fuses the flavours of her Jamaican heritage with the dominant Latino culture of San Antonio.

Plans are now being laid for future collaborations between Nicola and Julie, supported by OCC and Visit San Antonio.

 

For more photos from the press lunch at GaGa Glasgow, follow this link.