Passport to Taste promotion 'a great success'

MONDAY, JUNE 11: Total Marketing & Communications Limited (TMC) and Gosling’s today announced the winners of the Second Annual Passport to Taste Promotion which took place from October 2011 through April 2012.

The Passport to Taste promotion is designed to help build traffic at local restaurants during what are typically their slower months, by encouraging people to visit the participating restaurants and enjoy the menus on offer. Residents collected a FREE passport from key locations (Gosling’s retail stores, Bermuda Gas showrooms, TMC’s offices) as well from any of the participating restaurants. All they then had to do was present their passport to the restaurant’s Maître D or member of staff upon arriving, order the meal and one of the featured wines and ask for their stamp.

Participants that completed the requirements were then eligible for the Grand Drawing once they collected 10 stamps or more.

Steve Marklew, president and CEO of TMC, said: “The 2nd edition of the Passport To Taste has been a great success with several thousand stamps being issued and a record number of passports being returned for the Grand Prize Drawing. As the organiser we are very pleased and it is our sincere hope that with the support of our sponsors, we will be able to offer the promotion again this year starting in October e will be successful in retaining our sponsors for a 3rd year, come October of this year.”

This year the event was sponsored by Gosling’s, Bermuda Gas, US Dairy Council, US Meat Export Federation, US Pork, Riedel as well as several vineyards.

Mr Marklew said: “We are very grateful to our sponsors as this would not have been possible without their assistance.”

He also said that they were most appreciative of the role that the participating restaurants played.

He said: “They have been excellent and provided great menus for the participants to enjoy as witnessed by the number of stamps that were issued.”

The winners of the Grand prizes were:

• Grand Tasting for 50 people in the Gosling’s Wine Cellar – Gertie Barker
• A wine refrigerator from Bermuda Gas containing 1 bottle of each Passport To Taste featured wines – Heather Conyers
• 2 bottles of each featured wine (total of 32) – Martine Purssell
• A Riedel Vinum setting for 8 people (24 glasses in total). – Shane English

In addition to the grand prizes, there was also a selection of gift certificates from the participating restaurants available to be won.

All in all the closing cocktail reception at Gosling’s was a great success with participants, restaurants and sponsors being present to enjoy each other’s company and congratulate the winners. It is fair to say that all in attendance have requested that it continues for a 3rd straight year.

Mr Marklew closed by saying: "We fully intend to meet with our sponsors and participating restaurants within the next few weeks to determine how and when the 3rd year will take place. An announcement will be made prior to the end of the summer".

For a list of this year’s restaurants please visit www.passporttotaste.bm