Continuing the winning streak in the culinary sphere, Aitken Spence Hotels’ latest resort in the Maldives, Heritance Aarah bagged multiple wins from the prestigious IKA Culinary Olympics 2020 which included four (04) Golds, seven (07) Silver and two (02) Bronze medals; marking their third win in the culinary sphere since the opening of the resort mid last year!
Having embarked on the Culinary Olympic journey just months after their previous win at the Culinary Food Expo in September, the eight member team from Heritance Aarah included the Corporate Chef / General Manager – Maldives Sector Lalith Gunasekera, Executive Chef Amila Silva, and were assisted by Culinary Olympic Record Holder Chef Dimuthu Kumarasinghe (nine time Gold medallist). Chef Kumarasinghe is the Aitken Spence Hotels Assistant Vice President – Food and Beverage and Ambassador Heritance Cuisine/Chefs & Culinary Art Development.
Excellence in skill, collective values and expertise of the team, together with sheer hard work, commitment and dedication; along with the spirit of Aitken Spence and the winning attitude, proved to be the prizewinning ingredient for Heritance Aarah.
Held in Stuttgart, Germany from 14-19 February, the competition saw over 2,000 chefs from around 59 countries crafting over 7,000 menus to be judged by an elite panel of global chefs from all continents. The competition, acknowledged as the oldest, largest and most diverse international culinary art competition in the globe is regarded to be among the most competitive and challenging battles in the industry. The Aarah representatives who were among the 28-member Sri Lankan delegation not only brought glory and pride to the resort, but also to Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
The resort, presenting 150 villas with a Premium All Inclusive offering which include extensive dining options through its six restaurants and five bars has fast made a name for itself as a hub for gastronomic fineness among its wide clientele from across the world. Introducing a unique food culture to the Maldives hospitality industry, Heritance Aarah’s culinary success is owed to its innovative approach and simple food structure.
Stasshani Jayawardena, Deputy Chairman and Managing Director of Aitken Spence Group congratulated the teams, expressing delight over the distinctive wins. “Heritance Aarah has successfully followed the footsteps of its sister properties in Sri Lanka and made a name for itself in the culinary field. Through our distinct identification of unique food culture from the locality as well as from around the world, our kitchen experts have developed flavours and aromas that are exclusive, exceptional and inimitable. As such, the win further reiterates our commitment to curate distinctive dishes that welcome a sensory journey,” she said.
Given the considerable investment associated with the competition, the win is also reflective of the Company’s dedication to hone talent and drive innovation. “These wins reflect the up and coming talent that we are proud to call them part of our family. Our hope is that they utilize all available resources to better their skillset and together, create memorable holidays to our guests.”
