The inaugural Jamaica Jerk Championship is scheduled for December 4–6, 2026, at The Cliff Hotel & Spa in Negril. The organiser describes two connected programmes, a judged cooking competition and a public, ticketed Jerk Experience celebrating Jamaican food and culture.
The announced judging panel includes Rodney Scott, Andrew Black, Andre Fowles, Nicola Blaque and Dae Kim. Author Adrian Miller is listed as host. The programme brings chefs with different professional backgrounds into a discussion about the craft and cultural identity of Jamaican jerk.
Jamaica Observer’s November 5 announcement also lists live-fire demonstrations, tastings, a welcome reception and farewell brunch. A Respect the Jerk community concert is announced for WAVZ on Seven Mile Beach, while most of the weekend’s activities are planned for The Cliff.
The championship website and hotel’s event page both confirm the December 4–6 dates. Visitors should use the current programme for individual sessions and admission details. Some older hotel blog posts pair December 6 with the wrong weekday, so this preview follows the confirmed weekend dates.