Sun-kissed afternoon, the hum of conversation, and the clink of glasses set the scene at Uncorked Ochi at Drax Hall on Sunday, July 26 as Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Jamaïque, Select Brands, and Uncorked hosted a celebratory bistro brunch showcasing the return of Chef Colin Brown to Jamaican shores. Brown — back from an international run of kitchens — teamed with Uncorked’s culinary team to present a lively fusion of island flavours and classic French techniques that won praise from members and guests alike.

The cold and seafood station opened the meal with refined island flair: Yellowfin tuna crudo brightened with a lime-ginger marinade, Scotch bonnet oil, ripe mango salsa, and a crisp of breadfruit; and an escoveitch conch paired with calabash lobster, spiced pickled vegetables, allspice, and lime zest that married Caribbean acidities with steely seafood sweetness.

The opening of the smoked and slow-roast station followed. A pimento-smoked salmon with a rustic salsa; golden goat, glazed with Appleton rum and finished with a nutmeg-thyme jus offered deep, caramelised rum notes; and Blue Mountain coffee-crusted pork belly, lacquered in a tamarind-molasses glaze balanced bitter, sweet and savoury. Braised oxtail croquettes, stuffed with a butter-bean purée with chive oil, provided a textural and flavourful nod to Jamaica’s comfort-cook traditions, while a live action station with pimento-smoked roasted leg of lamb, scented with rosemary, orange zest and tarragon, rounded out the roast offerings.