The chef behind Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall reveals his favourite kitchen soundtrack and why he never skips a Sunday roast.
The Simple Life 030
One of Italy’s most revered chefs, Fulvio Pierangelini’s famous respect for ingredients reverberates throughout every level of his role as Creative Director of Food at Rocco Forte Hotels.
The Game Changer 036
Michelin-starred Michael Caines brings his terroir cuisine to the UK capital, transforming The Stafford into a destination for fine dining.
Creative Collaboration 042
Empowerment, community and a commitment to success are the central tenets of Wayne Brown’s philosophy at Ennismore, where his people-first approach is reaping rewards.
DINING
The Green Gathering 076
International chefs from Relais & Châteaux’s World Culinary Council meet at Raffles London at The OWO to debate the future of gastronomy.
SIPPING
Tequila Queen 092
Kat Whyte McQueen recounts how the stars have aligned throughout her career, eventually leading to a unique project with Ariane Fine Porcelain.
Room with a Vine 096
Wine tourism is evolving beyond tastings and tours into immersive stays, redefining hospitality around the world.
The Fifth Element
102
Umami flavours are adding another dimension to drinks, sparking a wave of savoury-inspired creativity at bars across the globe.
Award-winning ultra-premium tequila crafted in Amatitán, Mexico.
Aged in French Oak Cabernet barrels. No added sugar, colouring or flavouring. Just 100% pure agave and water.
Coffee meets culinary craft in Vienna.
For more than 160 years, Julius Meinl has been a symbol of Vienna’s coffee culture – a name built on craftsmanship and the pursuit of the perfect cup. Today, coffee remains more than a drink; it is a ritual, a marker of hospitality and taste. In collaboration with Gault&Millau Austria, Julius Meinl spoke with five of Vienna’s top creatives about coffee’s role in their kitchens, blending tradition, creativity and innovation in fine dining.
Lukas Mraz, Larissa Andres, Silvio Nickol and Sören Herzig share their perspectives on coffee and how it continues to shape the city’s culinary identity.
LUKAS MRAZ MRAZ & SOHN
In Vienna, the coffeehouse is often described as an extension of one’s own living room, and it’s this same relaxed, welcoming atmosphere that Markus and Lukas Mraz bring to Mraz & Sohn.
Their concept is a 13-course tasting menu, rotating every five to six weeks: a masterful mix of creativity and precision, designed for pure enjoyment. Anything can be elevated, even the everyday.
“It’s a performance as much as it is service,” explains Lukas, referring to their Turkish coffee cart wheeled out at the end of the night. “The coffee is brewed fresh on the cart, boiled three or four times to develop the flavours, then gently topped up with water so the grounds settle perfectly. It’s all about texture, aroma and timing.”
Larissa Andres and her partner Jonathan Wittenbrink run JOLA, their first of two restaurants, dedicated to plant-based cuisine. Founded in 2022, JOLA was born from a desire to break from the familiar, using creativity and sustainability to unlock entirely new culinary possibilities.
At JOLA, non-alcoholic pairings are treated with the same attention to detail as wine and are an integral part of the dining experience. “Non-alcoholic pairings were a key focus for us from the very beginning,” says co-owner Larissa Andres. “At JOLA, most of our guests actually do drink alcohol in general, around 70 percent, but they’re curious. They might choose a non-alcoholic aperitif before switching to wine later, or they might dine midweek and prefer something lighter. We also offer mixed pairings, combining two wines and two alcohol-free drinks.”
SILVIO NICKOL GOURMET RESTAURANT
SILVIO NICKOL
In Vienna’s Palais Coburg, Executive Chef Silvio Nickol and Head Chef Florian Daube craft contemporary, creative cuisine designed to delight their guests. Their collaborative approach blends luxurious combinations and the finest regional and international ingredients.
Coffee is served in a classic style, the perfect close to an evening in the historic setting of the palace. The coffee is roasted locally in Vienna, and each cup is accompanied by a perfectly baked madeleine, inspired by a Belgian former mentor. “It’s a small detail, but one I care deeply about,” adds Nickol.
SÖREN HERZIG
RESTAURANT HERZIG
Sören Herzig, Head Chef, founder and owner of Restaurant Herzig, crafts dishes full of unexpected flavours and creativity, guided by his philosophy of originality, precision and thoughtfulness.
Coffee often plays a starring role in Herzig’s cuisine, including on the new autumn menu, featuring a melanzani panisse served with carrot and a coffee blanc – a classic beurre blanc infused with coffee beans that adds a subtle, bitter note to the sauce. “I believe coffee always needs a counterpart, usually acidity, often fruity acidity,” Herzig explains. “That balance, bitter notes paired with a lively, fruity acidity, creates harmony.”
The New A Line introduces features like the New FoamMaster, designed to improve in-cup quality and consistency by delivering the optimal milk temperature and highest foam quality for every milk-based beverage. It’s all about
the moment
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ENTRÉE
Guiding Lights
The concept of mentorship comes up time and again in this issue of Supper, which is probably no surprise to anyone working within hospitality. Very few industries cultivate the kind of environment where support and recognition are so freely given, and that’s in large part testament to the network of great people representing it – whether that’s behind the bar, the kitchen counter, or the desks at the highest level of business. Perhaps it’s also to do with shared feelings of camaraderie and creativity, as well as the knowledge that you can advance quickly through the ranks, with talent and skill rewarded in kind.
Kat Whyte McQueen touches on this idea during a conversation we had this summer, in which we explored her route to becoming one of the world’s most decorated tequila mixologists. Having recently launched a new barware collection with Ariane Fine Porcelain (the fruits of which are gracing this issue’s cover), she spoke of the unique buzz she gets from collaborating with like-minded people, and the feeling of community that blooms when working high-octane shifts together long into the night. Vitally, she also praised her mentors – those who stepped in to nurture her talent before she was fully aware of it herself.
Wayne Brown, Global Vice President of F&B Development at Ennismore and Head of Carte Blanched, can also testify to the positive outcomes of strong, personalised leadership. Starting out as a chef, he quickly climbed the career ladder thanks to support from those who recognised his skills and potential beyond the kitchen, offering him roles that stretched both his capabilities and expectations of himself. He now turns up for his own teams in the same way, encouraging them to deconstruct self-imposed restrictions, safe in the awareness that in business, he’s got their back.
Elsewhere and the strength of familial guidance is on full display at the newly-opened Appellation in Healdsburg, where Charlie Palmer has shared industry expertise with his two sons; one is taking the lead with a produce-first philosophy in the kitchen, and the other is helping to develop the business behind the scenes.
The common denominator here, of course, is the creation of a working atmosphere in which people feel comfortable being themselves, allowing them to embrace the intricacies of their roles, and furthermore, inspiring them to explore the limits of its pre-existing boundaries to drive change at every level, from the personal to the professional. These are feats only achievable when people feel there’s unflinching support and genuine connections with those they’re working alongside.
It’s heartening then, to see that there’s widespread recognition of the fact throughout the industry. At To The Table in Bangkok this past September, Clara Tang, Regional Vice President Learning & Development, APAC at Hyatt, spoke passionately about the group’s aim to empower employees by looking beyond the traditional transactional nature of recruitment, instead examining how they can bring more meaningful value to roles. While Rosewood Hotel Group’s launch of Rise to the Table, a mentor programme aimed specifically at women, identifies a gap where that support is currently lacking and aims to purposefully fill it. Proof, as ever, that well-considered guidance can be a powerful tool for transformation.
Data & Marketing Adam Cymbaluk a.cymbaluk@mondiale.co.uk
DESIGN
Design Manager David Bell
Production Jez Reid
CORPORATE
Accounts ar@mondiale.co.uk
Chairman Damian Walsh
Finance Director
Amanda Giles
SUSTAINABILITY
Natural • Renewable • Recyclable
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Guests staying at 13th-century Limousin château, Domaine des Etangs, part of Auberge Resorts Collection, can expect invitations to a series of immersive experiences during their stay this year, as the hotel has announced an exclusive partnership with family-founded, French heritage porcelain house, Bernardaud. Curated to celebrate the brand’s first ever hotel collaboration, each event honours the art de vivre and cultural significance of the region.
Experiences include The Bernardaud Art of Tea, an exploration of the evolution of teatime traditions guided by a company expert, followed by an afternoon tea served on Beranardaud porcelain; The Elegance of the Table, a practical workshop on the history and modern adaptation of French
dining etiquette followed by a four-course dinner; and private guided tours of Bernardaud’s Limoges atelier, offering a rare glimpse into the artistry behind each handcrafted piece, and an opportunity to personalise an object of their own.
Running until the end of the year, the collaboration aims to offer guests a timeless showcase of French craftmanship.
“This partnership presents a unique journey into the heritage and savoir-faire of two French icons, both rooted in the Limousin region,” says Ernesto Ovalle, General Manager of Domaine des Etangs. “Together with Bernardaud, we are delighted to share the timeless beauty, refinement and craftsmanship that define life at the château and our wider Auberge Resorts Collection ethos.”
A groundbreaking initiative from Rosewood Hotel Group and Rosewood Foundation paves the way for growth and recognition for women in the F&B industry.
In a first-of-its-kind global programme, Rosewood Hotel Group and Rosewood Foundation have launched Rise to the Table, a leading initiative designed to empower the next generation of women hospitality leaders. Citing the statistic that fewer than 7% of the world’s best restaurants are led by female chefs, Rise to the Table aims to address inequality across the F&B sectors by selecting 10 women from around the world for a fully funded, week-long, immersive residency, taking place at Rosewood Hong Kong in March 2026, followed by a year of targeted one-to-one mentorship.
The programme combines leadership and business skills development through professional coaching and strategy workshops that focus on personal branding, financial literacy and sustainability driven innovation. Participants will also gain relevant exposure via wine tastings, local market and farm visits, and group dining at restaurants and bars led by Hong Kong’s renowned hospitality talent. Following the
residency, participants will be paired with a senior Rosewood leader to embark on a year-long mentorship journey, ensuring the community fostered, guidance received and lessons learnt during the programme are translated into tangible career momentum.
Applications for next year’s programme are now closed, but the process will recur on an annual basis, rotating between different Rosewood Hotel Group properties around the world, ensuring womens’ voices are heard at the highest levels of business.
“By championing the extraordinary women shaping the future of food and beverage, we are supporting individual careers and creating systemic change at the same time,” says Sonia Cheng, CEO of Rosewood Hotel Group. “This programme aims to cultivate equality, innovation and leadership in an industry that inspires and unites. We’re not just changing the narrative; we’re creating a new one that highlights the diverse talent shaping the future.”
Stay Curious
On a mission to elevate the dining, drinking and entertainment scene in Manhattan, The Fifth Avenue Hotel has launched Epicurious Experiences, spanning a clutch of new culinary concepts and private event spaces. Geared towards guests with an appreciation of design, storytelling, top-notch hospitality and unique experiences, the New York City property has enlisted the help of its highly-respected chefs and sommeliers, plus revered design studios, in the name of the cause.
At the centre of the new offering is The Cellar, a speakeasy-style space accessible via a private entrance on Fifth Avenue. Envisioned by Martin Brudnizki Design Studio, the intimate, underground den features lacquered wood marquetry, a custom designed rug, sapphire blue details and softly glowing lighting alongside a dramatic bar and a vibrant collection of artworks by multi-disciplinary artist Matt Smith.
James Beard award-winning chef Andrew Carmellini of NoHo Hospitality heads up the menu concept, with an evolving carousel of seasonal dishes like oysters à la pomme to start, Atlantic halibut with cresson sauce for main, and olive oil and Sorrento lemon coppa to finish.
Complementing The Cellar is The Vault, a private family-style dining experience that seats up to 14 and offers exclusive access to The Fifth Avenue Hotel’s expansive selection of over 15,000 bottles, as curated by Master Sommelier Josh Nadel.
Finally, the property has added Behind the Curtain to its innovative F&B line-up. Perched above its signature restaurant Café Carmellini, the jewel-box, two-seat space pays homage to the golden age of mixology and New York’s legendary secret watering holes. Available exclusively to hotel guests, nights spent here pair a menu of contemporary cocktails with Café Carmellini’s culinary creations.
Home Comforts
Chef Shaun Rankin is handing home cooks the keys to his Michelinstarred kitchen with A Taste of Home, a cookbook that pulls recipes and personal insights directly from his restaurant at Grantley Hall in the Yorkshire Dales.
The British chef reveals how to recreate his signature dishes with stepby-step instructions for both confident chefs and curious food lovers.
The bound hardback also captures Rankin’s modern approach to Yorkshire cuisine, deeply rooted in the landscape he grew up in and driven by a resolute commitment to seasonal and hyperlocal ingredients.
Expect the inside scoop on inventive compositions like honey walnut cake with Colston Bassett Blue cheese, or the Hen of the Woods Lollipop glazed with meadowsweet caramel. There are also playful pairings like crumpets and lardo, scampi topped with seaweed, and the visually striking Kitchen Garden, complete with edible broccoli soil.
Part coffee-table showpiece, part practical kitchen companion, A Taste of Home celebrates the flavours and traditions of a region known for its culinary heritage, as Rankin opens the doors to his place, offering a rare look into his creative process, while inviting readers to bring a little Michelin-starred magic into their own homes.
Comfort food, sensory dining, native ingredients and artificial intelligence give a taste of the topics referenced in Marriott International’s The Future of Food 2026 report, an in-depth summary of the trends predicted to define the Asia Pacific F&B landscape over the coming year.
Drawing on insights from over 30 influential chefs, mixologists, industry insiders and food media, along with findings from Marriott’s inaugural survey of F&B teams in 270 properties across the region, the dispatch reveals how guest expectations continue to be the driving force behind the sector’s constant evolution.
Key to the report findings is the emergence of ‘fine-casual’ as a concept. Blending comfort food
Elsewhere, and the spotlight on local, foraged and often forgotten ingredients is illuminated, with the region’s chefs embracing indigenous produce as a means of expressing their cultural identity. Among the properties surveyed, 85% now incorporate locally sourced products or dishes into their offerings. The rise directly correlates with customer demand, but it’s also reflective of the mindset of Asia’s thirdgeneration chefs, many of whom employ modern cooking techniques in a bid to elevate the cuisine they’ve grown up with, while still preserving its heritage. “There is a strong sense of nostalgia and pride attached to local food,” says Neeraj Rawoot, Director of Culinary at JW Marriott Bengaluru Prestige Golfshire Resort & Spa in
Great Expectations
Marriott International’s The Future of Food 2026 report reveals the trends set to shape the Asia Pacific F&B landscape in the coming year.
with creative refinement, the term is indicative of a more relaxed approach from diners and chefs alike. From elevated takes on beloved classics, such as caviar-topped fried chicken, to à la carte menus offering more choice and personality, chefs from Singapore to Tokyo are embracing a more relaxed yet luxurious approach to dishes.
As a result, traditional, multi-course menus are making way for faster, more flexible experiences, largely in response to guest demand – of all Marriott International properties surveyed, 59% said guests are opting for casual dining over formality compared to last year.
Despite this, guests are still courting memorable culinary experiences, with nearly half (48%) of Marriott International F&B associates reporting an uptick in requests for interactive dining. In practice, this looks like dining in the dark events, edible art, omakase feasts and themed environments – multisensory journeys that extend beyond food to incorporate entertainment and a dose of theatricality.
India. “It often sparks deeper conversations about sustainability and authenticity.”
And we can’t look to the future without mentioning AI, which looks set to become ubiquitous in the hospitality setting, promising greater efficiency and cost saving. Of the properties surveyed, 76% are adopting booking management technologies, while 75% report that social media influences guest decisions around restaurant and bar bookings. Furthermore, advancements in technology are also set to drive AI-powered menu engineering, leveraging realtime feedback and optimising dish combinations.
“The Future of Food 2026 showcases how Asia Pacific continues to shape global dining,” says Petr Raba, Vice President of Food & Beverage, Asia Pacific excluding China, Marriott International. “A new culinary language is emerging where quality meets comfort, luxury meets experience, and a meal is about engaging all the senses. Food is no longer just fuel; it’s a form of storytelling, identity and cultural connection.”
The chef mastermind behind Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall reveals his favourite kitchen soundtrack and why he never skips a Sunday roast.
When did you first fall in love with cooking?
It all started at home with my mum. She was always cooking for the family and I loved being around her in the kitchen. When I got my first professional job at InterContinental London Park Lane, I suddenly went from a northern lad helping his mum to a kitchen full of French chefs! It was a real eye-opener - bright lights, London life and the intense, exciting culinary world that I’d only dreamt about before.
Which chefs have inspired you?
Working with Charlie Trotter was inspiringhe had an uncompromising vision of food and hospitality, which taught me the importance of high standards. Thomas Keller has also had a huge influence on me. I met him while working in Jamaica, and it was incredible to see the precision of his cooking and how he carries himself as a leader. Both of them taught me lessons that I still carry into my kitchens today.
Where do you find your creative inspiration?
Inspiration comes from ingredients, always. I’m led by what’s in season, what’s at its peak, and what the producers I work with are excited about. I also find creativity in collaborating with my team - tasting, refining and creating something together that feels alive and new.
Which city is food heaven for you and why?
San Sebastián, without question. The quality of ingredients there is second to none, and the whole city lives and breathes food. There really is no place like it on Earth.
Do you have a favourite hotel restaurant?
Les Sources de Caudalie in Bordeaux is really special to me. It’s a beautiful spa hotel set in the vineyards of Château Smith Haut Lafitte - it breathes elegance and tranquility. Its restaurant, La Grand’Vigne, held two Michelin stars when I visited. I had dinner in the middle of the vineyard, and everything from the cellars to the spa treatments were connected to that sense of place.
Tell us about your most memorable meal?
That would be Maison de Bricourt in Cancale, Brittany. It’s closed now sadly, but it was the most incredible restaurant. I remember sitting in the garden for dinner, surrounded by the sea air and the beauty of the French coast. The curried turbot is one of those dishes that stays with you forever!
How often do you dine out?
Not as often as I’d like, but when I do, I really value the chance to relax and enjoy the work of others.
Are you an easy-going or demanding diner?
Easy-going. I know how much work goes into running a restaurant, so I don’t go out looking for perfection. I just want to appreciate the atmosphere and see what other chefs are doing.
Which new restaurant are you eager to try out?
I look forward to visiting Matt Abé’s new restaurant, Bonheur in London. Mayfair has a special place in my heart and to see one of the
industry’s culinary legends take centre stage with a new opening there is really exciting.
Do you have a favourite dish?
For me, nothing beats a perfectly cooked Côte de boeuf. There’s something so primal and satisfying about it.
And to wash that down with?
A good Bordeaux, without a doubt. A glass of wine that’s deep and rich complements the beef perfectly.
It’s Sunday evening at home: who’s cooking and what’s on the menu?
That would be me, of course! And it has to be a Sunday roast. I find a proper roast beef dinner very comforting. I suppose it’s the tradition and family aspect that I love more than anything.
Do you have a go-to cooking soundtrack?
It depends on the mood, but more often than not it’s classical music. It gives me focus in the kitchen and it’s perhaps my favourite genre out of the kitchen too.
Who is your favourite person to cook for?
I love hosting private dinners and parties for people I’ve never met before. Bringing strangers together from all walks of life and watching food spark conversation, connection and friendship is really special. As a hospitality person through-and-through it reminds me of the social power of food and its ability to create lasting memories.
The Simple Life
One of Italy’s most revered chefs, Fulvio Pierangelini’s famous respect for ingredients reverberates throughout every level of his role as Creative Director of Food at Rocco Forte Hotels.
Alabourer, a night porter and a sailing instructor aren’t typical jobs you expect to find on the CV of one of Italy’s finest chefs, but they all feature on Fulvio Pierangelini’s résumé.
And that’s lucky for diners everywhere, since it was during his time trying out these professions that he first stepped into the world of busy kitchens. “I was immediately captivated, so whenever possible, I would spend time observing every move of the skilled chefs I worked alongside,” he says. “Sometimes they would ask me to help with the small tasks that they found boring, but for me it was pure joy! So, I fell into my career naturally. In fact, I often say that I do not cook; I am a cook.”
Creative Director of Food at Rocco Forte Hotels since 2009, Pierangelini’s journey to culinary stardom began back in the 1970s, when he first started working in hotels and resorts. It was in 1980, however, that his career really took off “almost by accident”, when he took over Il Gambero Rosso, a thenmodest restaurant in San Vincenzo port in Tuscany. “It was originally a folly,” he explains. “I had no market survey done beforehand, I had virtually no money, and it was in a truly remote place. But that didn’t matter to me, I just wanted to cook and to watch the sunset over the sea from the windows. I aspired to nothing else.” But those small aspirations grew, eventually becoming the catalyst for his next chapter: “I came to understand that cooking was in my DNA and that I possessed a certain talent that was ‘donated’
to me,” he adds. “But I had no merit and I was missing the required technique to become a great chef. So, I decided to go to France to learn it.”
A stint with three-Michelin-starred Chef Roger Vergé on the French Riviera followed, and while Pierangelini describes this period as somewhat turbulent, characterised by “sacrifice, joy, sorrow, emotion, fear and success,” it paid off, with Il Gambero Rosso eventually becoming a regular name on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, gaining twoMichelin stars and hosting many of the chef’s peers, who named his spaghetti with tomato sauce the king of simple and sincere Italian cuisine.
It was also at Il Gambero Rosso where Pierangelini first met Sir Rocco Forte. “We immediately realised that we shared the same ideas about food and the simple concept of luxury,” he explains. And so, when he eventually shut up shop in 2008 to become “a chef in exile,” it wasn’t long before he was snapped up by the international hotel group. It was just a year later when he joined its executive culinary board and was put in charge of creating innovative new menus for its venues. “I didn’t change anything when it came to my style,” he continues. “I simply transferred all the passion that I put into Il Gambero Rosso to Rocco Forte Hotels, adding in the inevitable necessary precautions so that the gap between the two realities would prove effective, functional and successful.”
Today, Pierangelini is responsible for the menu design
Words: Naomi Chadderton • Photography: Courtesy of Rocco Forte Hotels
Pierangelini teaches young chefs to prioritise high quality yet simple ingredients before elevating them on the plate
at Rocco Forte Hotels including Hotel Savoy in Florence, Hotel de Russie and Hotel de la Ville in Rome, Masseria Torre Maizza in Puglia, Villa Igiea in Palermo, and the newlyopened The Charles in Munich, with each boasting its own distinct identity that’s built around the ingredients and flavours of each region. “These kitchens are very different, geographically and culturally, so it’s important to consider their unique particularities while still maintaining a guideline that is philosophical, cultural and typical of the group,” he says. “I do need to ensure a continuity of style, however, so the basic raw materials stay the same in all of the hotels, then the recipes change to respect each location.”
Indeed, while some classics, such as tomato sauce and the dough used in crafting ravioli never change, the chef combines those bases with sprouts and shrimp from the North Sea for Hotel Amigo in Brussels, and with aubergine for Verdura Resort in Sicily. He also follows a strict rule of visiting local markets before stepping foot in a new kitchen, and doesn’t impose time limits on new menu launches. “I try to understand as much as possible before I go back to work with the chefs in each restaurant,” he says. “This is where everything begins, and it means I can put all the knowledge I’ve garnered over 30 years to good use.”
He credits his family and upbringing for the initiation that developed into in-depth knowledge of his craft. “I grew up in a home where my mother – like nearly all Italian mothers at the time – cooked with love for her family every day.” It’s this basic yet poignant premise that forms the foundations of Pierangelini’s approach to cooking – for him, good food should never be fussy or overcomplicated. Instead, it all comes down to choosing the highest quality
“I fall in love with an ingredient more than a dish. I look at it, it looks back at me, and we understand each other. It’s almost always a great love.”
ingredients. “I fall in love with an ingredient more than a dish,” he enthuses. “I look at it, it looks back at me, and we understand each other. It’s almost always a great love. For simple cooking you need wonderful products, exceptional technique and perfect timing. Without these prerogatives, cooking can become trivial.” His signature dish – and the one that originally made him famous – Passatina de Ceci e Gamberi (chickpea and prawn puree) is testament to the fact.
Sustainability also sits at the heart of everything that Pierangelini does, from planting trees and producing vegetables for a handful of his restaurants, to giving back to local communities and employees. “We always aim to protect biodiversity and respect labour, identity and the mindful celebration of tradition,” he explains. “This is why we commit ourselves to understanding cultivation methods and stay in close contact with the people around us, from farmers and breeders to fishermen. It’s the only way to ensure we source quality products with ethical awareness, and without ever losing a sense of emotion.”
Nowhere is this passion clearer than at Verdura Resort’s organic farm Casina nell’Orto, which was founded in 2014 as an expression of Pierangelini’s love for local produce and strong ties with the region. Aiming to enhance Sicily’s fruits of the earth while also introducing guests to an authentic and sustainable dining experience, the 230-hectare farm is home to an abundance of crops including thousands of olive and fruit trees, while more than 2,600m2 of land is dedicated to a vegetable garden, where a wide range of vegetables and herbs are grown according to strict organic farming methods. “There’s everything from artichokes, aubergines and tomatoes to peppers, melons, chillis, broad
“Even the humblest ingredient can become the true protagonist of a dish.”
beans, rosemary, sage, mint and wild fennel,” Pierangelini explains – a bounty that guests are invited to harvest accompanied by the resort’s gardener to later transform into dishes alongside the chefs.
Pierangelini also introduced extra virgin olive oil production at Verdura Resort, with local varieties including Cerasuola, Biancolilla and Nocellara all hand-picked and cold-pressed within a few hours of harvesting to maximise the organoleptic properties of the oil. “It has been such a success that we have taken it beyond the confines of the Verdura Resort to be used in every kitchen and restaurant in the Rocco Forte group,” he adds. “In hotels outside of Italy I send only exceptional and hard-tofind products, and one of the most important of these is this extra virgin olive oil. It is the basis of almost all recipes, after all.”
capital of Sicily; The Carlton in the fashionable Quadriletaro della Moda neighbourhood of Milan; and Palazzo Sirignano, the group’s first outing in Naples.
Pierangelini could seize on these openings in a bid to make bold changes. But true to his principles, he remains steadfast in working with quiet dedication. “Our goal is to merely carry on with our commitments, to live out our passions and to follow our desire to always do better,” he says, an attitude that continues to inspire future generations. “To younger chefs, I emphasise the importance of respect and technique,” he adds. “I tell them that all ingredients have equal dignity, that their price is simply a commercial construct, and that they must endeavour to work hard so that even the humblest ingredient can become the true protagonist of a dish.”
Dishes served within Rocco Forte Hotels reflect a continuous style, but are tweaked to reflect each restaurant’s location
This year, Hotel Savoy in Florence celebrates its 25th anniversary, while the wider group prepares to welcome new properties, including Palazzo Castelluccio in Noto, the baroque
This is his legacy, it seems, and it’s one he’s been crafting since the beginning of his career.
“My strictness, my obsession with quality, my unwillingness to compromise… Nothing has changed,” he smiles.
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The Game Changer
Michelin-starred chef Michael Caines brings his terroir cuisine to the UK capital, transforming The Stafford into a destination for contemporary fine dining.
Words: Hannah Currie • Photography: Courtesy of The Stafford Collection
Mi chael Caines’ first London residency almost didn’t happen. Before he signed with The Stafford earlier this year, he was approached by another hotel about opening a restaurant in the capital. “I got very close to agreeing,” he recalls. “But I had a sudden feeling that it wasn’t quite right.” Determined not to let an opportunity slip away, Caines turned to his PR company, who had previously worked with The Stafford, for guidance. “I asked them where they thought would be suitable and they produced a list of opportunities. But it was The Stafford that kept coming up.”
The historic St James’ hotel has given Caines the space to do things his own way. From this vision, Michael Caines at The Stafford, formerly The Game Bird, is born - a modern European restaurant that brings the chef’s signature ‘terroir cuisine’ to London’s fine-dining scene with an offering that feels as confident, and full of character, as the chef himself.
Born in Exeter in 1969, Caines studied at Exeter College before beginning his professional career at Grosvenor House Hotel in Mayfair. From there, he trained under Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons and later in France with the legendary Bernard Loiseau and Joël Robuchon.
Having learnt from the best, he became Head Chef at Gidleigh Park in Devon aged just 25, and went on to secure the restaurant two Michelin stars, retained for some 18 years. By 2016, it was time to strike out alone with Lympstone Manor near Exmouth, a Georgian country house reimagined as a hotel, restaurant and vineyard.
“Lympstone is the realisation of a dream,” Caines says, reflecting on what the passion project has become today. “It’s me at my most creative.” Within six months, the Relais & Châteaux property earned a Michelin star for its cuisine, and has since become a platform for the chef’s wider ambitions, from launching a cookery academy to planting vines that now produce award-winning sparkling wine.
Caines’ culinary philosophy is rooted in the French concept of terroir, with a strong focus on expressing a sense of place
More recently, Caines has begun to offer private cookery masterclasses at the property, extending his role as mentor and educator.
Television audiences will recognise the chef from BBC’s Great British Menu, while Formula 1 fans might have spotted him in Williams’ team colours, overseeing paddock catering. Despite this public profile, Caines has always remained faithful to the South West, establishing Devon as a culinary destination and Lympstone as a showcase for British cuisine.
A move to London, then, marks a natural progression and chance to embed this philosophy into the capital’s competitive landscape. It also entails a new challenge for the chef, as he transitions to Culinary Strategist for The Stafford Collection, with Lympstone Manor joining as an associate member. Strategically, the partnership bridges audiences, with The Stafford’s guest base around 64% American and Lympstone drawing in 90% UK diners. “The logic was to encourage more UK guests to The Stafford and to offer a more gourmet experience here, while also tapping into the American market down in Devon,” Caines explains.
He remains upfront about the undertaking necessary to transform the London hotel into a culinary destination in its own right. With 107 guestrooms and two dining outlets: The American Bar, a casual affair of light bites and cocktails, which will also service in-room dining; and the new finedining restaurant with its four private dining rooms, he is overseeing multiple concepts across various service times.
“We’re doing breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. There’s a lot going on,” he admits. “There are 40 covers in the main restaurant, but you might still serve 200 breakfasts, so you have to understand the challenges. If you try to do everything, you end up suffering on quality. We need to work within the scope of what we’ve got, but deliver better.”
Tasked with doing just that, Caines has introduced dishes rooted in the French concept of terroir, which recognises
“Everything we do in London has to meet the expectations I’ve set at Lympstone Manor and throughout my career.”
a sense of place and the physical and environmental factors that give food its distinct taste and character. He is also committed to working with suppliers who embrace regenerative practices, provide full traceability and reduce single-use plastics.
Menus at Michael Caines at The Stafford evolve with the seasons, championing sustainable farming and fishing. The à la carte offers bold flavour combinations, from warm lobster salad with mango, cardamom and lime vinaigrette, to European-inspired dishes such as hare à la royale enriched by lentils à la française, alongside heritage classics like The Stafford beef Wellington for two, theatrically served from a trolley at the tableside. An eight-course tasting menu provides a true destination experience, with signature creations such as Orkney scallop ceviche accompanied by Oscietra caviar, honey, soy and avocado; and roast pigeon paired with baby leek, celeriac and truffle purée.
“We have put thought into where each ingredient comes from, and we care about how it is produced,” the chef says of the menu.“So, we have to be precise: whether the beef is from Herefordshire, the turbot from Brixham or the caviar from Exmoor.” In Devon, he is championing ingredients from the South West; in London, drawing from the breadth of the country while still embracing the city’s global outlook.
“In London, the world is your oyster,” Caines adds. “But let’s start by celebrating the best of British and do that in a seasonal way.”
While the two properties differ, these standards should mutually align. “Everything we do in London has to meet the expectations I’ve set at Lympstone Manor and throughout my career,” he asserts. “I held two Michelin stars for many years, and I’ve become known for creating great food. We know restaurants don’t live or die by their status, but we need to make sure the philosophy and execution is as sharp in London as it is down in Devon.”
Equally, Caines insists The Stafford must tell its own story. From wartime heroes to members of the Royal Family, the hotel’s hosting history is rich, and The American Bar has long drawn personalities like writer Ian Fleming and resistance heroine Nancy Wake. Beneath it, 17thcentury wine cellars once sheltered American officers during the Blitz, with keepsakes preserved in a small wartime museum. Today, more than 8,000 bottles curated by Master Sommelier Gino Nardella echo the same attention to heritage and provenance that Caines brings to his cooking. “It’s all part of the narrative,” he muses. “If you tell an American guest that the Queen used to sit in that seat, they’ll be queuing up for it. There are so many stories to be told. And you can do that through the menu too, because food and drink isn’t just about taste, it’s about memory.”
The challenge, he argues, is to modernise without erasing legacy. “We need to embrace that important history, but make it contemporary,” he explains. “Informal fine
dining is normal across London now. Having to put on a jacket and tie – those days are gone. Guests want elegance and sophistication, but with a sense of ease.” So, he says, every detail, from the crockery and glassware to the service style, should resonate with today’s diner.
But reinvigorating F&B at The Stafford is not just about new tablecloths or an elevated menu. It requires investment in people and training, sharper decision-making and a clear repositioning of the offering. “It means we have to make some hard choices,” he explains. “If people don’t know about The Stafford, is that because we’re a hidden gem, or because we haven’t given them a reason to come?”
Central to retaining relevance is talent, and Caines has made it a priority to give his new team the freedom to contribute. “I stand for developing the next generation,” he says. “My Executive Head Chef Simon Ulph has been given a platform for creativity. I’m 56, but the team keep me young and the kitchen is much more collaborative than before - everyone has
Dishes at Michael Caines at The Stafford reflect the changing seasons while championing sustainable farming and fishing
something to bring to the table. My job is to lead, but also to inspire and to share.”
Training and development, he insists, are the bedrock. “If we are going to expand from The Stafford into a wider collective of hotels, then the right philosophy has to expand with it,” he continues. “We want to train the staff to be their best. Then we can make a difference, not by aesthetically changing too much, but by shifting the philosophy, delivery and outcome.”
Caines’ own curriculum vitae gives weight to these assertions. “I’ve been doing hotel restaurants all my life, and they require a different way of thinking to standalone venues,” he reflects. “Lympstone is a good example of that, with the whole being more than the sum of its parts. I’m proud to be the creative mind behind it, and even more proud that chefs who’ve worked with me have gone on to win Michelin stars of their own.”
That, he believes, is where the greatest legacy lies. For Caines, the act of passing knowledge forward is as vital as any accolade. Mentorship,
he says, is not just about nurturing technical ability, but about shaping resilience and creativity. “I think about chefs I’ve worked with, the likes of Sam Moody, Michael Tweedie or Chris Cleghorn, and seeing them succeed and even surpass what I’ve done - that, to me, is a real contribution to the UK dining scene.”
Even so, are stars on the cards for his latest London project? “There’s not a person in that kitchen who wouldn’t want that recognition,” he admits. “But there’s no expectation to achieve it within a set time frame. Is there a three Michelin star chef in me? I think there probably is, but as you get older, you become less obsessed, because you understand that it is not within your power. What you can control is what you do every day in the kitchen.”
That is the overarching vision as he steers The Stafford into a new culinary chapter. “If we build consistency and continuity, I hope accolades will follow,” Caines concludes. “But at the end of the day, there’s nothing more satisfying than a restaurant full of people enjoying the food.”
Wayne Brown Head of Carte Blanched; Vice President of Food & Beverage, Americas Ennismore
Starting out as a chef gave Wayne Brown the grounding required to quickly ascend the ranks in the wider F&B sector. After a clutch of stints in kitchens, he was recruited to lead Adrift by David Meyers at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, before being promoted to Director of Culinary & Development, a role he also held at SBE. In 2019, he was tasked with leading strategy and operations as Global Vice President of F&B Development - Operations & Culinary at Ennismore, and was later pivotal in the launch of Carte Blanched, Ennismore’s in-house F&B concept studio.
Current Projects:
SLS The Red Sea, Saudi Arabia; 25hours Hotel Sydney The Olympia; The Hoxton, Dublin
Creative Collaboration
Empowerment, community and a commitment to success are the central tenets of Wayne Brown’s philosophy at Ennismore, where his people-first approach is reaping rewards.
Words: Abby Lowe
When Sharan Pasricha founded Ennismore in 2011, it’s unlikely he had any inkling of the success the hotel group would achieve. One of the fastest-growing lifestyle hospitality companies on the globe, its related statistics are staggering, particularly in the wake of Accor’s 2021 joint venture, which paired its pre-existing aptitude and creativity with Accor’s scale and distribution in the creation of an impressive new entity (in which Accor holds a majority share). Boasting 180 hotels within its collective, spanning brands including The Hoxton, Delano, Mondrian and SO/, there are an additional 140 properties in the pipeline, not to mention 500 restaurants with a further – deep breath – 400 in the works.
So, it made sense to outsource some of that magic to hotel owners while maintaining inhouse talent, a feat accomplished with the founding of Carte Blanched in 2022, an integrated F&B studio that specialises in concept, design, operations, marketing and more. Forming part of Ennismore’s new global F&B platform, which brings together the operating expertise of fellow Ennismore brands Paris Society and Rikas, it offers strategic and creative consultancy services alongside PSC Hospitality.
There from the beginning, and with 22 years of hospitality experience, Wayne Brown heads up the division, as well as serving as Ennismore’s Vice
President of Food & Beverage for the Americas. Responsible for the creation and development of projects, as well as overseeing strategy and operations, he’s a driving force behind the finger-on-the-pulse reputation the studio has cultivated across the F&B sector.
He credits the expertise of his team, the majority of whom have worked their way up through the ranks of hospitality, alongside talented collaborators, as the collective force behind the studio’s formidable output. “When we launch a new concept, we make sure that the team we’re working with is experienced in the operational side of the business – they’re chefs, restaurateurs, sommeliers and brand creators,” he explains. “And their expertise shines through every single time.”
Brown knows first-hand the value of on-thejob experience. Starting out as an apprentice chef in his native Australia, a handful of cheffing jobs followed over the next decade, from Chef Pâtissier at Two Rooms Bar & Grill in Tokyo to Chef-Founder at Hardy’s Verandah Restaurant in Adelaide, his first foray into the luxury boutique hotel market. But his big break arguably came when he was scouted to take on the role of Executive Chef for David Meyers’ flagship Adrift restaurant at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. Up until then, Brown’s mantra served him well: “In our world, we question everything. We
own our mistakes, we obsess over the details, and we choose what’s right over what’s easy.” But in this position, his experience was transformed into a role that went beyond the kitchen, and as Director of Culinary & Development, he took the lead on key business decisions at the restaurant while overseeing the strategy of five new restaurants and brands across Asia, the Middle East and the US.
A role as Director of F&B Development & Culinary at Sam Nazarian’s SBE followed, in which he directed operations for 12 independent restaurants and four brands across 14 global hotels, setting the trajectory for his current global path and subsequent hiring by Ennismore.
Brown applies the same flexibility to managing his own team, supporting bold, decisive action and collaboration with teams on the ground, and using every lesson for growth. It eschews micromanagement, instead encouraging them to passionately follow their instincts. “I tell every team member that they each have three matters per year that I won’t question,” he says. “If you need me to go to battle for you, I will. It doesn’t matter if it’s a small issue like tweaking an interior design detail, or a big thing like supporting a partner to reassess their perspective, I’m happy to jump into the fire to make sure we deliver a great brand and return for our business partners.”
This empowerment, and a certain chutzpah, are critical drivers for the Carte Blanched team, who are frequently opening as many as 28 venues simultaneously in different destinations across the world. But there are other factors at work, not least a deep-seated commitment to ensuring the success of every project that lands on their desk, whether it’s a standalone venue or a venture within a hotel. “We design it, we build the story, and we’re on-hand for the duration to ensure it works in practice,” Brown says. “It takes trust, attention to detail and belief, but we’re always 100% committed.”
As a result, every Carte Blanched proposal is distinct, even if it falls under a larger hotel group umbrella. “Regionalisation is a vital element of what we do,” Brown adds. “That’s why we employed two different strategies for The Hoxton in Shepherd’s Bush and The Hoxton in Florence, for instance. But then what does the brand look like when we take it to Australia or the Midwest of America? That’s the fundamental question we try to solve first.” The Carte Blanched team do their homework, this is their niche, after all, and local experts are also consulted, offering specialised advice on each market. “We attract the right people who believe in being disruptive and asking the tough questions, just as we do ourselves,” Brown affirms.
From here, no detail is overlooked. “We’re
in the restaurant business, so good food and drink is the bare minimum – we begin with a great product,” Brown says. “What sets us apart is everything surrounding it: the atmosphere, the marketing, the socials, and importantly, our connection to community.” Equally vital is ensuring the venture is operationally robust, built to last, financially sound, and led by a team that’s empowered to deliver every day. “A lot of owners come to us wanting to partner with a celebrity chef,” he says. “But most of the time, a chef’s name alone isn’t enough. If you want to compete with the best, it takes time, effort and thought, which is exactly what Rikas founder Rizwan Kassim and Paris Society founder Laurent de Gourcuff bring alongside our F&B leaders, Antoine Menard and Louis Abboud.”
It was Pasricha who spotted Brown’s aptitude for managing myriad people and projects at once, that’s why he was entrusted with helping launch Carte Blanched back in 2022. “Ennismore has evolved a lot since,” Brown says. “It’s constantly in flux, working with brilliant brands and creators who understand the balance required to make sure a business starts and remains healthy.” For Brown, though, one factor remains constant: “Remove the glass ceiling you have in your head,” he concludes. “Whether you’re doing it for yourself, a company or a founder, the best advice I can give is to just take the shot.”
Bringing life to an overlooked area of Le Méridien Ra Beach Hotel & Spa was one element of the brief presented to Transit Studio when asked to create a new cocktail bar. “The hotel currently closes during winter and spring and lacked an internal focal point that worked across the seasons,” explains Zoe Masterton-Smith, founder and Creative Director of the studio. “So, we aimed to create a natural meeting point inside the hotel, bringing warmth and relaxation into some underused spaces.” Several locations were considered for the transformation, but in the end, the team plumped for the distinctive space of the hotel’s former chapel.
was used to revitalise the space, while a custom terrazzo by Mallorca-based Huguet (who also made the tops for the banquettes and tables in the booths), textured red marble tiles used in the bar and lounge niches, and rich natural plaster finishes add both a feeling of warmth and balance.
Additional features come in the form of loose furniture and rugs alongside dramatic glass finishes and coffee tables, which are placed amid a series of more cosy and intimate settings specifically designed to break down the scale of the space and encourage guests to explore.
“Since reopening, the area feels completely alive,” Masterton-Smith says with satisfaction.
IN A BITE
Operator: Le Méridien
Architecture and Interior Design:
Transit Studio, Growland Arquitectura
Graphic Design: Dapple Studio
F&B Consultant: Edward Francis Consulting
Head Chef: Carlos Gasso
Beverage Manager: David Hurtado
www.marriott.com
Nevertheless, its imposing scale still presented some challenges. “We didn’t want to compete with the existing dramatic architecture of the space,” Masterton-Smith continues. “But we did want Bar Tempus to have its own identity within it.” A warm colour palette of earthy tones, inspired by geological maps of the surrounding area and scenery from the air,
“The slightly bolder use of colour in some areas has helped to establish an identity for the bar within the wider space, and it provides warmth within the hotel in an area that was often unnoticed previously. It feels welcoming and inviting, and is a good example of design perfectly complementing the business goals of a hotel.”
Channelling the golden era of cinema and the laidback Californian coast, Café Goldie is an all-day concept on the ground floor of W Hollywood in Los Angeles. Designed by Adean Studios, the space transforms a classic hotel amenity into a destination that feels worthy of the big screen.
“The main lobby is large and cavernous, so we wanted to create a space that immediately transports guests both visually and emotionally,” says Alexa Nafisi-Movaghar of Adean Studios. “Every hotel has a grab-and-go component to pick up a morning coffee or pastry, and we wanted to elevate that experience.”
The vision takes shape in a layered golden design inspired by the opulence of Old Hollywood and the sun-drenched landscape it is famed for. Sliding doors in fluted glass, warm wood and brass create a cinematic reveal of the café, softly concealing and unveiling the space while allowing natural light to shine throughout.
The region’s popular Mid-Century style is embraced with a bold marble counter
and yellow-and-cream terrazzo floor, complemented by mustard velvet chairs and banquettes, reminiscent of plush theatre seating. “We didn’t exercise restraint in our use of velvet,” admits Nafisi-Movaghar. “It enhances the luxuriousness and splendour of the space.” Bespoke pendant chandeliers in brass and milk glass, evocative of a Hollywood make-up vanity, are another opulent touch.
Elsewhere, wicker, bamboo and a scattering of tropical greenery act as subtle nods to the coast.
“Nature and the outdoors is a quintessential part of California-living and we aimed to honour that through texture,” the designer explains. The café’s open layout also draws the eye beyond the dining room to the patio, where al fresco dining adds to the venue's appeal.
“We wanted to make guests feel like they are in a glamorous space that captures the spirit of both the city and the beach, along with the Mid-Century style that is so iconic to the LA scene,” she concludes. “Like Old Hollywood, but in colour!”
6-10 February 2026, Messe Frankfurt
andBeyond
Suyian Lodge
KENYA
Words: Abby Lowe
Photography: Courtesy of andBeyond
Perched high on an escarpment within Suyian Conservancy, a nature reserve at the heart of Kenya’s Laikipia Plateau, Suyian Lodge was designed to honour its extraordinary setting. Rooted in nature, with sweeping views of wilderness stretching to the horizon, the challenge for Michaelis Boyd was in the creation of an understated dining destination that doesn’t detract from the spectacular surroundings. “Nature is both the inspiration and the backdrop,” explains Alex Michaelis, co-founding partner at Michaelis Boyd. “So, the architecture and interiors have been carefully tuned to complement, rather than compete with, the beauty of the environment.”
intimacy and warmth against the expansiveness of the scenery. “Together, they establish an atmosphere that is both dramatic and deeply immersive,” Michaelis confirms. “The restaurant is less about extravagant, imposing design gestures and more about framing memorable moments.”
IN A BITE
Operator: andBeyond
Architecture: Michaelis Boyd, Nicholas
Plewman Architects + Associates
Interior Design: Fox Browne Creative
Head Chef: Oscar Malaba
F&B Manager: Steve Aggrey www.andbeyond.com
Consequently, the design has been intricately influenced by the vast savannah, rugged kopjes and ever-changing skies of Laikipia, with locally sourced stone cladding reflecting the rocky topography, and indoors, clean lines created by the intersection between lime plaster, polished concrete and timber visible throughout. Grand fireplaces anchor the space, creating a sense of
Emphasis is also placed on open sightlines to create a calming atmosphere that encourages guests to slow down and fully engage with a landscape that’s home to elephants, black leopards and zebra. “The design champions simplicity,” Michaelis affirms. “It’s about watching the light shift across the plateau, hearing the quiet crackle of the fire, and feeling the enveloping sense of stillness that’s so unique to Suyian.”
The gastronomic experience at Suyian Lodge mirrors this ethos. Showcasing the best of Laikipia’s produce, meals are unpretentious and wholesome, with many ingredients sourced from the local shamba (kitchen herb garden), and transformed into pickles and preserves.
Hotel Architecture: Goettsch Partners, GAD Architecture
Interior Design: Kokaistudios
Menu and Graphic Design: VAD
Executive Chef: Bradley Hull
F&B Manager: William Zhu
www.fourseasons.com
China’s long tradition of celestial observation is the inspiration behind Stars, a new rooftop bar and terrace atop Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at Hangzhou Centre. Conceptualised by Kokaistudios, the 30th floor space is imagined as a contemporary observatory, taking in both the constellations above and the cityscape below.
“When we first visited the site and looked out at the view, we immediately thought of Chinese astronomy,” says Filippo Gabbiani, founder and Principal Architect at the studio. “The subject has a history full of visual references, and we wanted to translate that into a contemporary design that feels like being inside the secret den of an astronomer.”
The idea unfolds through a restrained palette of warm metallics and absorbing deep blue. Overhead, pendant lights constructed from gold piping and ripple-textured glass discs evoke the shape and precision of traditional star-gazing instruments. Along one edge of the room, a glass-lined display wall styled as astronomers’
cabinets remain understated during the day, before integrated lighting reveals a backlit bottle showcase come dusk.
Indeed, light is the protagonist of the space, with materials chosen for their responsive qualities, subtly shifting the atmosphere as the hours pass. The glass-ceilinged entrance introduces the first layers of reflection, while later at the bar, polished marble surfaces amplify both natural and artificial illumination.
“We employ design instruments that reveal different moods throughout the day,” explains Gabbiani. “The challenge is a familiar one in F&B: to create a space that works at all hours, servicing daytime events and transforming into a sophisticated lounge in the evening.”
The central bar with its curved hood provides a solution to the quandary. By day, the sculptural piece sits quietly within the space, but at night it becomes a spatial anchor, opening to reveal a 3D-printed glass installation that depicts the Milky Way, inviting guests to peer upwards into dark skies, the cosmos and beyond.
Crater Royal Hideaway Corales Villas
TENERIFE
Barceló Hotel Group launches another gastronomy-first property in the Canary Islands, with Eduardo Domínguez at the helm of its signature restaurant.
There’s something wild about it,” says Tenerife-born chef Eduardo Domínguez, describing the Canary Islands’ tradition known as caldero, which translates as ‘cooking pot’. “It’s a very cultural act: families gather together at the coast, anecdotes are shared – it’s magic.”
Age-old customs revolving around food tend to set Domínguez’s imagination ablaze, a fact now coming to the fore as he embraces the role of Head Chef at Crater, the flagship restaurant at Royal Hideaway Corales Villas on his native island, where he uses wreckfish, seaweed and Marciala potatoes in the creation of a new dish inspired by the beloved caldero celebration.
In a development worth over €100 million, Royal Hideaway Corales Villas is set on the tourist-focused southwest of Tenerife, offering a new way for holidaymakers to escape the crowded coastline without veering too far afield. Set a 10-minute drive inland from the popular Costa Adeje bay, the setting is more secluded than holiday towns like Los Cristianos and Las Américas. The 139-key property lures guests with promises of peace and privacy, but its gastronomical offer is set to elicit significant noise.
Winner of the Canary Islands’ Best Chef award in 2016, and now a familiar name on Tenerife’s fine-dining scene, Domínguez has been part of the Royal Hideaway group since
2020. His new outing at Crater offers a 14-course tasting menu, immersing diners in some of the most enchanting and idiosyncratic aspects of the region’s subtropical isles. The current iteration focuses on La Palma, but in years to come it will alternate between the additional seven islands, providing a focused, enriching encounter with the unique identity of each.
Served on dishes resembling volcanic rock, the spread at Crater celebrates local, native produce. Domínguez makes a silky miso sauce from fermented millo – a ubiquitous kind of corn – topped with smoked mackerel. His interpretation of the traditional potaje palmero stew contains an ancient variety of wheat that his team is helping to preserve in collaboration with local agrodiversity groups. Another dish pays tribute to the red Palma peppers used for the typically Canarian mojo marinade, while gofio – flour made from roasted wheat – features in Domínguez’s version of escacho, a cheese-and-potato-based terrine.
The menu also encompasses playful nods to local culture, tradition and ways of life. A selection of appetisers comprising yams, almonds, grapes and goats cheese are placed around a map of La Palma, in homage to producers of such goods in the island’s four corners. The picadillo, a Canarian meat soup, is poured into a bowl containing marrow moulded into
the form of a figurine from the Danza de los Enanos fiesta that takes place in La Palma every five years. The borrallera, meanwhile, is an homage to a Portugueseera custom of cooking meat using the searing heat of volcanic rock.
The theme of hot coals continues at the hotel’s second restaurant, Bonfire, where another local cuisinier, Alejandro Garrido, puts the focus on flamegrilled goods. Explaining the premise behind the restaurant’s name, the 30-year-old chef says the ritual of gathering around a fire has an ancestral, mystical quality. He evokes this through theatrical touches like smoke billowing from a tiny barbeque on which the crispy skin of a seabass is served.
Aside from à la carte ordering, Garrido’s tasting menu at Bonfire offers a glimpse of his adventurousness –namely, his passion for dry-ageing. A process usually reserved for meat, dry-ageing enhances flavour and texture through prolonged controlled conditions of heat, moisture and salinity. Garrido applies the technique to fish instead, which he says, demands an entirely different approach. “The temperature and humidity ranges aren’t the same,” explains the chef, who spent stints in the Basque Country and Barcelona working for the acclaimed Martín Berasategui. “Fish is more delicate than meat, so it requires a more controlled process.”
After meticulous peeling and cleaning, the ageing process for the produce begins in a specially designed refrigerator. “When you extract the humidity, the primary flavours of the fish begin to reveal themselves,” Garrido continues. “Just from maturing, you can get a different consistency and texture in the
Dishes at Crater are a celebration of the traditions, culture and way of life distinct to the Canary Islands
flesh.” Results include a tuna belly aged for six weeks, topped with parmesan, shiitake mushroom, caviar and egg yolk; and a grouper aged for 22 days, chargrilled and served with a rich and creamy pil-pil sauce. Guests savour both Domínguez and Garrido’s finest in a property designed by renowned local architect Leonardo Omar. Set against the backdrop of Mount Teide, it offers views across the coastal strip from its infinity pool. Tropical greenery punctuates whitewashed walls, while outdoor walkways lead around the modernist construction of smart, villastyle units. Athens-based interior design practice K-Studio created a minimalistic sense of serenity and timelessness: whether the charred pebbles of the seashore, the lush vegetation of the forests or the burning lava of the volcanic craters, the island’s natural landscape provided ample inspiration for colours, textures and materials that bring guests within touching distance of the surrounding environment. The considered design touches are fitting for the Royal Hideaway portfolio, a high-end offer within Barceló Hotel Group, which now comprises nine properties across Spain. The brand’s presence in Tenerife dates back to 2018, with the opening of Royal Hideaway Corales Suites. In a construction resembling a huge white ship, two interconnected buildings house the resort’s dual presence: on one side, an adults-only hotel; on the other, a collection of suites, villas and penthouses ideal for families. One of its main claims to fame, however, stems from its glittering F&B offer, boasting three Michelin-starred restaurants – more than any other Spanish hotel.
General Manager Fernando Turnes, who has worked
at the property since its opening and is also Barceló’s area manager for Tenerife, believes a hotel of this scale means sky-high potential for ambitious chefs. “We have an ecosystem here,” he says. “We provide resources and the means of growing professionally, both in cooking and in management.” This is certainly the case with San Hô at Royal Hideaway Corales Suites, where Domínguez worked prior to establishing Crater: it began life as a Nikkei restaurant but has evolved into a lavish, avant-garde, 15-course experience that won a Michelin star in 2022.
Fusing influences from Asia, the Americas, the Canaries and beyond, San Hô’s tasting menu delivers the smoke and mirrors one expects from experimental fine dining. Cauliflower consommé is poured from a teapot, imitating a teatime ritual that could belong to either England or Japan, with pieces of miso stirred in like sugarcubes. Spanish classics, meanwhile, like gildas – skewers of anchovies, olives and piparra peppers – are deconstructed into globules and droplets of intense flavour that
shatter the preconceptions of texture and appearance that might influence food choices.
Also with a Michelin star at this resort, Il Bocconcino offers an Italian fine-dining experience, while the two-starred El Rincón de Juan Carlos is masterminded by Tenerife’s renowned Padrón brothers. Dominguez and Garrido’s openings at the new sister property therefore add to an existing offering of culinary excellence that Royal Hideaway brings to a region often known among Brits, Belgians and Germans for all-inclusive package holidays.
Hotels also dominate the fine-dining scene more widely in this part of the island – the Michelin-starred restaurants Haydée and Taste 1973 are found in Gran Tacande and Villa Cortés respectively, but Royal Hideaway is keeping competition fierce with its latest two openings. For Dominguez, the secret lies in elevating the culinary heritage of his islands to new levels. “Many guests don’t know the depth of Canarian cuisine,” he says. “But they’re all keen to learn.”
Chef Charlie Palmer and hospitality veteran Christopher Hunsberger launch the inaugural outpost of their culinary-first hotel brand amid the abundant landscape of Sonoma County.
When Michelin-starred chef Charlie Palmer opened the Las Vegas iteration of his New York flagship, Aureole, the restaurant industry was forever disrupted.
At the centre of the massive Mandalay Bay restaurant was progressive American cuisine and a multi-storey wine tower, which specially trained ‘wine angels’ would scale to retrieve sought-after vintages for awestruck guests. Palmer is once again subverting the concept of hospitality, but this time, he’s trading the glitz and glamour of Sin City for a quiet corner of Sonoma Valley. Here, alongside Four Seasons veteran Christopher Hunsberger, he’s envisioned Appellation, a new culinary-first hotel brand that puts community and ingredients at its heart, with the inaugural property spread across eight lush acres in Healdsburg.
In the early 2000s, Charlie relocated his wife and young sons to this quiet Californian town to truly immerse them in the lifestyle of the region’s fertile landscapes. “It’s one of the most beautiful places in the world,” Charlie says. “There aren’t many places that have everything within a 30-mile radius – an abundance of fruit
and vegetables, artisanal cheesemakers, great seafood, and people raising everything from premium poultry to lamb and beef. And that’s before you even start on the world-class wine.”
Although credited for putting the sleepy town on the map, with venues including Dry Creek Kitchen, Hotel Healdsburg and Spirit Bar enlivening the neighbourhood over the past two decades, Charlie is quick to shift the credit from himself to the growers, makers and talented teams he works with: “You need community to create something special, and it’s important to support your community in return.” And that succinctly summarises the ethos at Appellation: the creation of an authentic destination where guests can immerse themselves in Sonoma County’s food, wine and agricultural heritage.
This lack of pretension makes its way into the design too, executed by master architect John Hill and EDG Design. “We didn’t want guests to feel like they were walking into a hotel lobby,” explains Director Akiko Hrovat of the unique check-in at Folia Bar & Kitchen, the hotel’s signature restaurant. “Instead, it’s akin to being invited into someone’s living room.” Guests are
The menu at Appellation is intrinsically guided by the seasons, with ingredients sourced from a directory of local suppliers
offered appetisers and a glass of wine as they peruse the space, where a focal bar displays gantry shelving stacked with bottles from local distillers and brewers.
Elsewhere, lounge seating and oak tables surround a central fireplace resembling an antique stove, all enveloped by oak panelling and stone flooring. In the dining space, guests are seated at artisan-crafted, leather banquettes and sculpted wood and leather chairs, and when courses arrive at the table, guests pull their own cutlery out of silverware drawers (purpose built by EDG’s own Design Manager Matt Vuolo), much like they would at home.
Rooted in regional flavours, ingredients at Folia Bar & Kitchen are cooked on an open-hearth wood grill, infusing meats, seafood and vegetables with the essence of smoky oak embers. The evolving menu is developed by Charlie’s son and Chef de Cuisine, Reed, in response to the rhythms of the season. “We were young when we moved here from Manhattan and even as kids we couldn’t believe we lived here,” he recalls, marvelling at the bustling town Healdsburg has become, and the role his father has played in its continuing evolution.
Before joining the family business, Reed enjoyed stints at some of the foremost kitchens in Europe, including Copenhagen’s newly re-opened Amass. He then returned Stateside to immerse himself in hyper local stalwarts such as Blue Hill at Stone Barns
and One White Street in New York, as well as threeMichelin-starred Single Thread, just minutes from the hotel. “Over the years, I’ve worked in a lot of places where the emphasis is on a seasonal relationship with food,” he explains. “It’s great to be back in Healdsburg sharing that ethos, especially because everyone’s really behind the growth of the town.”
In terms of sourcing, this approach means opting for local products like nationally renowned Mary’s chicken, Hog Island oysters and Sonoma County beef and dairy. Breads are supplied by Healdsburg icon Quail & Condor, while additional fresh produce is gathered via the local Feed Sonoma collective, and garnishes and aromatics are plucked directly from the property’s own garden. On the menu these take the form of casual bites like seasonal salads, fresh pastas and creative sandwiches at lunchtime, while at dinner, dishes include roasted duck breast with fall mushrooms and vin jaune; and black cod cioppino with manilla clams, bay squid, fennel and cranberry beans, all served with sides such as greens and Upstate Abundance potatoes.
The biggest challenge Reed identifies with a season-first philosophy is unforeseen weather events impacting the harvest, as well as the inevitable growth slowdown in winter. While most chefs resort to root vegetables and hearty stews, Reed plans to infuse the menu with hints of what’s been preserved from the
more bountiful growing seasons. “Preservation is a big part of what I do, whether it’s vinegar, oil or miso,” he explains. “Pickling things like nectarines and plums gives brightness to dishes in the dead of winter. We’re also lucky that our colder months don’t last too long – while chefs are still freezing back East, we’re starting to harvest peas,” he jokes.
After meals, guests are invited to indulge in a digestif at Andys Beeline Rooftop, a sleek bar with vineyard views where EDG Design truly flexed its design muscle, bringing to life a sunset speakeasy with plush velvets in dusky hues, a mother of pearl-laden bar and lighting designed to mimic the glowing Sonoma harvest moon. Libations naturally feature the best of local wines, as well as signature cocktails ranging from the aptly named Buzz, a concoction of Sonoma Brothers bourbon, Meyer lemon, burnt honey syrup, cinnamon, stroopwaffle and bee pollen, and Golden Sting, made with Serrano tequila, lime, agave and ginger.
The gastronomic experience at the hotel
also extends beyond the dining room with Crafted at Appellation, a calendar of hands-on workshops led by local makers, farmers and artisans, in which guests might learn the art of cheesemaking with a Sonoma dairyman or master sourdough with a Healdsburg baker. More than 50 classes are planned throughout the year, inviting visitors to blur the lines between leisure and learning while developing a tangible connection to the region’s artistry and heritage.
The Palmer family are keen to emphasise they’re just getting started with Appellation. “We’re not even at 10% capacity of what we have planned for the next decade,” Charlie says. “As a brand, we’re not focused on exponential growth – we’re talking about developing a handful of really unique properties in places that we can spend a lot of time in, because that’s what it takes to develop something that’s truly special. So, this debut is more than an opening – it’s the beginning of a new standard for hospitality, where ingredients lead the experience.”
IN A BITE
Operator: Appellation Hotels
Architecture: John Hill
Interior Design: EDG Design
Executive Chef: David Intonato
Chef de Cuisine: Reed Palmer
Dinnerware: Steelite www.appellationhotels.com
Zélia
HALKIDIKI
Greek hospitality underpins this north coast property, where laidback dining gets an elevated spin across a series of cohesive yet distinct venues.
Words: Abby Lowe • Photography: Courtesy of Zélia Halkidiki
There’s an adage that states never work with children or animals, and many would probably add family to that list, preferring to steer well clear of the potential for unnecessary sibling strain. Not so in Greece, where working within a network of extended family is both a relatively common and proven successful approach to hotel projects.
In Halkidiki, in fact, it’s the strength of familial connection that’s brought Zélia to life. A sprawling, clifftop resort sprinkled with a series of F&B venues, it’s a fine example of multi-generational accomplishment based on creativity, cooperation and a shared vision.
“We already think similarly, and everybody has a specific role,” explains Vassili Papatheodorou, on the relationships that underpin the hotel. “So that makes it all quite easy –we’re lucky in that sense.” Papatheodorou’s cousin founded the property; his niece was responsible for the interiors; and he heads up the F&B programme, encompassing Mesogaea, a Greek-inspired Mediterranean eatery; Syntrofi, a farmto-table experience within an olive grove; Zest, a relaxed poolside hangout; and Shizen, the hotel’s signature offering, a Japanese-Peruvian restaurant serving fusion cuisine against a backdrop of flaming red sunsets.
Genetics aside, Papatheodorou was always well placed to take on the role of Zélia’s Culinary Director. An honours graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts programme, he diversified from classics training with a role as Executive Chef
of Matsuhisa in Athens. Additional Executive Chef positions followed at Nobu in St Moritz, Paris and Moscow, along with Mandarin Oriental in Munich, before he eventually opened Shizen Rituals, his own sushi restaurant in Athens. But, he says, it’s his tenure at Nobu that’s had the greatest impact on his career. “Nobu San is a pioneer and an exceptional person,” he says of the group’s founder. “He’s responsible for that special fusion cuisine that people still love today.”
Papatheodorou has taken the knowledge gathered from working at Nobu and running his own popular sushi restaurant and channelled it into Shizen. “The bases are the same, but the techniques are more refined,” he affirms. “When putting the menu together, I considered Nobu San’s approach, who very simply gave people what they wanted to eat, not just what he wanted to serve.” The result is a series of well-crafted dishes that focus squarely on quality flavours and appealing to guests’ appetites. “It’s essential to know who your guests are and what they like,” he adds. “That’s what keeps them coming back.”
Consequently, appetisers on the concise yet confident menu include spicy tuna tartare on crispy rice with sesame, gochutgaru and chives; cauliflower tempura with pickled red onion, spicy chilli and lime dressing; and steamed pork gyozas with lime ponzu and fresh onion. A separate section offers wakame salad with marinated seaweed, cucumber and sesame ponzu; and crispy shiitake goma with tahini
The Japanese-Peruvian menu at Shizen is inspired by Vassili Papatheodorou’s time spent leading kitchens at Nobu
soy dressing, purple cabbage and avocado. And of course, as Papatheodorou’s specialism, there’s plenty of handrolled sushi, sashimi and maki rolls prepared with care and expertise by the dedicated team.
The dining experience is uplifted by the surroundings –from the al fresco setting that takes advantage of endless sea and sky vistas, to an interior space where neutral walls are complemented by warm wood furniture and dramatic prints. “The curated artworks and the striking metallic frame within the restaurant reflect the menu’s Asian influences,” says Anais Karagianni, Marketing Manager at Zelos Capital Partners, who own the property. “Dining at Zélia is not simply about what’s on the plate, but rather, it’s a deeper connection to place, seasonality and the pleasure of sharing, and we’ve been careful to conjure that feeling throughout.”
Indeed, this philosophy is mirrored by all Zélia’s F&B venues, which seamlessly blend into one another aesthetically. Sharing characteristics such as sandy tones, stone surfaces and flowing fabrics, they each integrate within the context of the hotel’s wider visual concept. “Every venue has been intentionally crafted to express its own identity while also contributing to the hotel’s overall harmony of boho-chic luxury,” she continues. So, while each space has its own subtle characteristics, they remain united by the common thread of barefoot, laidback luxe associated with the coast. “We’re a little bit more relaxed here in Greece,”
Papatheodorou echoes. “And we want that slower pace to translate to our guests.”
That distinctly Greek essence pops up elsewhere too, including at Syntrofi, which spotlights the abundance of local produce that blossoms thanks to the warm, moisture-filled air of the Kassandra Peninsula. It’s also present at Mesogaea, where Greece’s rich culinary traditions are combined with modern flourish and service is imbued with the characteristic warmth associated with Greek hospitality –guests unsure of what dish to try next receive recommendations accompanied by lively anecdotes and shoulder-shaking assurances that it’s the best they’ll ever eat.
On the table, dishes are served on porcelain by Bonna. The company’s Luca, Luz and Sway collections are showcased, each leaning into the hotel’s free-spirited visual identity by displaying earthy hues, mosaic patterns and woven, tactile textures, which effortlessly elevate the presentation of every plate.
“People come to Greece for the food because
it’s one of the most loved cuisines in the world, especially right now,” Papatheodorou says, of its current popularity. “We’ve grown up with and lived with this food, so we’d be doing a disservice to ourselves as much as our guests if we didn’t serve it here.”
Papatheodorou admits that creating the F&B programme for Zélia has come at the perfect time, not least because it coincides with his own personal desire to regrow roots in his homeland after so long spent abroad. “The main thing I’ve learnt over the years is to rid myself of ego,” he explains. “When you’re young, your main goal is to impress, but as you get older you realise the art of cooking is breaking it down to its most simple form and letting the products do the talking.” Working alongside family as the hotel has sprung to fruition, that’s a goal he’s been able to realise. “Our guests want luxury but not pretentiousness and it’s the same for us,” he confirms. “So, we avoid trends and keep things simple, and that’s the cherry on top of every stay here.”
IN A BITE
Owner: Zélia Halkidiki
Operator: Hyatt
Culinary Director: Vassili
Papatheodorou
Dinnerware: Bonna www.zeliaresort.gr
Rava Beach Club Banyan Tree
PHUKET
Thailand’s longest beach club is the primary element of an F&B shake up bringing fresh appeal to one of Phuket’s hospitality stalwarts.
Responding to the dynamism of today’s hospitality landscape, and in turn, the rising expectations of guests, requires deftness. The days when hotel groups could rely on reputation alone for the success of an F&B concept are becoming rarer, and in their place comes a quest for constant reinvention – whether that’s in the form of visually appealing plates, new menus, refurbishments or high-profile chef residences. With three decades under its belt, Banyan Tree Phuket is well placed to pivot in reflection of these trends, and with the property’s latest overhaul, it’s ticking all the boxes.
Opened in 1994 by Ho Kwon Ping and Claire Chiang –who embarked on an ambitious project to transform a dilapidated tin mine into a beachfront resort – Banyan Tree Phuket was the beginning of what is now a global entity. With Ho at the helm as CEO, the property is part of the wider Banyan Group, which spans 100 hotels worldwide across brands including Angsana and Garrya. It’s Banyan Tree, however, that first introduced Saffron. The brand’s signature Thai restaurant now has a presence across the portfolio, and the Phuket flagship continues to be a testing ground – somewhere to try out ideas and work through the kinks before rolling them out.
“After celebrating the hotel’s 30th year in 2024, we felt that it was important to revisit the venues that have performed well,” explains Kaavya Murthy, Director of Marketing Communications at Banyan Group. “But we also wanted to re-examine the guest journey to ensure we are delivering the best possible experiences while also driving consistency in all of our properties around the globe.” At Saffron, that involved taking a new approach to the menu, paving the way for regional variations while staying true to the restaurant’s original ethos. “We decided that 60% of the menu would remain intrinsically Thai,” Murthy adds. “While the remaining 40% would be open to individual interpretation.”
The decision offers Banyan Tree’s band of international chefs welcome creative licence, acknowledging the inevitable challenges that arise in the face of sourcing ingredients and logistics, while encouraging them to weave the distinctness of their location and style into each plate. Simultaneously, it reinforces the strength of Saffron’s offering, guaranteeing guests still have access to their favourite dishes wherever they are in the world. “Our customers are loyal and often return to us year after year,” Murthy continues. “Our menus have to reflect that.”
In Phuket, the changes have been ushered in alongside a brand-new aesthetic for the restaurant, adding an outdoor terrace to accommodate more guests in line with its continued popularity.
But the changes at Saffron are just one element of the hotel’s F&B evolution, with a series of new venues also added to the line-up, plus the appointment of Executive Chef, Herb Faust, who’s been brought on board to oversee the continuation of trusted favourites and the inauguration of fresh concepts. “Our goal is to make sure every outlet is its own life force,” he explains one balmy evening, cicadas calling in the distance. “Each venue is a unique entity but
as a whole, they reflect the hotel’s commitment to improving guest experience. We’re aiming to add value wherever we can.”
Central to this premise is the launch of Rava, a beach club enveloping 180m of Bang Tao shoreline, making it the longest of its kind in Thailand. Encompassing an interior restaurant framed by red banquettes, a clutch of al fresco dining spaces and three infinity pools, the star attraction is the master grill zone, where high-quality meat, seafood and vegetables are flamecooked with impressive precision. Presided over by Head Chef Josh Gray, it promises laidback seaside fare with flair. “His food and flavours are incredible,” Faust emphasises. “He’s a very talented chef so I’m delighted to have brought him over from Australia to oversee the project.”
The grill menu is extensive, featuring dishes including charcoal Phuket chicken, Wagyu beef tenderloin and Black Angus ribeye sourced from Australia, plus grilled prawns, charcoal fish with chickpeas, and grilled local lobster with beach herb verde and lemon. Elsewhere, and the wood-fired pizza, made with 72-hour fermented dough, is standout, particularly the mushroom with truffle, extra virgin olive oil and white sauce, which belies its humble appearance with remarkable depth of flavour. There are Thai favourites too, with phad kra pao, khao pad and phad thai goong all appearing.
According to Murthy, the mission at Rava is clear: to offer guests a luxurious beachside venue, but furthermore, to appeal to a wider demographic, future-proofing the hotel in the process. “Our guests tend to sit in the 45-65 age group, so the younger generation is likely to only have experienced the hotel through the eyes of their parents,” she explains. “Rava gives them a different point of entry by offering great food, drinks and atmosphere in a relaxed beach setting – it brings something different for Phuket’s already
The menu at Rava Beach Club features relaxed seaside fare, with a focus on flame grilled meat, seafood and vegetables
lively beach club scene and opens us up to a new tier of customer.”
Nevertheless, it’s Banyan Tree Phuket’s loyal returnees that remain at the centre of its F&B upgrade, with something on offer to suit visitors from every corner of the globe and a raft of diverse tastes. At Banyan Café, the property’s all-day dining venue, the updated menu features Thai classics alongside sandwiches, salads and local bites; at poolside restaurant Hojo, the menu channels the essence of Japan; and at Tin Tapas, a floating laguna bar illuminated by a giant model moon, the menu now reflects an Asian tapas slant. “We’re improving every venue to make sure it’s the best it can possibly be,” Faust confirms.
With this in mind, Tre Trattoria has also been added to the hotel’s roster. Building on Faust’s strong background in Italian restaurants, the concept encompasses the country’s finest cuisine made with superior ingredients. Starters include bruschetta with white anchovy and cannellini beans, and bolognese arancini with
peas and pecorino; mains range from saffron risotto with confit tomato and squid ink linguine with clams to swordfish with celery and walnuts, and pork and spinach involtini. It’s a traditional linchpin designed to appeal to a broad range of tastes.
Underpinning the development of each restaurant innovation is Banyan Tree Phuket’s talented team, many of whom have been delivering the famously warm Thai welcome to the property’s guests for decades. “It’s inherent in the Thai spirit to be very caring and giving,” Faust explains on the locals’ famously easygoing nature and innate knack for hospitality. “But there’s also an amazing work culture here –the team are like sponges who just want to learn, grow and develop as much as possible. I’ve been lucky to learn a lot from them too.” His philosophy is to continue empowering staff, entrusting them to adapt both themselves and the restaurants as time passes. “It’s about inspiring each team,” he says. “It’s a process of constant evolution.”
IN A BITE Operator: Banyan Group
Executive Chef: Herb Faust
Head Chef: Josh Gray
Head Bartender: Khun Jazz Glassware: Riedel www.banyantreephuket.com
The Green Gathering
International chefs from Relais & Châteaux’s World Culinary Council meet at Raffles London at The OWO to debate the future of sustainable gastronomy.
How many elite chefs does it take to change the way the world eats? At Raffles London at The OWO, the answer is enough to fill a dining room. Beneath the gilded ceilings of Mauro Colagreco’s restaurant in the former Old War Office, 14 chefs, holding a combined 19 Michelin stars and three Michelin Green stars, gather to debate the future of gastronomy.
The occasion is the annual summit of the World Culinary Council (WCC), a global think tank of 20 chefs from across the Relais & Châteaux family. Over the course of three days, these bright lights of cuisine have wrestled with topics including biodiversity, sustainability and zero waste. At the final lunch, as champagne flutes clink and canapés emerge from Colagreco’s kitchen, their insights are ready to be shared.
To understand the significance of the gathering, it helps to know the institution
behind it. Relais & Châteaux, founded in 1954 by Marcel Tilloy, is a worldwide association of 580 independent hotels and restaurants across 65 countries and five continents. Each property, whether a boutique lodge in the Galápagos or a country house in Ontario, reflects the vision of its owner, and food sits at the heart of it.
With some 800 gastronomic venues among its members, Relais & Châteaux represents the largest network of fine-dining establishments in the world. Its collective achievements include 377 Michelin stars and 41 Green stars, which also looks like 300 kitchen gardens, 100 bee producers and 55 winemakers.
Since 2014, the council has served as both a culinary conscience and innovation forum. Its mission is manifold, ranging from upholding the highest standards of gastronomy to shaping global culinary culture and advancing sustainability and social impact in partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
Words: Hannah Currie
Attendees include: Mauro Colagreco of Mirazur (top left); Marko Gajski, Head Chef at LD Restaurant at Lešić Dimitri Palace in Croatia (top right); and Laurent Gardinier, President of Relais & Chateaux
Each year the summit brings together as many chefs as possible to discuss the most pressing topics in the F&B world. “To us, chefs do not just provide good recipes,” explains Laurent Gardinier, President of Relais & Châteaux, standing before the chefs and assembled members of the press. “They also speak to something beyond us, to biodiversity and the preservation of global culinary traditions.”
Gardinier, who co-owns boutique hotel Domaine Les Crayères in Champagne and restaurant Le Taillevent in Paris, alongside Mauro Colagreco, Vice President of Chefs, sets the tone for an afternoon that feels as much like a convivial soirée as it does a summit, an opportunity to rub shoulders with an impressive roster of culinary talent.
Following formalities, it is down to Culinary Communications Manager, Giulia Sgarbi to present the credentials of each chef and property. Among those gathered are Kyle Connaughton, chef-owner of three-Michelinstarred SingleThread in California, where he blends Japanese techniques with farm-driven cooking, and Jason Bangerter, Executive Chef at Langdon Hall in Ontario and a true champion of field-to-fork dining. The international line-up continues with Shinichiro Takagi, second-generation owner of two-Michelinstarred Zeniya in Kanazawa, Japan, and Josep Espuga from Australia’s vast Pt Leo Estate. Also attending, Marko Gajski of Lešić Dimitri Palace in Croatia, Norman Brandt of Pikaia Lodge in the Galápagos, and Michael Caines of Devon hotel, restaurant and vineyard, Lympstone Manor.
The next few hours in Colagreco’s dining room are a showcase of culinary craft. A single English oyster with black walnut and Sturia caviar open the meal. A dish entitled Chicken of the Woods follows, expertly pairing grilled Scottish lobster with apple, juniper emulsion and dulce seaweed. Monkfish arrives with meadowsweet and girolles, and a mushroom millefeuille surprises with layers of savoury and sweet thanks to a mix of mushroom parfait,
“The council powerfully shapes the dining experience. That begins with chefs coming together to reflect on how cuisine can honour taste, tradition and the planet, and finishes by delighting guests.”
LAURENT GARDINIER
chocolate cremeux and delicate meringues shaped like fungi.
Colagreco, not content with just creating works of art, embodies the WCC’s ethos. Mirazur, his hillside flagship on the French Riviera, was the first plastic-free restaurant certified globally. It also became the first three-star Michelin venue to achieve B-Corp accreditation, and in 2024 Colagreco was deservedly appointed UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity.
With a philosophy rooted in biodynamic agriculture, the Argentine chef drives Relais & Châteaux’s collaboration with the United Nations branch. The partnership serves as a north star for the hospitality association, underpinned by 12 sustainability commitments that guide members on sourcing, biodiversity, animal welfare and cultural preservation. Nearly half of members operate within two hours of a
UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, giving these pledges even greater importance. “The commitments are central to our mission,” Gardinier explains. “They guide how chefs source ingredients, protect biodiversity and promote ethical cuisine. These goals are also embedded in our quality standards, which include a dedicated sustainability coefficient during inspections.”
Concrete action has followed. In 2023, members collectively chose to remove eel from menus to protect the endangered species. By the end of 2024, 84% reported they do not serve eel, with 34% having removed it after the call to action. “At first, it may seem like a small omission, but it reflects something greater: a global network of chefs choosing responsibility and inviting guests to be part of that journey,” says Gardinier after lunch. “This is our true impact. It is not just about what is served, but what is valued, and about creating experiences that nourish both body and conscience, leaving guests with a sense of meaning.”
This year, the WCC invites chefs to remove at least one threatened species from their menus, according to regional stock levels across North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, South America and Oceania. Participating members commit to maintaining this practice until populations recover, with the 18 species selected in collaboration with partner, NGO Ethic Ocean.
Sustainability was a central theme in London, with low-waste practices emerging as a key focus. A workshop at Silo in Hackney Wick, billed as the world’s first zero-waste restaurant by pioneer Douglas McMaster, stands out as a highlight for many of the chefs. The session offered practical insights into circular gastronomy and strategies to reduce waste across the supply chain. “The most vital aspect of our discussions this year was the shared commitment to meaningful change, particularly implementing more sustainable practices in our restaurants, with a focus on waste management,” confirms Gardinier. “The workshop sparked inspiring dialogue, providing
“It is not just about what is served, but what is valued, and creating experiences that nourish both body and conscience.”
LAURENT GARDINIER
tools so that our chefs can bring the same zerowaste thinking to their own kitchens.”
Among more provocative discussions is the role of technology, particularly artificial intelligence, across the hospitality industry, after a behind-closed-doors presentation outlined how AI could streamline operations, personalise service and optimise supply chains. “It is fascinating to hear our chefs’ perspectives on where AI can improve efficiency and where it cannot,” Gardinier summarises. “AI can assist in certain processes, but the emotions evoked by a dish and the sensory immersion it offers guests are uniquely tied to a chef’s savoir-faire and talent. This is something AI will never be able to replicate.”
Beyond the annual summit, the WCC remains ahead of such trends by remaining active year-round, with regional Chefs’ Clubs for members to exchange insights, tackle industry challenges and strengthen culinary networks. Its influence on talent development is also growing through an enhanced Relais &
Châteaux Rising Chef Trophy for 2026, with WCC chefs leading nominations and selections, ensuring mentorship and visibility for the next generation of chefs.
They will gather again next year, facing new challenges and generating fresh solutions, perhaps even welcoming more Michelin stars into the room. But as the year draws to a close, Gardinier reflects on the assembly’s triumphs.
“The council powerfully shapes the dining experience,” he says. “That begins with chefs coming together to reflect on how cuisine can honour taste, tradition and the planet, and finishes by delighting guests.”
For him, value is measured not just by the number of elite chefs at the table, but by the influence on global food culture. “We represent the largest network of restaurants in the world, but true success is about impact,” Gardinier concludes. “We inspire a more sustainable model of gastronomy. This ripple effect, where values spread across continents, is a testament to the influence and vitality of our work.”
Relais & Châteaux’s Lešić Dimitri Palace offers a taste of Korčula (left), while SingleThread in California blends Japanese technique with farm-driven cuisine (right)
An extensive, collaborative development process is behind the creation of Smoking Tuna, a menu standout at Kauboi, the Japanese-meetsSouthwestern eatery within The Remi, an Autograph Collection property in Scottsdale.
Executive Chef Nick Foegal estimates the dish cycled through at least 15 iterations before the team settled on the final version. “Every chef on the team had input, and that collective creativity is what makes the dish so special,” he explains. “The ultimate interpretation reflects both precision and passion.”
Every serving features four delicate tartlet shells, dipped in batter and fried individually to achieve a satisfying golden crisp. Smooth avocado mash is used for the base, topped with premium bluefin tuna that’s been lightly marinated in miso for depth of flavour. Each tartlet is then crowned with green yuzu kosho aioli, a touch of marinated kizami wasabi, and crispy fried leeks for additional texture. Presented on a traditional donabe filled with river rocks, fresh greens and concealed dry ice, the final flourish is achieved when hot, aromatic broth is poured over the top at the table, resulting in a dramatic cloud that rises up from the dish.
“People’s eyes light up when they see the smoke,” Foegal reveals. “The tuna, avocado and yuzu kosho bring freshness, brightness and just the right amount of heat. The dish is light enough that guests can enjoy it without feeling full, so they can keep exploring the menu.”
Such theatrical presentation has ensured that Smoking Tuna is a hit with guests, instantly becoming one of the most photographed dishes on the menu. “In today’s dining culture, guests truly allow their phones to eat first,” Foegal confirms. “So this dish is the perfect solution because it delivers visual impact, but the real magic happens during the first bite, when the vibrant flavours hit the tongue.”
Chef Timothy Lam took inspiration from both the great classics of French pastry-making and his own childhood memories in the creation of Lemon & Thai Basil, a dessert on offer in Les Lounges at Shangri-La Paris. “It’s a balance between acidity, freshness and sweetness,” he explains. “Resolutely contemporary, it stands out for its bold combinations, shining a spotlight on the herbaceous notes of Thai basil and the zesty brightness of lemon.”
Composed of multiple, technically complex elements, the dessert includes a weightless mousse, made with fresh lemon juice, infused zest and Italian meringue for an airy texture. That’s combined with a lemon and Thai basil marmalade, a lemon and almond biscuit for a crunchy base, and a lemon-flavoured,
white chocolate shell for an elegant, glossy finale. The pastry is completed with a delicate decoration made from fresh lemon segments, finger lime pearls and astina cress shoots. “The most pressing technical challenge is the white chocolate shell,” Lam says. “It’s an ultra-thin layer – as thin as a piece of paper – and essential for preserving the light finish.”
Offered as a post-dinner dessert or an afternoon tea sweet treat, Chef Lam credits its unique flavour profile for its popularity. “I wanted to add a note of originality with the Thai basil, a herb I particularly love that’s also evocative of my roots,” he concludes. “Its aniseed and herbal aromas bring an unexpected twist to the lemon, creating a truly unique tasting experience.”
Ambiente Projects combines the global hospitality and contract business offerings. Come and benefit from the latest products and innovations in the growing HoReCa sector – plus valuable ideas from trend presentations and expert talks.
ambiente.messefrankfurt.com/ hospitality
APERITIFS
Spritz and Sip
Scent-driven serves are having a moment at luxury bars, and Pulitzer Amsterdam has taken the trend one step further, unveiling an exclusive collaboration with cult New York fragrance house, D.S. & Durga.
Drawing inspiration from the brand’s signature scents, Pulitzer’s Bar unveils four new cocktails, each translating a unique aroma into liquid form. Blending botanical distillates, rare spices and aged essences, the creations unfold sip by sip, much like a fine perfume revealing its layers on the skin.
Influenced by D.S. & Durga’s fragrance of the same name, Debaser opens the line-up. Jack Daniel’s Bonded Tennessee Whiskey provides a robust foundation for the pour, lifted by the floral sweetness of St-Germain liqueur, and softened with touches of coconut and fig.
The Cur Noir steps into moodier territory, blending Pedro Ximénez sherry with Punt e Mes vermouth and Black Tot rum, before adding a splash of Campari to shape a cocktail that feels both weighty and warm. Pistachio, alternatively, offers a brighter expression, with Woodford Reserve bourbon sharpened by a selection of nutty flavours and fresh citrus.
The collection concludes with G&G, ramping up the energy once more. Roku Gin anchors the serve, but it is the interplay of grapefruit and ginger elements that deliver its distinctive flavour. The result of the collaboration is a series of sips that leave a lasting impression, unfolding like a finely crafted scent.
Whiskey Whispers
Michelin-starred sushi chef and devoted whiskey enthusiast Endo Kazutoshi has teamed up with premium Irish whiskey brand, Neit, to launch Silent Harmony, a limited-edition expression. An exclusive blend reflecting the pair’s dedication to craftmanship and a shared reverence for process, the spirit is the embodiment of balance, clarity and subtlety.
Fully matured for 34 years in a bourbon barrel, the 1991 single malt is triple-distilled, bottled at natural colour and non-chill filtered, retaining the full integrity of the cask to present a complex yet elegant finish. The liquid opens with a bright, expressive nose, featuring floral notes of honeysuckle, wild apple blossom and chamomile, underpinned by fresh greenery and a subtle coastal influence. With a structured and layered palate, each sip delivers flavours of apricot tarte tatin, peach chutney, wild herbs, and a gentle bitterness from wormwood and gentian.
The spirit is presented in a bottle designed to pay homage to Chef Endo Kazutoshi’s mastery, its deep hues and refined texture evoking the meticulous nature of Japanese pottery, while nodding to the balance of heritage and modernity found in the third-generation sushi master’s meticulously prepared plates.
Butler on the Beach
Luxury hospitality is increasingly defined by convenience, and in response, operators are catering to guests entirely on their terms, delivering food and drink to wherever they may be.
Enter the Salcombe Gin Beach Butler. The UK-based premium gin distiller is offering guests an array of crafted cocktails in coastal and countryside locations across South West England, including Michael Caines’ Lympstone Manor and clifftop spa hotel Gara Rock.
Service begins with a signature Salcombe Gin & Tonic, while at Lympstone Manor, the butler serves exclusive creations like Lympstone Summer Blush and Salcombe Sgroppino to residents poolside or at woodland shepherd’s huts with panoramic Jurassic Coast views. For a fully curated gastronomic affair, the experience can even be paired with a private chef.
“We’ve always been inspired by the beauty and spirit of adventure embodied by the coast,” explains co-founder of Salcombe Distilling Co, Howard Davies. “The Salcombe Gin Beach Butler is our way of sharing a truly memorable gin experience in some of Devon’s most spectacular settings, bringing our gin to life in a whole new way.”
In a crowded and competitive market, creating excitement has become critical for drinks brands and venues alike. Cash-strapped consumers are increasingly selective with their spending, therefore operators that can deliver flavour alongside theatre and sensory intrigue are well placed to win loyalty.
Data from CGA by NIQ’s extensive On Premise User Survey, which interviews over 300,000 consumers, highlights just how powerful this socalled ‘X factor’ has become, while also exploring constantly shifting definition, and precisely what excitement means to consumers.
According to CGA, distinctive taste is a core component of the trend, with nearly half of
The X Factor
CGA by NIQ explores the theme of excitement, revealing how harnessing the emotion is essential for capturing the imagination of today’s savvy bar consumer.
consumers (47%) citing unique flavour profiles as the main attribute they associate with a moment of excitement.
However, it isn’t all about taste, as more than two-fifths of respondents (44%) link the feeling to the visual appeal of a beverage, meaning the experience embodies more than the first sip, extending to include glassware, presentation and other interactive elements. “People are no longer just purchasing beverages – they’re buying experiences,” Insight Manager at CGA by NIQ, Katie Lawton observes. “This means that success doesn’t just come from what’s in the glass, but from how it’s presented, promoted and talked about.”
The impact of the trend is tangible, and the commercial stakes are high. Three-in-five (61%) consumers reveal that it’s important for their drink to feel exciting, and more than a third (36%) are willing to pay more for the privilege. The opportunities for premium offerings and upselling strategies seem rife, particularly on a
cocktail menu, which ranks as the second most exciting and innovative drinks category among British consumers.
In fact, almost half (45%) of consumers say they choose cocktails more often as a form of self-treating, while 39% are specifically motivated by new or interesting serves. Even against a backdrop of budgetary caution, the appetite for discovery remains strong, paving the way for cocktails to make their mark.
As the first touchpoint of the bar experience, bartenders also play a pivotal role. With 88% making drink recommendations on every shift, their influence is considerable, especially with more than half of consumers (52%) admitting
they are likely to make a purchase based on those suggestions. “Excitement is the new currency of engagement,” continues Lawson. “Now is the time for suppliers, manufacturers and venues to invest in understanding exactly what it means to people in order to boost engagement, premiumise purchases and inspire loyalty.”
Menus too, are instrumental in guiding experimentation. Nearly a third of consumers say they try a new type (31%) or a new brand (32%) almost every time they order a cocktail, making creative descriptions, menu cues and in-outlet activations all the more vital in encouraging more adventurous exploration.
The thirst for exciting, innovative drinks represents a structural shift in consumer expectations. For both suppliers and operators, the message is clear: distinctive flavours, engaging presentation and persuasive advocacy at the bar can not only command a premium price point, but also help establish connections that foster long-term loyalty.
Kat Whyte McQueen Mixologist
Cutting her hospitality teeth in roles at The Basement Bar and Uno Mas in Edinburgh, Kat Whyte McQueen went on to become UK Champion of Patrón Perfectionists in 2021, resulting in a collaboration with Patrón Global. She was subsequently headhunted by The American Bar at The Savoy in London, where she took part in the first ever all-female shift behind the bar, and she’s now launching a barware collection alongside the team at Ariane Fine Porcelain.
Tequila Queen
The American Bar at The Savoy alumnus Kat Whyte McQueen recounts how the stars have aligned throughout her career, eventually leading to a unique project with Ariane Fine Porcelain.
It’s impossible to understand the forces driving the decisions and actions we take every day. Most achievements can probably be attributed to pure, hard graft, but occasionally, it can feel like there’s a higher power at work – undeniable kismet that somehow means everything aligns at the right time. Kat Whyte McQueen can attest to both. It’s as if the bar expert, whose career in hospitality has been defined by graft, but has nevertheless unfolded with a certain natural ease, was destined to find a place in the industry all on her own.
“I’ve been very lucky,” she considers. “There have been struggles, of course, but I’ve been fortunate that people saw a spark in me and allowed me the space to roll and grow with it.” Even so, perhaps one of the reasons Whyte McQueen stands out is because strong foundations have always existed within her, and fortunately, her talent has been close enough to the surface to be coaxed out.
As a youngster, she was on the path to becoming a professional sailor, a pastime that instilled discipline beyond her years. Furthermore, her father is a navy man, which meant he ran a tight ship (pun intended) at home, even when it was fluid in nature and anchored in various locations across the globe. But beneath the restraint was an irrepressible creativity, perhaps inherited from her grandfather, Nigel McIsaac, one of Scotland’s
most prolific landscape and portrait artists. “Originality has always been part of who I am,” she confirms in an unplaceable Transatlantic accent that flits between Scotland, the US and other places she’s called home. “But it was only later on that I was able to properly express it through my work.”
The first opportunity can be traced back to Australia, when Whyte McQueen stepped behind the bar at a hostel she was staying at to make money over the winter months. Despite – or perhaps because of – having to concoct cocktails that were served in a bucket, it proved riotously enjoyable and an essential introduction to the unique perks of hospitality. “It showed me what it meant to be part of a bar team,” she laughs. “When you live and work together you become a tight-knit family very quickly.” The seeds were sown, and despite moving back to Scotland to complete a degree in health sciences, she couldn’t shake off the desire to get back behind a bar. “I had a longing to return to hospitality,” she admits. “I wanted somewhere I could be creative and have fun.”
Right on cue, an opportunity at taco and tequila spot, The Basement Bar, in Edinburgh opened up, and it didn’t take long for Whyte McQueen’s effortlessness with people, drinks and the highoctane environment to be spotted by the General Manager, Alec Duncan. He encouraged her to take
on additional responsibilities, and despite only being in her early twenties, she ended up running the bar and restaurant, transforming it into a city hotspot during her tenure, and ensuring its status as Scotland’s only Agaveria at the time. “Again, it was a bit of luck,” she explains. “I had a mentor who recognised my affinity for hospitality – he believed in me and really took me under his wing. I also had an amazingly talented team, a lot of them went on to do great things.”
But, with more responsibility comes the inevitable admin, forcing Whyte McQueen to question how much she was still enjoying the role without the accompanying thrill of being front-of-house. She decided to take a step back, returning to another Edinburgh venue, Uno Mas, only this time, she wanted to be firmly rooted behind the bar. “That place is part of my soul,” she enthuses. “Spending time creating cocktails and developing menus instead of drowning in paperwork relit the fuse for me – that was the moment I realised I could do some really cool things with drinks.”
She became a regular on the competition circuit – essential for raising your profile as a mixologist on the global stage – eventually becoming Patrón Perfectionists UK Champion in 2021 with her multi-sensory creation, Escape the Box, a tequila and wine concoction inspired by her gap-year in Australia and the country’s
“This is a collection for bartenders by a bartender, so we really needed to create pieces that the community would buy into.”
notorious boxes of wine. She proudly flew the flag for female empowerment in the industry as a Patrón Global collaborator the following year, while also stacking up a clutch of additional competition titles that cemented her reputation as the tequila queen.
But it was in the post-Covid world that her career really began to fly, thanks to a kind of cosmic calibration that saw her social media presence kick off in line with her rising profile. Offers came flooding in from celebrated London bars, but there was one in particular that caught her attention. “I got an unexpected call from industry powerhouse Anna Sebastian saying she wanted me for The American Bar at The Savoy,” Whyte McQueen reminisces. “I thought she was joking at first because I’d only sent my CV to her shortly before!”
An iconic bar within the industry, it was unheard of for The Savoy to enlist a team of new recruits. But Whyte McQueen remained cautious and true to her principles, only accepting once
she knew who had been announced as the new head bartender. “When I heard it was Chelsie Bailey, I was in,” she smiles. “I was such a big fan of her career and had wanted to work for her for so long.” Her time there was historic in a sense – she was part of the team that carried out the first ever all-female shifts behind the bar in its 130-year-plus history – but it didn’t come without its challenges. “There were difficult moments and a lot of hierarchy,” she admits. “But I’m glad it was that way because it gave us a bit of spark, and I’m so proud that we were helping people create core memories.”
And it was while working a shift at The American Bar that Whyte McQueen first met Glenn Ewart, Head of European Sales at Ariane Fine Porcelain, a chance encounter that sent her career in an entirely unexpected direction. The pair shared an instant connection – stoked by Whyte McQueen promising and then delivering the best margarita Ewart had ever tasted – and when he casually asked in conversation what
she’d change about the industry, her answer was immediate: “Ceramics,” she asserted. “I’ve always thought that was something missing from behind the bar.” As it happened, the team at Ariane were already toying with the idea of a barware collection. “And that was where our collaboration started,” she explains.
Inspired by Whyte McQueen’s creative, forward-thinking approach, Ariane asked her to collaborate with them on the project. “It all took shape very naturally,” Ewart confirms. “With Kat’s help, we set out to create something truly original. It’s never been about following trends – the ambition was to challenge conventions and design pieces that offer a new perspective on the drinking experience.” Everyone involved agrees the process was complex and ambitious, especially
when technical challenges around balance and weight distribution arose, but with Ariane’s porcelain expertise and Whyte McQueen’s onthe-job insight, they overcame any issues to create something truly unique – barware that offers functionality and aestheticism, opening up new possibilities for creativity and performance at the bar.
It’s been a years-long process, and Whyte McQueen has been involved throughout, sketching, restructuring, and consulting with the design team. “Our relationship was so symbiotic, it was really beautiful,” she explains. “There was a lot of back and forth, but this is a collection for bartenders by a bartender, so we really needed to create pieces that the community will buy into.” She has been amazed by every stage of the production: an eye-opening visit to the state-ofthe-art Ariane factory in India, where prototypes and products were developed by hand; the opportunity to combine barware with tableware, providing an opportunity for bartenders to pair serve with plate; and achieving the lifelong goal of connecting creativity and fun in the name of career. “It was surreal holding a piece for the first time,” she says, still somewhat in disbelief. “It was everything I wanted it to be and more –lightweight, elegant, practical, and you can even put them through the dishwasher!”
It took a leap of faith from Ariane, but when you’ve seen Whyte McQueen in action it makes sense, because her capacity to capture a crowd is unmatched. And from their perspective, the punt paid off, because the Ariane Fine Porcelain x Whyte Tales collection is a product that pushes creative and technical boundaries, introducing something entirely authentic to the industry. Whyte McQueen thinks back to that chance meeting at The American Bar on an otherwise ordinary day: “It was just another case of right place, right time,” she ponders. Though in the end, there’s probably a little more to it than that.
Ariane Fine Porcelain x Whyte Tales is the world’s first ceramic barware collection and the result of a complex, years-long process
Experience excellence with LaCimbali’s new
Crafted to meet hospitality needs from breakfast onward, with quality, variety, and new beverage trends.
Room with a Vine
Wine tourism is evolving beyond tastings and tours into immersive stays, redefining hospitality around the world.
Words: Hannah Currie
On a sunlit evening in Bale, Croatia, guests at Meneghetti Wine Hotel & Winery stroll from lush vineyards to a stone-lined courtyard shaded by pergolas, where glasses of crisp Malvazija await. It is a picturesque scene, but also a regular fixture at the hotel - a destination where wine is not just on the drinks list, but central to the experience, spanning tastings and tours, vinous wellness rituals and local, wine-driven cuisine. It is a rapidly growing concept, and one that has produced a new category of speciality hotels in wine regions around the globe, from Tuscany to Mendoza. Despite fluctuations in production, wine tourism has shown notable resilience, with compound annual growth rate of 13.2% expected over the next 10 years, according to Future Market Insights. As reported in The Global Wine Tourism Market by Vinetur, core winery activities generated US$11.86 billion in 2024, up from US$10.53 billion the previous year. Taking into account
gastronomy, lodging and cultural activities, the market is valued as high as US$95.88 billion. By continent, Europe retains its dominance amid this trend, representing over 50% of the market, naturally led by France, Italy and Spain.
As climate change and economic pressures continue to affect wine yields, and driven by the growing experience economy, immersive activities like harvest tours, blending workshops and culinary tie-ins are now becoming essential.
Few places illustrate this engaged approach as effectively as Meneghetti, a Relais & Châteaux property with 10 rooms and 48 residences set among extensive vineyards and olive groves. Dating back to 1865, the main house was converted into a hotel in 2001. Today, it includes a spa, beach club and dining outlets that showcase local produce: from Meneghetti Restaurant, where traditional Istrian cuisine is paired with estate wines, to Oliveto Restaurant & Lounge Bar, which serves casual lunches and aperitivos overlooking the vines. “Wine travellers want more than just a tasting room or tour,” explains Gordana Kušec Knežević, Director of Marketing & Communications. “They seek depth of knowledge, a story and a sense of origin – a chance to drink wines in the very landscape that produced them.”
This translates into experiences that go beyond static tastings. Instead, guests can take part in vineyard walks or educational winery tours, and are even invited to join the late-summer harvest process. “People are increasingly curious about authenticity, not glossy showpieces,” she continues. “We respond by keeping winemaking at the heart
“Wine travellers want more than just a tasting room or tour. They seek depth of knowledge, a story and a sense of origin – a chance to drink wines in the very landscape that produced them.”
GORDANA KUŠEC KNEŽEVIĆ, MENEGHETTI WINE HOTEL & WINERY
of it all. It’s about making wine feel alive, not staged, especially as we are a boutique winery where everything is truly hands-on.”
This philosophy has guided recent investment. In 2025, Meneghetti unveiled a 500m2 garden pavilion, wine lounge and VIP tasting room next to the main winery, designed by architects Željko Burić and Antonio Balazzero, and led by winemakers Damir Bosek and Walter Filiputti. As well as providing an area to host large events, guests can see inside the production process, take part in guided tastings and explore estate wines, from a 2019 Meneghetti Red - a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, to the Meneghetti Classic Brut - a sparkling wine made from Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc. It is also the place to try signature estate olive oils; Rosulja, Bjelica and Izbor.
“The garden pavilion and wine lounge extend the hotel’s appeal beyond the cellar,” Kušec Knežević notes. “They’re designed as versatile spaces where guests can relax, gather or host events, creating an atmosphere that complements our wine identity. These venues make the hotel a destination in its own right – attractive to both wine enthusiasts and travellers seeking an immersive stay.”
Across Europe, properties are adopting similar models. In Portugal’s Alentejo region, Octant Évora, part of Discovery Hotel Management (DHM), has unveiled Enoteca: the only hotelbased wine space of its kind in the area. Designed in-house, the venue stocks 300 wines from 140 local producers, functioning as both a wine shop and showcase for regional food and drink specialities.
“Our vision is to create a new home for Alentejo wines and to celebrate the region’s finest producers,” says Joana Soeiro, DHM Operations Director. “It’s a space where all certified Alentejo wine producers are represented; but more than that, Enoteca is a stage for guided tastings and memorable encounters between those who make the wine and those who love it.”
Experiences range from informal tastings to wine masterclasses with local winemakers, who share insights into grape varieties and production techniques. There are also private culinary experiences, showcasing traditional Alentejo dishes in hands-on sessions for up to 20 participants, and an intimate chef’s table offering led by local chef, Natanael Silva.
According to Soeiro, the investment enhances the hotel’s positioning as a cultural gateway to the region. “No other hotel in Alentejo offers such a dedicated wine space,” he notes. “For today’s traveller, luxury is no longer only about amenities, it’s about meaningful, place-led experiences. By curating encounters with local winemakers and pairing wines with farmto-table gastronomy, we elevate Évora as a destination while highlighting its under-theradar appeal for guests seeking authenticity, sustainability and slow luxury.”
For Tom Fahey, owner of The Terrace Rooms & Wine, a boutique six-room property on the Isle of Wight, the journey into wine tourism was less strategic. “We didn’t intend to be a wine hotel,” he explains. “Having worked in London, we were used to lots of great places to drink and taste wine. We realised that in the Isle of Wight,
Meneghetti Wine Hotel & Winery (top) and Octant Évora (bottom) offer dedicated wine tasting spaces
that just didn’t exist. When we bought the hotel, we had a big empty room and nothing to do with it, so we said: why don’t we fill it with wine?”
An initial 250 bottles has since expanded to a 1,000-bottle wine collection, activated by weekly pairing dinners and bespoke education courses. This positioning distinguishes The Terrace in the UK’s crowded boutique market, with Fahey branding it the nation’s first dedicated wine hotel. “I had been to nice hotels with a good wine list, but often it isn’t central to the experience. Here, you walk into the room and are surrounded by racks of wine, with ladders to climb and explore.”
Fahey flips the traditional approach when it comes to food pairing, creating dishes designed to complement wines rather than the other way around. A connection to place is deliberate here, with a six-course wine pairing dinner built around 98% Isle of Wight produce. Local partnership extends further, as corkage collaborations with local restaurants take Fahey’s collection beyond the property.
The model balances credibility with accessibility. “Bottles start at £21 and over 500 wines on our list are under £50,” he says. “The pricing is nearly 50% lower than a restaurant, so guests can afford to experiment; to try things they wouldn’t normally order.”
This approach is intentional: while around 10% of guests are dedicated wine enthusiasts, the majority arrive with wine as a “semiincidental” part of their stay. Tastings and approachable pricing shift that perception, converting the curious into the engaged. Daily resident tastings of three to four wines themed around education as much as enjoyment, address common knowledge gaps. “People are still very confused by wine,” Fahey says. “They don’t know why rosé is pale or dark, or what an orange wine is. These are the questions supermarkets don’t answer, so there’s an opportunity to educate.”
Wine’s influence is also moving beyond the table into lifestyle, a key tenet of today’s luxury hospitality offering. In Tuscany, The Club House,
At Menegehtti, vineyard walks, winery tours and harvest experiences connect guests to the wine-making process
“Our approach treats wellness as an enhancement of the wine journey, not a diversion from it.”
PHOEBE FAROLFI, THE CLUB HOUSE
a 15-room hotel in Castelnuovo Berardenga, invites guests to immerse themselves in the region’s viticultural heritage at Vallepicciola winery, part of the Fontanelle Estate. Here, guests can explore fermentation rooms and ageing cellars, or wander through the vineyards to discover the nuances of grape varieties.
The Club House integrates winemaking into every facet of the stay, but nowhere more so than at its 400m2 wellness sanctuary. A new wineand-wellness package includes a 60-minute vinotherapy ritual, which begins with a grapejam exfoliation to stimulate circulation, followed by a grapeseed-oil massage, rich in antioxidants. A mist of grape water enriched with red vines and optional aromatic vine-leaf bath, complete the hour. “Creating an experience centred on wine and wellness at The Club House and Hotel Le Fontanelle reflects our deep understanding of the evolving luxury traveller,” explains General Manager Phoebe Farolfi. “Guests aren’t just seeking accommodation, they want
experiences that connect them to culture and holistic wellbeing. This dual offering fosters a deeper connection with the Tuscan landscape and lifestyle, positioning us well within a highly competitive region.”
Rather than treating spa facilities as a bolton, Meneghetti has woven wellness into its identity too, leveraging the benefits of its harvest to revitalise guests. “Wine and wellness are not contradictions. Enjoyed in moderation, wine complements a balanced lifestyle, linking centuries of tradition with modern wellbeing,” Kušec Knežević observes. “Guests can move from a morning in the spa to an afternoon in the vineyard – it’s one lifestyle, not two.”
What unites these properties is recognition that wine is no longer a one-dimensional offering. Carefully executed, it unlocks new revenue streams, while providing guests with the keys to a region and the authenticity they now demand. In a competitive hospitality market, that’s no small advantage.
At The Club House, Chianti’s viniculture heritage is discovered at Vallepicciola winery within the Fontanelle Estate
The Fifth Element
Umami flavours are adding another dimension to drinks, sparking a wave of savoury-inspired creativity at bars across the globe.
It is the deep, savoury note that lingers on the palate, the subtle richness in a tomato, the briny snap of an olive, and the rounded warmth present in a carefully cured cheese. Umami, considered one of the five basic tastes, is recognisable before it can even be named, and yet, umami-rich ingredients are the shaping forces behind the luxuriance of a Bloody Mary, the seductive salinity of a Dirty Martini, and the pickled preciseness of a Gibson. Now more than ever, umami flavours are being celebrated behind the bar, sparking a wave of bold creativity across the globe.
It hasn’t always enjoyed such positive recognition. Centuries before the word entered the culinary lexicon, people unknowingly savoured the flavour at tables around the world. In ancient Italy and Greece, cooks relied on fermented fish sauces like garum to enrich dishes, while 19th-century French gastronomes wrote of ‘osmazome’, the rich, meaty essence that made certain foods irresistible.
But it wasn’t until 1908 that Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda gave the elusive flavour a name. While studying a simple kombu dashi – stock made from seaweed – he discovered that glutamate, a naturally occurring amino acid, was the secret behind its deep, satisfying taste. He named it umami, roughly translated as ‘pleasant, savoury taste’, and stabilised it as monosodium glutamate (MSG), launching a global flavour revolution in the process.
In the following decades, umami’s reputation in the western hemisphere became entangled in negative connotations. MSG, though naturally derived from fermented starches, wheat or molasses, became shorthand for processed food and alleged health scares. And yet visionary chefs quietly championed its virtues, using it as a secret ingredient to coax depth and complexity from their dishes. Eventually, umami was reframed as a cornerstone of modern gastronomy. Now, bartenders at the world’s top-rated bars are proving that the distinct
Umami-rich cocktails are now a menu mainstay at venues including Gleneagles in Scotland, Astir Palace Hotel Athens, and Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur
“It’s clear that today, palates have evolved, and more people are seeking out umami-based drinking experiences.”
AURÉLIE PANHELLEUX, HÔTEL LANCASTER PARIS
taste can perform the same alchemy in a glass, quietly transforming cocktails into layered, sensory experiences.
The pursuit is one of subtlety; an art of restraint in which a hint of cured anchovy or a suggestion of miso can lift a drink into the extraordinary without shouting its presence.
Just as chefs heighten flavour through fermentation, reduction and ageing, bartenders are applying the same techniques to cocktails. Tomato ferments, soy tinctures, miso washes and mushroom syrups are not merely used for taste but also for texture, creating complex, carefully composed serves. As global palates evolve and drinkers seek intricacy beyond the sweet–sour–bitter triad, umami softens acidity, rounds bitterness and extends flavour.
But extracting these characteristics demands precision. Japanese bartending luminary Hiroyasu Kayama describes it as both powerful and delicate: “For me, it is not meant to be the main character, but something that elevates other ingredients,” he explains. “Because of that, there are very few things it doesn’t work with. The only time it feels out of place is when umami itself becomes the dominant focus –as with everything, it’s about moderation.”
Many bartenders share this caution; too much savouriness can flatten brightness or obscure the drink’s rhythm, while the right amount enhances just enough.
Michele Mariotti, Head of the Beverage Programme at Gleneagles in Scotland, shares the same philosophy. His Bitter Shrub, a quince white Negroni with a blue cheese-stuffed olive and plum vinegar, demonstrates how small, well-placed flashes of umami can enhance structure and balance, while the Breezy –inspired by Scottish fish and chips – uses fatwashed gin, champagne and clarified capers to evoke the subtleties of the seaside. “Umami
can impart an additional tier into an otherwise very clean cocktail,” Mariotti notes. “This is my favourite approach – using it in small doses to elevate crisp and zesty drinks.”
Even so, Mariotti clarifies that not every ingredient abundant in umami translates well in liquid form. “One that we struggle with is hard cheese,” he says. “The richness and texture often make it very difficult to extract pleasantly. Distilling or clarifying it can help at times, but it is more often a miss than a hit.”
While the team continues experimenting with the products, Mariotti has found great success elsewhere, with the likes of skins and seeds of certain fruits and vegetables, particularly in the The American Bar’s Aubergine cocktail. “We include just the skin, which adds an earthy, almost aniseed flavour,” he explains.
In Paris, the bar team at Hôtel Lancaster’s Copper Bay has long found working with umami a rewarding challenge. “The balance must be spot on,” co-founder Aurélie Panhelleux confirms. “Over time, we have learned how to fine-tune it, and as a result, we’ve rarely had any real ‘no-go’ creations.” This sustained effort, combined with educating guests on its benefits, has transformed Copper Bay’s menu. “It’s clear that palates have evolved, and more people are seeking out this kind of drinking experience,” Panheleux adds. “Ten years ago, umami cocktails made up just one or two drinks on the menu. Today, we can create full menus, like ‘Mediterranean Cuisine’, where each cocktail is fully inspired by a specific dish.”
While umami is often associated with the eastern hemisphere, Europe has long told its own flavourful story, in part thanks to a landscape shaped by centuries of fermentation, preservation and a timeless pursuit of balance in food and drink. “At Avra, we see umami not as an imported idea but as something already
rooted in Greek gastronomy,” explains Nikos Tachmazis, Bar Manager at Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel in Athens. “Our approach has been to draw inspiration from ingredients that naturally carry depth and savouriness in the Greek pantry – things like tomatoes, olives, capers, grape must and aged cheeses.” By working with these flavours, through ferments, infusions and tinctures, Tachmazis says the cocktails at Avra sing with a distinctly Greek expression while aligning with the broader umami profile.
Over in Kuala Lumpur, the team at Four Seasons Hotel’s Bar Trigona is similarly inspired by surroundings and personal connections to food and drink. Beverage Manager Rohan Matmary recalls how the hotel’s first major foray into umami, almost four years ago, was a Bak Kut Teh–inspired Manhattan, built from a fragrant spice blend drawn from Malaysia’s traditional meat-bone tea soup and finished with warm mushroom cream. “The cocktail was inspired by a simple meal with friends, where the soup’s depth struck us as an exciting flavour for a drink,” he says of the experiment. At first, Matmary says guests were cautious and unsure about what to expect from such an unusual flavour combination, but over time appreciation for the serve has grown and it’s now lauded as a milestone for drink creation at the hotel, prompting additional savouryforward creations, including Chic – a dark miso Old Fashioned sweetened with Chinese soy caramel.
As palates evolve and guests seek more nuanced drinking experiences, umami’s moment behind the bar feels both inevitable and welcome. Its rise reflects a wider shift toward flavour complexity, locality and culinary curiosity – a space where chefs and bartenders now meet in harmony.
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COCKTAIL
Order & Disorder
Advocatuur
Rosewood
AMSTERDAM
Breaking the rules isn’t usually advisable, unless it’s at Advocatuur, the speakeasy-style distillery that has made a point of flouting convention since opening at Rosewood Amsterdam. Housed in the former Palace of Justice, the bar’s name literally means ‘profession of law,’ but its inaugural menu, The Will of the People, is a little more mischievous.
Take Order & Disorder, the reinvention of a traditional Mai Tai. Bar Manager Jamie Bokhorst explains that the tropical classic celebrated for its vibrant, island-inspired flavours, has been given a rule-breaking twist: “We wanted to
create something that feels both familiar and adventurous, a drink that nods to tradition while bringing in unexpected layers.”
The cocktail combines Bacardi Carta Blanca rum with accents of aloe vera, clarified guanabana fruit and matcha-flavoured syrup, yielding a flavour profile that’s described as “bright, savoury and delicately floral.”
Ingredients are combined in a clarified milk punch technique. “We blend together before carefully filtering through a coffee filter,” she continues. “This process lends the cocktail a striking clarity and harmonises the flavours into a smooth sip.”
Instead of a traditional lime or mint garnish, Bokhorst takes a more extravagant approach: a blue tuille made from water, sunflower oil, flour and food colouring. Mixed thoroughly and cooked just so until the bubbling subsides and the tuille deepens into a vivid aqua shade, it becomes the cocktail’s signature flourish.
Despite some subversions, Order & Disorder is true to the Mai Tai’s founding spirit. “With every sip, the cocktail is designed to take the drinker from the grey skies of the Netherlands to the turquoise seas and golden warmth of the Caribbean,” Bokhorst concludes. “The final composition feels vibrant and refreshingly unique: a momentary escape in a glass.”
Savouring a well-made cocktail often serves as an ideal moment to pause in a busy world. I Feel the Earth Move is a liquid creation inspired by this very same sense of serenity. The bold new digestif from Luna Dubai, Four Seasons Hotel DIFC’s rooftop bar, is part of its just-launched menu, entitled Lunar Alchemy: A Journey Through the Phases of Flavour.
While most of the 10 serves explore the shifting moods of the moon, this one keeps its feet firmly on the ground. “It is a drink that speaks to stillness, depth and a little rebellion,” explains Bar General Manager Martin Ubertas. “It surprises with how seamlessly the flavours come together.” True to these words, the cocktail is an unexpected blend of Haku Vodka, cold-brew coffee and cherry liqueur, topped with a dollop of coconut matcha cream.
This layering gives the serve a signature look that echoes the earth’s rocky composition. “The ingredients are stirred to preserve clarity and create a silky texture,” Ubertas continues. “Then the cream is floated on top, adding contrast and a fragrant lift with every sip.”
For Ubertas, the drink captures a specific feeling. “I wanted to bottle that quiet pause after a meal, when time slows down and the senses awaken,” he concludes. “Something grounded yet emotional. Matcha, for me, symbolises stillness and depth. Pairing it with coffee and cherry felt daring but natural, like the earth shifting beneath your feet.”
Altamura Distilleries Vodka is distilled entirely from 100% Italian durum wheat grown in Altamura, Puglia, a region known for its centuries-old breadmaking tradition and protected PDO status.
The wheat’s density, high protein content and nutty sweetness form the backbone of the vodka’s flavour profile. Careful fermentation and distillation preserve these characteristics, resulting in a vodka with subtle notes of cereal, citrus peel and herbs. The palate is velvety and layered, with hints of oat, vanilla and the soft spice of black pepper and anise.
This versatility makes the spirit equally suited to being sipped neat, poured straight from the freezer, or used as a base for cocktails.
Altamura Distilleries Vodka has already been embraced by top hotel bars worldwide. In 2025, the brand launched Bar is the Heart of the Hotel, a global initiative dedicated to celebrating the role of the hotel bar as a cultural and social hub.
Alongside a position as the Official Vodka Partner of The World’s 50 Best Hotels, the programme celebrates historic and inspirational cocktail moments and promotes the belief that the bar is not just a place for drinks, but the beating heart of any guest experience.
www.altamuradistilleries.com
Código 1530
Código 1530 Tequila
Free from added colour, flavouring or sweeteners, Código 1530 stands out as a tequila crafted with purity, with natural hues emerging solely from time spent resting or ageing in barrels. In the Blanco and Rosa Blanco expressions, the agave shines through, while the 18-month aged Añejo and six-year aged Origen offer a more complex profile, winning over fans of whisky and cognac.
Until recently, Código 1530 was privately produced for select Mexican families, including that of founder Federico Vaughan, who introduced the spirit to his friend and co-founder Ron Snyder in the 2000s. By 2015, their privately enjoyed tequila had a gained a devoted following. Seeking more supply, the pair partnered with an artisan distilling family in Amatitán, creating a commercial brand rooted in traditional methods.
Having officially launched in five US states in 2016, Código 1530 is now available in 48 markets worldwide, including leading hotels and cocktail bars. In 2022, Pernod Ricard acquired a majority stake, underlining the brand’s growing impact on the global tequila market. www.codigo1530.com
To The Table Asia
15-17 September 2025
BANGKOK
Enlightening discussions and lively business meetings unfold against the neon-lit backdrop of Thailand’s capital.
Speak to any attendee at a To The Table event and they typically repeat the same mantra: nothing beats the power of in-person connection. This fact is perceptible throughout every stage of each meet: during one-to-one business sessions, when the sound of productive chatter floods the room; throughout engaging seminars, when detailed analysis follows each trend-focused chat; and amid the stylish evening soirées, when networking unfolds at distinguished venues.
The Asia leg of To The Table 2025 proved no different. Set against the bustling backdrop of the iconic Shangri-La in Bangkok, where the heady pace of life was matched in spirit by the international array of delegates in attendance, it brought together the industry’s most influential buyers, suppliers and tastemakers. The aim? To foster relationships, source solutions and advance F&B projects, a feat achieved thanks to the expertly curated and executed programme.
The inaugural welcome dinner was a characteristically lavish affair, where delegates from leading groups including Accor, Four
Seasons, Hilton and Marriott International brushed shoulders with some of the world’s most prominent suppliers in tableware, kitchenware, coffee equipment, mini-bars and more. Entertainment ranged from live music to anecdotes shared between acquaintances, old and new, with the Chao Phraya River streaming past in the distance, framed by towering skyscrapers and a neon-lit sky beyond.
A morning of activities followed the first night of festivities. Tony Chisholm, Vice President of F&B for MEA and Asia at Accor kicked things off alongside Marvin Alballi, Vice President of F&B Asia Pacific at Hilton Worldwide. Hosted by industry expert Devina Divecha, the pair discussed the development of F&B strategy for the Asia Pacific region, including the pitfalls and positives of social media, and the importance of tailored, succinct concepts. “Drifting too far from your original goal can be fatal,” Chisholm admitted. “That’s why with new openings it’s essential to adopt the mindset of an owner.”
With plenty to ruminate on, buyers and suppliers made their way to meetings, then
after lunch it was back to the seminar room for an informative conversation between Arturo Sims, Director of F&B Design Services APEC at Marriott International; Anurag Bali, Assistant Vice President Food & Beverage, North Asia, Philippines and Pacific at Shangri-La Group; and Shane Giles, Founder and Managing Director of Blue Salt. The subject matter was ‘Navigating the Route from Award-Winning Concept Design to Successful Execution’, with speakers addressing regional trends, technology advancements, and the importance of great service. Building on points made earlier that day, Sims confirmed that a strong concept is the key to success, adding that groups should avoid the temptation to create one-size-fitsall venues. “It’s a mistake to try and push the limits of an asset,” he says. “It’s a trap to try and have it all.”
An afternoon of meetings fuelled by caffeine followed, and with the hard work for the day completed, guests gathered for a cocktail reception and Italian feast at the nearby Four Seasons at Chao Phraya River. Conversation,
food and drinks flowed freely, with some guests ending the night at the hotel’s BKK Social Club, listed on The World’s 50 Best Bars.
The next morning, attendees met for the first seminar of the day: ‘A Focus on People as we Highlight & Develop Talent across Asia Pacific’. Led by Emma Jones, Vice President of Human Resources Operations, APEC at Marriott International; Nick Huang, Director of People Operations at Starwood Hotels; and Clara Tang, Regional Vice President of Learning and Development, APAC at Hyatt, a series of case studies were presented, highlighting how increasingly, people are searching for more than just a job. “We’re looking beyond transactional relationships, instead aiming to bring value to the roles we offer at Hyatt,” Tang explains, on the group’s recruitment process. “Our goal is to attract talent by creating excitement.”
After another busy meetings session, delegates met for the final seminar – a fascinating deep dive into the Greater China market, led by Jason Ong, Head of Restaurants, Bars & Event Operations at IHG; Andy Li, Senior Manager,
F&B Design Services at Marriott; and Adam Lu, Assistant Vice President Food & Beverage, China at Shangri-La Group. The trio revealed how hotel groups are responding to one of the most rapidly changing markets on the planet, where policy can change unexpectedly overnight. “We were trained to focus on longevity, but we need to consider change-proofing to match the dynamism of the market,” explains Li, with Ong adding: “From an operational standpoint, we try everything, and that leads to a different kind of business hungry mindset.”
Enlightening and inspiring, the seminar was still being discussed at the farewell party, in between mouthfuls of Mulwarra steak and stonebaked pizza. And with ideas developed, relationships forged, and foundations laid for future projects, the curtain came down on the event, lively debate eventually swallowed by the intoxicating heat of the Bangkok night.
The next To The Table event takes places in Abu Dhabi from 17-19 November. www.tothetablemea.com
Brewing the Future
Innovation was thrust into the spotlight at HostMilano 2025, as Cimbali Group presented its next-generation coffee solutions and new global growth strategy.
Words: Hannah Currie
Cimbali Group made a bold return to HostMilano this year, unveiling a renewed strategic direction that underscores its segment-led approach and sharpened focus on creating solutions for the hotel sector.
This year’s trade show arrived at a pivotal moment for the business, as it introduced a new global sales structure spanning four key regions – Italy, Europe, the Americas and Asia, alongside the creation of a dedicated Quality & Service division. It marks a decisive move toward a service-driven business model, designed to deliver faster response times, elevated quality standards and deeper customer alignment across each market.
Cimbali Group’s real strength lies in its trusted relationships with the horeca industry, offering tailor-made solutions for independent cafés, hotel groups, quick-service restaurants (QSR) and international chains. Beyond products, the company delivers comprehensive aftersales service as well as end-to-end operational support, ensuring every one of its customers can deliver exceptional coffee.
With a portfolio spanning LaCimbali, Faema, Casadio and Slayer, the group covers a full spectrum of hospitality needs. LaCimbali leads the charge for coffee chains and QSR operators, blending speed, consistency and seamless integration with digital ecosystems, from POS systems to drive-through interfaces, ensuring peak performance in high-volume
environments. Faema, by contrast, speaks to the artistry of the coffee experience. Designed for hotels, boutique cafés and bakery concepts, its machines combine craftsmanship, design and precision, with the aim of creating connection between baristas and their guests.
At the heart of Cimbali Group’s stand in Milan was the new LaCimbali Supera, a modular platform that redefines flexibility, automation and in-cup excellence. Supera was presented as the perfect solution for high-demand breakfast services, combining advanced beverage handling with a selection of coffee types and soluble options, creating flexibility to offer a diversified menu. Available in two versions, Senso and Dolcevita, it adapts to diverse operational needs, from hotels to coffee chains and convenience outlets, offering scalable performance without compromising on quality.
Designed not only for breakfast, but for all areas of hotel operation, a standout in the brand’s hospitality offering is the LaCimbali M40, now enhanced with next-generation energy-saving technologies and thermal systems. Delivering up to 50% lower energy consumption in readyto-use mode, the M40 combines temperature stability, steam performance and rapid heatup times, while integrated smart systems like Perfect Grinding and Barista Drive enhance workflow consistency.
But innovation at Cimbali Group extends beyond the machine. The company’s new
TechMate AI, integrated within the group’s Square digital platform, rethinks technical support with real-time, natural-language guidance for technicians and operators. Through videos, diagrams and interactive best practices, the software addresses technician turnover and operational complexity, ensuring precision support across the globe.
The MUMAC Academy once again proved central to the group’s mission, hosting immersive workshops, live demos and expert discussions on coffee technology and emerging trends. Designed as a bridge between engineering, sales and operations, the academy embodies Cimbali Group’s belief that knowledge is the foundation of quality. Meanwhile, the Coffee Machine Museum paid tribute to the brand’s rich heritage, marking Faema’s 80th anniversary with the launch of Faema 80x80, a commemorative volume celebrating eight decades of innovation, culture and design.
It also marks a defining chapter in Cimbali Group’s journey. “HostMilano has once again proven a prestigious showcase for professionals across the international horeca and hospitality sectors, and for us, it comes at a truly strategic stage,” says Eugenio Filoni, Global Key Account Director. “With the strength of our four brands, we can meet every need: from quick service restaurants, coffee chains and bakeries. We have a solution for every customer.”
www.cimbaligroup.com
PETITS FOURS
Zafferano SAM Collection
Italian tableware and lighting brand Zafferano has unveiled the SAM Collection, created in collaboration with mixologist Samuele Ambrosi.
Designed for both professional bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts, the range comprises five models: Old Fashioned Tumbler, Collins Highball, Fizz Glass, Coupette Martini and Nick & Nora. Mouth-blown and handcrafted from superior crystal glass to ensure lightness, clarity and durability, each piece is dishwasher safe and suitable for frequent professional use.
Crafted over a year-long process, Ambrosi poured extensive bartending expertise into the collection, with each piece designed to heighten the multisensory experience of cocktail-making. As a result, proportions, thickness and weight were carefully considered to enhance both appearance and functionality.
One distinct design feature is the engraved base, inspired by citrus fruits and their significance in cocktail culture. The radial pattern evokes a wheel, symbolising the evolution from novice to expert bartender. www.zafferanoitalia.com
1. Cosy & Trendy Bistro
Bringing the ambience of a classic brasserie to the table, the Bistro collection by Cosy & Trendy is a complete tableware range designed for food professionals. Featuring hearty basalt pieces and sturdy cutlery with a stonewash finish, the collection is available in several subtle colourways to complement comfort food, rich dishes and modern bistro cuisine. Crafted from robust materials, Cosy & Trendy tableware is highly resistant to intensive daily use, even in demanding professional settings. These qualities make Bistro ideal for restaurants, pubs and catering establishments where atmosphere and quality matter most.
www.cosy-trendy.eu
2. Kütahya Porselen Panio
Drawing inspiration from the geometry found in nature, Kütahya Porselen introduces Panio, a collection designed to bring balance and harmony to the dining experience. Each piece features a modern yet timeless aesthetic, making it suitable for a wide range of settings, from intimate dinners to large-scale celebrations. Created with a passion for artistry and quality, the range reflects Kütahya Porselen’s mission to elevate everyday dining into an art form. Founded in 1976 as the first porcelain factory in the city of Kütahya, the company has grown into one of Turkey’s leading porcelain producers, exporting to 52 countries including USA, Canada and Japan. www.kutahyaporselen.com.tr
3. Crystalex Appetizers
Crystalex invites chefs to explore the Appetizers collection, a vibrant line of mini glassware suitable for finger food and refined small-plate presentations. Featuring bowls, vessels and petite glasses, the range is crafted to elevate desserts, tapas and small salads. With a contemporary shape, each piece encourages chefs to experiment with flavour combinations, textures and presentations. Crystalex builds on the tradition of Czech glassmaking and takes it into the 21st century. Founded in Nový Bor, a town that has been the centre of the northern bohemian glass industry for centuries, Crystalex is now known for its craftsmanship worldwide. www.crystalex.cz
Costa Nova introduces Silvina, a new product range designed to be used as dinnerware and serveware. Created specifically for the hospitality industry, the line is inspired by the 16th-century patterns of French ceramicist, Bernard Palissy. Available in two colours, Fennel White and Terracotta Orange, the collection allows industry professionals to mix tones and textures to enhance food presentation and tablescapes. Designed with performance and aesthetic appeal at the forefront, Silvina pieces are suitable for professional use and reflect the Portuguese manufacturer’s focus on durable, functional products that support creativity in plating. www.costanovaprofessional.com
4. Costa Nova Silvina
1. La Tavola Core
Core is the latest innovation from La Tavola, created to meet the full spectrum of buffet service needs, from compact breakfast set-ups to multi-course presentations. The freestanding modular line offers a wide range of solutions including hot and cold holding stations, multi-level bread and pastry displays, cereal dispensers, yoghurt holders and juice dispensers. Featuring hygienic, durable HPL surfaces and powder-coated steel structures, it ensures both safety and long-lasting performance. Available in multiple colour options, Core adapts to fit boutique hotels and restaurants, elevating the buffet experience with a modular and practical approach. www.la-tavola.it
2. Rewthink Bespoke Products
Bespoke food and drink trolleys by Rewthink are engineered to deliver seamless service, with removable trays, folding servers and integrated storage. Their lightweight, compact frames, accessible from both sides, allow for effortless movement between tables, making them suitable for carving meat tableside, or serving aperitifs and desserts. Each piece is made-toorder at Rewthink’s Kent workshop and crafted from a choice of materials including American walnut, Italian marble, Cumbrian stone, stainless steel and solid brass. For operators seeking a distinctive identity, trolleys can be customised with different finishes, branding and logos. www.rewthink.co.uk
3. Bonna Cortado
Bonna has created Cortado, a dinnerware line designed to be both durable and versatile. Named after the soft, creamy hue of a coffee blended with milk, the collection features an earthy colour palette and refined relief details. This design offers chefs a neutral backdrop to highlight dishes through colour, texture and presentation. Suitable for both casual dining venues and elevated comfort concepts, most pieces in the Cortado series are backed by a lifetime edgechip warranty. High scratch resistance maintains surface quality over repeated use, while thermal-shock resistance ensures durability against sudden temperature changes. www.bonna.com.tr
4. ID Fine Sustainable Harmony
Mixing and matching tableware collections is not a new approach. But ID Fine transforms it into a more sustainable, flexible and long-term system. With three brands – ID Fine, Roots and 1972 – each tailored to a specific need, it provides a holistic platform to inspire horeca professionals. Sustainable Harmony is founded on the principle that each new product is fully compatible with previous, existing and future collections. This enables users to refresh tabletops without the need to replace current stock. What sets it apart is personalised presentations for each user via modular customisation, lower costs and greater flexibility through strategic stock management. www.idfine.com.tr
Franke Coffee Systems
New A Line
Franke Coffee Systems has unveiled the New A Line, a next-generation machine range that builds on a decade of success with the company’s Classic A Line. The launch represents both a continuation of Swiss engineering precision and a step forward in functionality, efficiency and design.
As operators face rising customer expectations for high-quality coffee, a growing demand for diverse beverage menus and ongoing pressure to reduce operational costs, the machine has been developed specifically to address these realities, combining proven reliability with forward-looking innovations that make professional coffee service more consistent.
The New FoamMaster delivers precise barista-grade milk foam textures, whether hot or cold, dairy or plant-based. Meanwhile, Franke’s HeatGuard technology optimises thermal efficiency, reducing energy loss by as much as 44% compared to the Classic A600NM.
The New A Line also introduces IndividualClean, a usage-based cleaning system that reduces detergent consumption, machine downtime and staff workload. Adding to its future-ready profile is FrankeOS, the company’s intelligent digital platform that integrates software, IoT and user experience design. Evolving over time to deliver personalised experiences, it offers operational clarity and long-term strategic efficiency.
Together, these new and improved features make the New A Line a smarter, more durable and more scalable choice for coffee businesses. aline.franke.coffee
1. Julius Meinl Premium Tea Solutions
Julius Meinl offers a wide selection of teas from across the world, carefully chosen by tea experts. Since 1862, the brand has been dedicated to providing everything needed to create memorable tea moments for guests. It has developed an extensive portfolio ranging from classic varieties to innovative blends, available in multiple formats including tea bags, pyramids, pot portions, loose leaf and iced tea. Most Julius Meinl teas are certified organic, while select varieties are recognised by the Rainforest Alliance. In addition, the company continues to refine its packaging to ensure it is both eco-friendly and recyclable, contributing to a greener future for the tea industry. juliusmeinl.com
2. Goodfellow & Goodfellow Les Guimards Fragments
Fragments from Les Guimards is a collection designed to make a bold and distinctive statement at the table. The stoneware range features a dinner plate and dish, in more than one size, and is defined by raw, unfinished edges and a striking reactive-glaze surface.
As a supplier to the hospitality sector, Goodfellow & Goodfellow offers a spectrum of food presentation solutions, from the humble oyster to the grandeur of high-end hotel cuisine. Recognised for tabletop innovations, the company engages with global partners and tailors bespoke options and branding solutions, from individual tableware pieces to whole dining concepts.
www.goodf.co.uk
3. BHS Tabletop
Kumo by Schönwald, from BHS Tabletop, is a dinnerware collection inspired by the clouds and designed for modern fine-dining settings. Named after the Japanese word for cloud, its softly irregular contours, subtle elevations and gentle reliefs provide a sculptural stage for a range of culinary creations. The collection offers a full menu solution for both ambitious gastronomy and refined hotel settings. Its all-white finish was chosen to reflect today’s design focus on purity, tactility and understated elegance. Suitable for chef-driven presentations, curated menus and upscale dining concepts, Kumo is crafted to let food take centre stage.
www.bhs-tabletop.com
4. Lazzaro
High Performance Porcelain
Lazzaro High Performance Porcelain is defined by its balance of lightness and strength. Crafted from alumina vitrified porcelain, each piece is spun and slow-fired to achieve superior density, resilience and zero water absorption. Despite its strength, the collection feels weightless in hand. A 10.5-inch dinner plate weighs just 550g, nearly 40% lighter than standard porcelain, reducing fatigue in fast-paced service. Reinforced with DuraEdge technology and backed by a lifetime edge-chip warranty, it is engineered to perform under pressure while maintaining a clean, contemporary aesthetic; meeting the pace and precision of modern hospitality.
www.lazzaro.in
Kumo by Schönwald
1. Corby Hall
Oslo Satin 18/10 Flatware
A family-owned business based in Randolph, New Jersey, Corby Hall has supplied the international hospitality industry with high-quality flatware, holloware and bright white porcelain dinnerware for the past 50 years. With designs ranging from traditional to contemporary, at competitive price points, Corby Hall has the ability to supply F&B outlets associated with a full-service operation. A global distribution network coupled with production facilities in Europe and Asia allows for seamless service for both opening orders and resupply. The Oslo Satin flatware collection includes 17 pieces, made from 18/10 forged stainless steel in a satin finish. www.corbyhall.com
2. Ecomade by Fine2Dine
This season, Fine2Dine unveils a curated selection of bold, one-of-a-kind pieces inspired by textures, forms and patterns found in nature. The Icon series is characterised by organic curves, irregular silhouettes and tactile surfaces, offering chefs innovative ways to frame dishes and tell a story on the plate. Each piece encourages experimentation and creativity and is suitable for tasting menus, sharing concepts or seasonal specials. Crafted from high-quality natural porcelain, the items are durable enough for professional kitchen use, while allowing a chef’s culinary vision to take centre stage and elevate dining experiences to a new level. www.fine2dine.com
Raio by Costa Verde is specifically designed for banqueting, meeting the demands of a sector that requires durability and strong aesthetics. An intelligent design allows for easy stacking, storage and transport, while a reinforced material ensures longlasting durability and robustness, even under intensive use. Moreover, the Raio collection’s contemporary aesthetic makes it adaptable to a range of dining environments. At Costa Verde, performance is approached holistically. From visual impact to tactile sensation, and from practical use to economic value, each piece of porcelain is crafted to deliver a complete sensory experience. pro.costa-verde.com
Paying homage to the opulence of Champagne houses, Fizz by William Edwards aims to capture the graceful rhythm of rising bubbles. The modern, contemporary tabletop collection offers a versatile design suited to banqueting and fine dining. Featuring bold visual textures and luxurious gold accents, each piece is meticulously crafted with subtle metallic detailing that enhances the collection’s bright white bone china. Established in 1993 by William Edwards, a graduate of The Royal College of Art London, William Edwards Professional specialises in the design and manufacture of fine bone chinaware for both luxury hospitality and retail clients worldwide.
Vista Alegre Hotelware has announced a new partnership with Chef Sebastian Frank of Berlin’s two-Michelin-starred restaurant, Horváth. The collaboration has given rise to Aura, a design inspired by the golden railings of Vienna’s Imperial Palace of Hofburg and distinguished by gilded lines and textured patterns. Aura is part of the brand’s exclusive Chef’s Collection, which is created specially with the world of haute cuisine in mind. By bringing together Vista Alegre’s design expertise with the artistry of internationally renowned chefs, the Aura collection aims to serve as a perfect meeting point between fine craftsmanship and signature gastronomy.
hotelware.vistaalegre.com
Circular Ceramics
Developed in collaboration with material designer Sara Howard, the Circular Ceramics collection reflects Kevala’s commitment to design that endures. Crafted from up to 70% recovered materials, the range redefines what sustainable production can look like in luxury tableware. Each piece uses marble and granite slurries from local stone industries, clay and glaze residues from Kevala’s studio, and river glass fragments reimagined into a luminous glaze. These byproducts are transformed into durable, food-safe ceramics built for the rigours of hospitality. The collection represents a circular mindset that values continuity over consumption.
www.kevalaceramics.com
Kevala Ceramics
Pioneer International Trading Showroom in Riyadh
Since opening in Riyadh last year, Pioneer International Trading has established its showroom as a one-stop-shop for the horeca sector in Saudi Arabia. As an affiliate of the Renarte group of companies, Pioneer continues to build on two decades of trusted expertise, serving luxury hotels, resorts and restaurants with premium brands.
“Our extensive track record in the GCC reflects a deep understanding of the Gulf’s hospitality sector,” says Managing Director Rajath Radhakrishnan. “This allows us to confidently bring best practices and regionally adapted solutions to the KSA market.”
This understanding is backed by a portfolio of over 60 global brands, from tableware and porcelain to glassware and linens, including names like Serax, Villeroy & Boch, Narumi, La Tavola, Spiegelau and Mauviel. “Our long-standing relationships with globally recognised brands gives us the stability and consistency that large-scale hospitality projects demand,” Radhakrishnan says, adding that Pioneer’s esteem is also built on dependable service. “Our reputation stems from our commitment to quality, timeliness and responsiveness, which allows us to handle the demanding requirements of KSA’s hospitality projects; from tight deadlines to highvolume orders and bespoke requests.”
After the Riyadh debut, Pioneer has witnessed first-hand the direction of Saudi Arabia’s hospitality evolution. “There is a strong push into upscale hotel supply,” he notes. “About 78% of new rooms under development in KSA fall into the segment.” In turn, the market’s focus on wellness, sustainability and locally inspired F&B concepts is growing. But while luxury dominates, Radhakrishnan observes some diversification: “There has been a noticeable pivot towards midscale, boutique lifestyle hotels and branded residences,” he explains. “For us, this means an even broader market, so we try to keep our offering and services flexible to cover both ends of the spectrum.”
Indeed, Pioneer’s showroom has already become a go-to destination for hospitality procurement.
“Our large-format showrooms in Riyadh, Dubai and Doha have significantly elevated the way we serve the region,” Radhakrishnan concludes. “These spaces are more than just product displays; they are immersive hubs. With dedicated support staff, real-time availability insights and long-standing international partner brands, we make it easier for clients to source efficiently, align with project themes and stay within budget – all under one roof.” www.pioneerhoreca.com
1. Amefa Newton
Made for hospitality professionals who value excellence, Amefa’s Newton cutlery is characterised by clean, contemporary lines and a flawless mirror finish. Perfectly balanced for comfort and control, the collection is suitable for use in restaurants, boutique hotels and luxury venues where every detail matters. With durability that meets the demands of professional use and a design that complements any table setting, Newton is a statement of style. Amefa has been setting tables all over the world since 1931. As one of Europe’s leading suppliers of cutlery and related products, the Dutch company remains passionate about quality and craftsmanship.
www.amefa.com
2. Modbar Modbar Tea / PourOver
Modbar, the original undercounter brewing system made for hospitality spaces, presented its latest product advancements at HostMilano 2025, the world’s international trade show for the horeca industry. Highlights included an introduction to Modbar Tea, a new programme designed to support the preparation of alternative drinks, including quick-serve tea, infused beverages, tea lattes and made-to-order iced teas. In addition, Modbar debuted its updated Modbar PourOver, created in collaboration with La Marzocco, which gives baristas even greater freedom to craft a wide variety of coffee recipes with precision and care.
www.modbar.com
3. Pordamsa Freeze & Serve
Girona-based porcelain and glassware manufacturer Pordamsa has unveiled Glaciar, a collection of hand-blown borosilicate bowls and plates. Part of the Freeze & Serve range, each piece is filled with a freezable liquid solution, keeping culinary creations chilled throughout service. The transparent glass highlights a frozen core, creating a sense of theatricality at the table while ensuring dishes remain at the optimum temperature. Lightweight yet durable, the collection is hermetically sealed, freezersafe and dishwasher-safe. Among the standout models is a design tailored to fit a caviar tin, offering chefs a refined way to serve the prized delicacy.
www.pordamsa.com
4. Porland Dove
Designed in a distinct creamy white tone, the Dove collection by Porland is made for refined culinary presentations. Its clean, soft colour complements a range of gracefully shaped plates and bowls, as well as teapots, milk jugs, cups and saucers. Dove aims to offer hospitality professionals versatility, and is suitable for both casual and fine-dining settings. Each piece is characterised by an understated aesthetic that blends effortlessly with its environment, from minimalist restaurant concepts to luxury hotels and resorts. Beyond its visual appeal, the collection is made from durable porcelain with a structure that ensures long-lasting use in the horeca sector.
www.porland.com
British glassware manufacturer John Jenkins presents Havana, a collection of handmade cocktail glasses comprising six distinct designs, from a straight-sided glass to a flared shape for martinis.
The brand is renowned for its range of handmade and machine-made glassware that runs the gamut from wine and cocktail glasses to classic tumblers, all of which are available for immediate delivery. John Jenkins also has an in-house design department that can create bespoke pieces and exclusive patterns.
Each piece benefits from the latest advancements in glass-making technology, employed to enhance clarity, durability and scratch-resistance. www.johnjenkins.co.uk
John Jenkins Havana
ADVERTISING INDEX ISSUE 45
Vanishing Act
Fairmont’s latest activation brings a bar experience to remember… but blink and you’ll miss it.
Guests must be quick to sip at Fairmont Hotels & Resorts this year, as the group reveals its Disappearing Bar concept, a pop-up entity that appears briefly before vanishing to its next destination, quicker than you can down a shot. Promising customary Fairmont hospitality in unexpected settings worldwide, the new series aims to transform the traditional bar experience into an elevated moment.
Launched this September at Fairmont Royal York in Toronto, in collaboration with Grey Goose Vodka, the first Disappearing Bar opened in a hidden space above the hotel’s iconic rooftop. Usually inaccessible to guests, the location was open for a fleeting four days, in which only 20 seats were available in 60-minute sessions that featured specially crafted Grey Goose vodka martini cocktails, dessert bites and live music,
with audio technology overseen by Fairmont’s brand partner Devialet.
The series builds on the momentum of Fairmont’s Make Special Happen campaign, with more activations planned in various properties around the world, whether it’s at the iconic The Savoy in London; the opulent surrounds of Fairmont The Palm in Dubai or at the preopening of Fairmont New Orleans. “Fairmont hotels are social epicentres that blend genuine encounters with the heart of the action, creating vibrant spaces where communities gather,” says Omer Acar, CEO, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. “Occasions are celebrated, milestones are marked and history is made every day at our 96 properties in 30 countries. The Disappearing Bar is just another wonderful way our properties can Make Special Happen globally.”
