Twelve celebrity chefs, four days of food and wine tasting and 21 miles of pink sand to walk it off...

The First Bermuda Culinary Arts Festival which finishes on Monday has attracted both holiday makers and advertisers. Chefs, holiday makers and locals have been tucking in at the Fairmont Southampton Princess throughout the week-end.

Celebrity chef Sara Moulton told The Royal Gazette that she and Gourmet Magazine had started hatching the plan for a Bermuda Culinary Arts Festival about a year and a half ago. Gourmet Magazine is one of the main sponsors of the event.

Total Group organiser Jenn Butterworth, said that more than 154 packages had been sold to overseas delegates. Packages which included flights, three nights' accommodation, demonstrations and celebrity chef-hosted dinners were offered for between $1600 and $1900 depending on accommodation choices.

The advertising opportunities offered by the event were well received by local businesses. Ms Butterworth said that many businesses, such as Barritts, Goslings Black Seal and Butterfield and Vallis chose to donate sample products to be handed out during the festivals.

Several top Bermuda restaurants took the opportunity to host celebrity chef dinners on Saturday night, and local restaurants were also able to participate by entering a Peoples' Choice competition.

Diners at participating restaurants could order a special $100 tasting menu and then act as "judges" by submitting a questionnaire about the meal.

The results of the competition are expected to be released next week.