Antigua

Antigua is the front door to the Caribbean season. Almost the entire charter fleet stages here at some point between November and April, and the Antigua Charter Yacht Show in early December is the single largest concentration of working yacht chefs in the hemisphere. The infrastructure is real, the agents are professional, and unlike a lot of the islands, the provisioning game here is consolidated. Learn three or four key suppliers and you can feed a boat well. The catch is that everything runs through English Harbour and Falmouth Harbour on the south coast, the airport and the wholesale warehouses are 30 to 45 minutes north near St John's, and during show week the whole island is jammed. Plan around that geography and you are fine.

A note before the sections: Antigua does not have the dense European import air bridge that St Maarten and St Barths run through France. What it has instead is strong consolidation freight (US and Miami inbound) and one dominant provisioning group. Adjust your expectations accordingly. If you need Bordier butter and Rungis seafood flown in twice a week, you are better sourcing it in St Barths or St Maarten and carrying it down. If you need a reliably stocked, well-run provisioning operation that can put Certified Angus and 650 wines on your passerelle, Antigua delivers.

Section 0: The First Phone Calls

Two calls before anything else. First, your agent. Second, whoever provisioned the boat here last season to confirm what is still alive.

Listen to your captain first. Many captains have a preferred agent and a relationship that goes back years. Ask before you call anyone. The names below are who to call when the captain does not have one, or when you need a second option. If your captain swears by someone who is not on this list, tell me and we will list them.

Yacht agents:

Anchor Concierge & Super Yacht Services. Office at Falmouth Harbour Marina. Founded in 2012 by Capt. Nick Line, a former superyacht captain, and still captain-run. Full clearance, duty-free provisions clearance, importation of parts and provisions delivered direct to the boat, with freight channels that include National Marine Suppliers and Neko Yacht Supply. On call 24/7. Tel +1 268 734 1865, anchorcsys.com. A south-coast default for larger boats.

BWA Yachting Antigua. Managed by James Benson, former superyacht charter captain, on island since 1997. Office at Antigua Yacht Club Marina. Customs and immigration, berth reservations, duty-free bunkering, duty-free inbound and outbound freight, APA handling, and provisioning sourced locally or flown in. Part of the global BWA network, so if you are running the boat through their Med offices too, continuity helps. Tel +1 268 562 8629, cell +1 268 720 7357, anu@bwayachting.com.

Jane's Yacht Services (JYS). Antigua and Barbuda's longest-standing agency, established 1999 by Jane Midson. On the High Road opposite the Falmouth Harbour Marina main gate, between English and Falmouth Harbour. Customs and immigration clearance, duty-free inbound and outbound freight (DHL, FedEx, UPS, air cargo), gas bottle refill runs twice weekly in season, seafarer medicals on site, storage and crew accommodation. Strong for the smaller and mid-size charter fleet and for crew logistics. Tel +1 268 460 2711, mobile +1 268 764 1297, VHF 68, janesyachtservices.com.

Acquera Yachting Antigua. The Italian agency group opened its Antigua office in late 2024, run by Anjulie Edwards Michael, formerly marina manager at Antigua Yacht Club Marina. Office at AYCM. Customs and immigration clearance, provisioning, berth reservations. Tel / WhatsApp +1 268 464 3123, antigua@acquera.com.

The show organisers point boats to JYS and BWA for clearance, provisioning, port logistics and APA cash during show week.

Customs reality: Antigua and Barbuda is an independent nation, not a US or EU territory. Yachts in transit clear customs and immigration at English Harbour (Nelson's Dockyard) or Jolly Harbour. Duty-free provisioning for yachts in transit is standard and your agent handles the warrants, but you must order through a provisioner set up for duty-free yacht supply (Island Provision is, see Section 4). Provisions for a vessel in transit move duty-free; anything you buy retail off the shelf at a supermarket you are paying local duty and the 17 percent ABST sales tax on. For volume orders, always route through the agent and the yacht-provisioning desk, not the retail till.

Money: The currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar, pegged at EC$2.70 to US$1. US dollars are taken across the marina and tourist areas, with change usually given in EC. Visa and Mastercard work at the supermarkets, the established shops and the restaurants; market stalls and small vendors want cash. English Harbour is short on ATMs: the machine inside Nelson's Dockyard gets one cash delivery a week, and locals petitioned in 2025 because it keeps failing to dispense. Pull the cash you need in St John's or at the big supermarkets on the north run before show week, and get APA cash through your agent.

Section 1: Pre-Arrival Orders to Lock In

Antigua lead times are shorter than the European islands because the main provisioner carries deep inventory, but show season and holidays blow that up. Lock these in before you arrive:

• Center-of-plate proteins and any special cuts: 5 to 7 days ahead through Island Provision's yacht desk. They are the licensed Certified Angus Beef distributor on island, but custom portioning and large charter volumes need notice.
• Wine and spirits by the case: Best Cellars (Island Provision's beverage arm) holds 650-plus wines, but specific allocations and Champagne in charter quantity should be reserved 1 week out.
• Anything air-freighted from the US: if you want product Antigua does not stock, your agent consolidates through Miami. Build in 5 to 10 days and expect freight cost.
• Holiday and show-week orders: for the Antigua Charter Yacht Show (4 to 9 December 2026) and the Christmas/New Year charter crunch, order 10 to 14 days ahead. The island's supply chain is strained and delivery windows compress hard.
• If you are entered in the Concours de Chef: the chef and stew briefing is Friday 4 December, 1530 to 1630, at the Copper and Lumber Store in Nelson's Dockyard. Judging runs by yacht length: 180 ft and over on Saturday 5 December, 126 to 179 ft on Sunday 6 December, 125 ft and under on Monday 7 December. Prize giving is Tuesday 8 December from 1745. The format is a three-course menu with a mystery ingredient you learn on the day, so order your competition proteins and garnish with the rest of your show-week provisioning, well ahead, and keep the pantry deep enough to pivot.

Section 2: Dock Delivery Logistics

Everything provisioning-related on the south coast funnels into three adjacent marinas, all within a few minutes of each other. All three are show venues in December.

Falmouth Harbour Marina. Dockyard Drive, Falmouth Harbour. Purpose-built for larger yachts, stern-to and alongside berthing for deep-draft vessels (up to 21 feet draft, 380 feet LOA). Main superyacht dock. Tel +1 268 460 6054.

Antigua Yacht Club Marina (AYCM), now also branded Antigua Superyacht Marina & Resort. Falmouth Harbour. The commercial center here has the harbour Cork & Basket and Seabreeze on site, so it is the most provisioning-convenient berth for walk-up sourcing. Tel +1 268 460 1544, VHF 68.

Nelson's Dockyard Marina. English Harbour, the UNESCO World Heritage berth, historic and tight, often used for show display and smaller classic yachts. Tel +1 268 481 5021.

Practical delivery notes: Island Provision and the major suppliers deliver direct to the passerelle at all three. The supermarket and warehouse stock sits 30 to 45 minutes north near the airport and St John's, so a same-day delivery ordered late may not arrive until next day. Trucks come south down to the harbours on a schedule. Build your order around their delivery run, not the other way around. For the one-day ground run yourself, you are driving north (see Section 11).

Show week (4 to 9 December 2026): the captains' briefing is Friday 4 December at 1230, and from Saturday 5 to Tuesday 8 December the crew has to be aboard for viewings from 0930 to 1730. Book deliveries to the passerelle for early morning or after 1730, and do your own runs in the same windows. Dockage is booked directly with each marina, so ask the dockmaster for that marina's delivery and fuel arrangements when you book. Show shuttles run between the marinas 5 to 8 December, 0900 to 1800, with golf carts on the docks at Nelson's Dockyard and a water shuttle between AYCM and Falmouth Harbour Marina. Goods shipped in for the show have to be cleared through customs by 28 November; use that as your own deadline for anything you are air-freighting in for the week.

Section 3: Specialty Imports

This is Antigua's weak spot relative to the French islands, and you should plan for it honestly. There is no twice-weekly Rungis or Paris produce flight landing here the way St Maarten and St Barths get fed. What you have:

• US/Miami consolidation freight through your agent (National Marine Suppliers and Neko Yacht Supply via Anchor; DHL/FedEx/UPS air cargo via JYS; BWA flies in provisioning too). This is the reliable import channel. American and international gourmet product, frozen specialty, anything not on-island.
• The Cork & Basket for the European and specialty deli layer already landed on-island: fine cheeses, charcuterie, olives, Grenadian chocolate, Madagascan and Ugandan vanilla, Italian product, Japanese accompaniments, plus a serious frozen meat/fish/shellfish case. Two locations: the harbour store in the Antigua Superyacht Marina & Resort (AYCM) commercial center, Falmouth Harbour, and a second, larger store opened in 2024 at Silver Leaf Plaza on Blue Waters Main Road, a useful stop on the north run. Owned by A.S. Bryden & Sons, the wholesale distributor, so they can go deeper than the shelf if you ask. Only store on island carrying Louis XIII if a guest demands it. Harbour store hours Mon to Fri 0830 to 1700, Sat 0830 to 1500, closed Sundays and public holidays. Tel +1 268 462 0363, WhatsApp +1 268 464 7335, thecorkandbasket@brydensantigua.com.
• Ticchio. Italian food and wine specialist on Sir George Walter Highway (Airport Road) near St John's. Useful for Italian cheese, pasta, dry goods and wine if you are sourcing north anyway. Mon to Fri 0930 to 1600, Sat 1000 to 1600, closed Sunday. Tel +1 268 562 8673.

Bottom line: do not promise the boat a Provence-grade specialty program out of Antigua. Promise a strong consolidated-import and gourmet-deli program, and carry the truly French stuff down from the northern islands if the itinerary allows.

Section 4: Proteins

Antigua's protein game runs almost entirely through one operation, and it is a good one.

Island Provision Group / Gourmet Basket Supermarket. Established 1981, the dominant food and beverage importer, wholesaler, and retailer on the island, with a dedicated yacht-provisioning desk. The wholesale arm (Island Provision Food Distribution) delivers direct to the boat duty-free; the retail face (Gourmet Basket Supermarket) lets you walk in and select. Island Provision is the only licensed Certified Angus Beef distributor in Antigua, plus a wide range of high-quality meats and fish available custom-portioned. Premium frozen and fresh. Located in the Island Provision complex on Sir George Walter Highway near St John's, 5 minutes from the airport, parking on site. Gourmet Basket hours: Mon to Thurs 0800 to 2000, Fri to Sat 0800 to 2100, Sun 0800 to 1500. Tel +1 268 480 5174 (Gourmet Basket) / +1 268 480 5151 (group). Yacht desk: yachts@islandprovision.biz. Web: islandprovision.com.

Epicurean Fine Foods is a separate company, not part of Island Provision. It is the big full-service supermarket on Friars Hill Road near St John's (Epicurean Drive, tel +1 268 484 5400, with a pharmacy) and at Jolly Harbour Marina (tel +1 268 481 5480), open seven days into the evening. Meat and deli counters with US beef and poultry, in-house bakery, weekly US produce, and wine, beer and water by the case. The Jolly Harbour store is the easy one if the boat is on the west coast.

Covent Garden Supermarket (Dockyard Drive, English Harbour) is Island Provision's harbour-side store, a good gourmet stop close to the boats so you do not always have to drive north. Mon to Sat 0600 to 2000, Sun 0600 to 1800. Tel +1 268 562 9596.

The Cork & Basket (see Section 3) also carries premium frozen meats and a charcuterie/deli case at the harbour. Good for topping up center-of-plate without the northern drive.

Section 5: Seafood

Two channels: local catch and the provisioner freezer/import case.

Local catch. Antigua's day boats land wahoo, mahi and snapper, but there is no fish shop at the marinas you can count on. Ask your agent who is landing that week and take it when you see it. Treat it as opportunistic, not as your protein plan.

Regional species to expect: mahi-mahi (dorado), wahoo, yellowfin and blackfin tuna, snapper, grouper, Caribbean spiny lobster (in season, watch the closed season), conch, and mackerel. For anything reef-caught, ciguatera awareness applies to larger predatory reef fish, lean on the local sellers' knowledge.

Imported / frozen seafood through Island Provision, Gourmet Basket and the Cork & Basket frozen cases (shellfish, salmon, premium frozen) covers what the local boats cannot. This is the channel you build the guest menu on.

Section 6: Produce and Farm-Direct

Antigua is dry and produce is largely imported, so do not expect a St Tropez Saturday-market situation. Your realistic produce sources:

• Gourmet Basket Supermarket. The practical yacht-chef produce base, and the deepest range on island.
• Epicurean Fine Foods. US produce shipped in weekly, with specialty items flown in. The second big option on the north run.
• Covent Garden, English Harbour. Harbour-side stock for top-ups without the drive north.
• Local farm-direct. There is a local growing community (salad mixes, leafy greens, herbs, microgreens) but it is small and seasonal. Antigua's rainy season runs roughly August through November, which actually improves local produce; the dry winter charter season leans more on import.
• St John's Public Market (Saturday morning in St John's) for local roots, fruit, and herbs straight from farmers if you want to source local while you are north.

Honest framing for the boss: build the produce program around the gourmet supermarkets and import, treat local farm product as a seasonal bonus, not the backbone.

Section 7: Dry Goods and Pantry

Island Provision Food Distribution / Gourmet Basket is the workhorse: hard-to-find gourmet sauces and spices, international recognizable brands, the full pantry build. As the largest importer on island they carry the broadest dry-goods range.

Epicurean Fine Foods for the wide supermarket pantry: Asian, Indian, Italian and Middle Eastern ranges and UK brands, which helps when a guest sheet asks for something specific.

Cork & Basket for the premium pantry layer (specialty oils, vinegars, the Italian and Japanese product, vanilla, chocolate). Ticchio for Italian dry goods.

Section 8: Bread and Bakery

The Cork & Basket carries a frozen bread and dessert assortment plus serves fresh coffee and danish at the harbour café, the convenient daily go-to right at AYCM.

Seabreeze on the AYCM marina platform for croissants, pain au chocolat, baguettes, quiche and Caribbean cake, open 7 days from early morning. Tel +1 268 785 7718, VHF 68.

Dockyard Bakery at Nelson's Dockyard for the local daily bake: fresh bread, cinnamon rolls, pastries. Weekdays only, call to confirm hours: +1 268 460 1474.

Epicurean runs in-house bakeries at both stores if you are north.

Section 9: Alcohol and Beverages

This is one of Antigua's real strengths.

Best Cellars Wines & Spirits (Island Provision's beverage division, at the Island Provision complex on Sir George Walter Highway). 650-plus wines under temperature-controlled storage, extensive spirits, Champagnes, official agent for many brands. Full yacht-provisioning service with duty-free delivery to the boat. Tel +1 268 480 5180. Online ordering at island-provision.com. The serious cellar on the island.

The Cork & Basket. Extensive Old and New World wines, aged rums and scotches, the only Louis XIII on island, plus the wholesale depth of A.S. Bryden behind it. Harbour-convenient.

Epicurean Fine Foods for wine, spirits, beer, soft drinks and water by the case when you just need volume.

Duty notes: for a yacht in transit, beverage provisioning moves duty-free through the agent and the yacht desk, this is where the savings on a serious wine program actually land, so run the cellar order through Best Cellars' yacht desk with your agent's warrant, not retail. Local rum (English Harbour Rum, Antigua Distillery's own) is excellent, cheap, and a nice authentic touch for crew and guest welcome.

Section 10: Crew Meal Provisioning

Antigua makes crew feeding straightforward because the volume infrastructure is there:

• Island Provision wholesale for bulk proteins, frozen, and dry goods at distribution pricing through the yacht desk. It sells in case lots, so it is the crew-meal backbone on a big boat. Most boats do fine shopping crew food at the supermarkets.
• The big St John's-area supermarkets (Epicurean Fine Foods, Gourmet Basket) for rice, pasta, canned goods, snacks, crew drinks.
• Covent Garden, English Harbour for the harbour-side mid-week crew top-up so you are not driving north for milk and eggs.

Ask your chief stew or purser what the crew food number is on your boat before you shop. Some boats run a per-head daily cap, some have none, and it changes boat to boat. Antigua is workable but not cheap, everything imported carries island markup. Lean on Island Provision pricing through the yacht desk, build crew menus around what lands locally (fish when the boats come in, local chicken, rice-and-peas-friendly staples), and reserve the gourmet retail stores for guest-side product.

Section 11: The One-Day Ground Run

The geography defines the run. Provisioning warehouse stock is north near the airport and St John's; the boat is south in Falmouth/English Harbour. Plan a single efficient loop:

Morning, south (harbour): - Start at the dock. Seabreeze at AYCM for coffee and the morning bake. - Cork & Basket at AYCM for deli, cheese, charcuterie, frozen specialty, bread, and the premium pantry layer. - Covent Garden in English Harbour for harbour-side produce and grocery top-up.

Midday, drive north (30 to 45 min): - Island Provision complex / Gourmet Basket on Sir George Walter Highway near the airport: the main protein, produce, dry-goods, and bulk run. Certified Angus, custom portioning, the deep grocery. Park on site. - Best Cellars (same complex) for the wine and spirits program. - Ticchio on the same highway if you need Italian specialty. - Epicurean on Friars Hill Road if Gourmet Basket is short on something.

Afternoon: drive south, beat the harbour-bound traffic, and stage the delivery to the passerelle. If you order ahead, Island Provision runs the bulk down to you on their truck so you are not hauling it yourself, in which case the ground run is just the harbour-side specialty pickups plus a confirmation call.

Realistic timing: a full self-driven run is 5 to 6 hours with the north-south transit. If you let Island Provision deliver the heavy order and you only do the harbour specialty pickups yourself, it is a 2-hour morning.

Section 12: Contingency Planning

What is likely to fall through, and the backup:

• Local catch does not land. Day-boat fish is weather-and-luck dependent. Backup: Island Provision, Gourmet Basket and Cork & Basket frozen seafood cases. Never build a guest menu around dock-caught fish you have not physically seen.
• Show-week and holiday supply crunch. During the Charter Yacht Show (4 to 9 December 2026) and Christmas/New Year, the whole island's supply chain strains, delivery windows compress, and the roads jam. Order 10 to 14 days ahead, and expect that last-minute is not an option. Lock your show-week guest provisioning, and your Concours de Chef order if you are competing, before the fleet arrives.
• The European specialty gap. If a guest preference sheet demands serious French/Italian product Antigua does not stock, you have two moves: air-freight via your agent's US/Miami consolidation (5 to 10 days, costs money) or carry it down from St Maarten / St Barths if the itinerary touches those islands first. Plan this at the preference-sheet stage, not on arrival.
• The 17 percent ABST trap. If you buy volume retail off the shelf you eat the sales tax and duty. Route everything significant through the agent and the yacht-provisioning desk for duty-free transit pricing. A new chef who does the whole shop at retail can blow the budget on tax alone.
• Hurricane season legacy. Antigua sits in the hurricane belt; the active season is June through November. Charter season (Dec to Apr) is clear, but if you are provisioning in the shoulder, confirm that any vendor you are counting on did not take storm damage or seasonal closure.
• Sunday and public-holiday closures. Cork & Basket is closed Sundays and public holidays. Gourmet Basket runs limited Sunday hours (0800 to 1500). Dockyard Bakery is closed weekends. Covent Garden and Epicurean open Sundays. Antigua Carnival (late July/early August) closes many businesses, but that is off-season for charter, so it mainly matters for summer estate work.