You 'd think that being a chef , I 'd want to escape the toils of the kitchen while on holiday - but the opposite is true . I jump at the chance to experience new flavours and gather fresh inspiration . And where better to tickle your tastebuds than in glorious Grenada ? The island is known for its zesty spices and self-sufficiency - the only food it imports is milk . Heading west : Rosemary spent a week on Grenada , where fresh foodstuffs like cocoa fruit are easily available . Meat and fish are plentiful and , because the soil is very fertile , the vegetables , fruit and salads are the glossiest you 'll ever see . Grenada 's seasons are similar to our own , which means cauliflower , broccoli and pumpkins in spring . Exotic fruit - mangoes , star fruit , passion fruit , melon and skin-up , which is like a lychee — are the stars of the summer . Autumn heralds guavas , sweetsop ( sugar apples ) and soursop ( similar to pawpaw ) , and then there is the temptingly named mammee apple , which is a Caribbean version of a peach . Sumptuous sands : Grenada is home to splendid beaches - such as the glorious arc of Grand Anse . I am staying in the southwest of the island at Mount Cinnamon on Grand Anse Beach , near the charming town of St George . It offers well-equipped self-catering villas , each with its own terrace and wonderful views of the bay . You can cook your own supper , but the bubbling restaurant scene is difficult to resist . Beach bars abound . I especially liked the Beach Cabana at Mount Cinnamon , where they serve fabulously strong cocktails made with local rum at all hours of the day and night . People come across from nearby islands to enjoy the weekly bonfire on the beach , at which local musicians play . This is the Caribbean at its best . Just beware of those generous drinks measures . The restaurant Yolo ( which is text speakfor 'you only live once ' ) specialises in sushi and Asian cuisine . I order plums , mangoes , cherries and avocados , all picked that day . The fish is as fresh as can be - so the tuna tartare , its signature dish , almost leaps off the plate . Come dine with me : Grenada is an island awash with fresh produce and intriguing local recipes . The next day , I watch a fish cookery demonstration at Mount Cinnamon : a traditional dish of kingfish marinated in coconut , ginger , lime , spices , peppers and chives , wrapped in banana leaves and cooked over a wood fire , and served with delicious breadfruit chips . If you want to mingle with Grenadans , there is nowhere better than a rambunctious food market . St George 's market brims with local spices and everything else that is grown on the island . In a 17th-century working plantation - a colonial house and estate - you can witness the crops of fruit , exotic flowers and spices in their regimented glory . Here , I learn to cook the Grenadan national dish , oil down . This is a hearty , one-pot meal with salted meat , chicken , breadfruit , callaloo - which is like spinach - and dumplings . The whole lot is stewed in coconut milk . Delicious ! The food odyssey continues in the evening when I visit BB 's Crabback Caribbean restaurant , overlooking the harbour . My favourite place to eat on the beach is La Sagesse , on its own strip of sand from which you can swim in a bath-temperature sea . A place to cool your heels : Rosemary stayed at Grenada 's elegant Mount Cinnamon resort . No tour of the island would be complete without a visit to the River Antione Rum Distillery - the last one in the Caribbean to make the drink from cane sugar , as they did in the 18th century . Rum is not to my taste , but it 's interesting to see the process behind it . Belmont in the Grand Etang area is more to my liking . It 's a fully functioning plantation and organic farm . We taste goat 's cheese and salt fish fritters , a popular local dish . Even the governor grows her own vegetables . Her Excellency Dame Cecile la Grenade is the first woman governor on the island . She received an OBE from the Queen for the food business started by her mother . Her extensive gardens are full of exotic vegetables , fruit and spices — a dream to any aspiring cook . Even the paths are made of crushed nutmeg shells . A fitting tribute to this fragrant and friendly island . British Airways ( 0844 493 0787 , www.ba.com ) flies to Grenada from £562 return . A one-bedroom suite at the Mount Cinnamon hotel resort & beach club ( 001 473 439 4400 , www.mountcinnamongrenadahotel.com ) starts from £265 B & B per night .
Grenada is known as the 'Island of Spice ' , and is full of foodie flavours . Celebrity chef Rosemary Shrager spent a week on the Caribbean island . Favourite local dishes include goat 's cheese and salt fish fritters .