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Guests are the winners as GM and Chef battle it out at Centara Ras Fushi Resort & Spa Maldives

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Maldives Promotion House – It’s not often that Centara General Managers and Executive Chefs do battle with each other. Not in public! But the Live Cooking Competition at Centara Ras Fushi Resort & Spa Maldives saw GM and Chef pitted against each other to create a menu for La Brezza Italian Restaurant.

Restaurant customers acted as the judges as GM Ulrich Hoffgen and Chef MacLean Fraser duelled over a set menu in the restaurant’s open kitchen.

Dishes being prepared were an appetiser of seared scallops and glazed pork belly, an entrée of grilled king prawn with roast capsicum gazpacho and green-shell mussel salad, a main course of confit of duck leg with roast duck and mushroom risotto, and a dessert of flambee peach with vanilla bean ice cream.

Guests enjoyed the dinner for a payment of USD85 plus service and tax, with USD40 being covered by the credit available under the resort’s All-Inclusive Meal Plan programme.

After the dinner was finished, guests were given slips of paper on which to cast their votes.

Who won?

GM collected the most votes. But Chef is still happily at work in his kitchen and GM has resisted the impulse to change his career, and so remains in charge of the adult-focused resort that, within six weeks of its mid-April opening this year, had risen to be No 1 place for honeymoon holidays on TripAdvisor’s listing of North Male resorts, of which there are 31 properties.

The real winners were the guests, who packed the restaurant out and thoroughly enjoyed this novel and convivial evening.

GM Ulrich, incidentally, was an executive chef in the hospitality industry before becoming a resident manager elsewhere in the Maldives and then being appointed General Manager at Centara Ras Fushi Resort & Spa Maldives.

The resort is located just 15 minutes by speedboat from Male International Airport and has 140 adult-oriented villas set on the beach or above the magnificent lagoon.

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SO/ Maldives unveils Creation Wines five-course pairing evening

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SO/ Maldives will host an exclusive Wine Dinner in collaboration with Creation Wines, led by Carolyn and Glenn Martin, founders of the South African winery. The event will take place at Lazuli Beach Club on 5 November 2025, from 18:30 to 22:00, with a beachfront setting designed for an evening of fine wine, culinary craft and storytelling.

Guests will be served a five-course menu, each course created by the SO/ Maldives culinary team to complement selected vintages from Creation. From the first pour to the final course, the pairings highlight a shared commitment between SO/ Maldives and Creation Wines to creativity, authenticity and the art of living well.

Guided by Carolyn and Glenn Martin, the evening will explore the relationship between food and wine, with insights into their winemaking approach, the vineyard, and their journey from South Africa’s Hemel-en-Aarde Valley to the Maldives.

Creation Wines combines an ancient landscape with a modern estate driven by innovation. Its team draws on the Hemel-en-Aarde terroir to produce wines that aim to be vibrant and expressive, with each bottle telling a story of balance and harmony.

At SO/ Maldives, contemporary design and artistic sensibility provide the backdrop for imaginative experiences. The Creation Wine Dinner reflects this approach, bringing together gastronomy, style and narrative in a single event.

“This dinner is a celebration of creativity, craftsmanship and connection,” said Nyoman Suandari, Director of Culinary at SO/ Maldives. “Each pairing is designed not only to delight the palate but also to evoke emotion—to capture the essence of both land and sea, and of the artistry that unites us.”

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OZEN RESERVE BOLIFUSHI celebrated for wine perfection at global awards

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The luxury Maldivian retreat OZEN RESERVE BOLIFUSHI has been recognised among the world’s finest dining destinations at the prestigious World’s Best Wine Lists Awards 2025. The private island resort received dual honours at London’s legendary Savoy Hotel, winning both the ‘Best All-Inclusive Wine List in Asia’ award and the coveted ‘Jury Award’ for its outstanding wine programme.

The World of Fine Wine, a prestigious British publication, website, and app for a global audience of wine enthusiasts, hosts the World’s Best Wine Lists Award. An independent panel of judges consider entries based on criteria like breadth, depth, balance, and originality across 21 categories to celebrate the finest wine lists globally, with winners being recognised by region.

This remarkable achievement places the Maldivian sanctuary alongside the most celebrated restaurants and hotels worldwide, confirming its status as a true destination for wine lovers. The awards come from one of the most respected judging panels in the wine world, featuring Master Sommeliers, Masters of Wine and other leading experts who assessed wine lists from across the globe.

“To be honoured with this global recognition for a second consecutive year is both thrilling and deeply humbling,” shares Nicolas Laguette, Director of Wines for Atmosphere Core.

“We believe that a perfect holiday should be paired with a perfect glass of wine; it must not feel like an extra, but a natural part of the journey and always available to guests throughout the entire resort. Seeing our team’s dedication, from curating over 100 labels to integrating them seamlessly into the RESERVE™ Plan, celebrated like this is incredibly rewarding. It confirms a simple truth: that world-class wines belong in every instant of a guest’s stay, from their very first toast to their last sunset sip.”

At OZEN RESERVE BOLIFUSHI, the art of wine is woven into the very fabric of your stay. The journey begins from the time you settle into your villa, where your personal maxi bar with daily refill offers a curated introduction to the resort’s acclaimed collection. This is the essence of the RESERVE™ Plan, a seamless tapestry of over 100 premium wines, champagnes, and spirits that flows effortlessly from the very moment you reach our shores, for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between.

For those with a passion for discovery, the dedicated CUVEÉ wine library serves as the heart of wine-focused offerings. Here, the expert sommeliers become storytellers, hosting intimate tasting dinners where every exquisite wine is thoughtfully paired with gourmet cuisine, creating memorable chapters in your holiday narrative.

This passion for viniculture extends across THE OZEN COLLECTION. Both OZEN RESERVE BOLIFUSHI and OZEN LIFE MAADHOO bring the vines to the tropics through exclusive events, welcoming renowned vintners like Champagne Guy Charbaut from France and Bodegas Viñátigo from Spain’s Canary Islands for masterclasses and conversations that bring the world’s great wine regions to our shores.

Ultimately, this international recognition affirms something guests have long known, that OZEN RESERVE BOLIFUSHI offers more than stunning vistas and luxurious accommodations. It provides a complete sensory experience where every glass poured reflects the same dedication to excellence that defines this Maldivian paradise – proving that true luxury lies in these perfectly curated moments.

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Constance Moofushi Maldives celebrates fine wine excellence with Creation Wines

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Constance Moofushi Maldives has announced an exceptional wine journey this October, welcoming internationally celebrated winemakers Carolyn Martin and Glenn Martin of South Africa’s acclaimed Creation Wines.

At Constance Hotels & Resorts, gastronomy and wine are at the very heart of the guest experience. Renowned for its award-winning culinary philosophy and meticulously curated wine cellars, the group has established itself as a true pioneer of refined dining in the Indian Ocean. Each experience is designed to celebrate the harmony between exquisite cuisine and world-class wines—a passion brought to life this October at Constance Moofushi through the presence of two remarkable visionaries.

Founded in 2002 on the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge of South Africa, Creation Wines has grown into one of the world’s most admired estates. Visionary couple Jean-Claude and Carolyn Martin transformed a remote farm into a globally recognized winery, uniting Swiss-trained precision with inspired creativity. Today, their estate is lauded for excellence, sustainability, and immersive guest experiences, earning accolades such as the 2021 Global Winner of the Great Wine Capitals Award for Innovative Wine Tourism.

At Constance Moofushi, the Martins will guide guests through a curated journey of wine and food pairings—an elegant masterclass in storytelling through flavour.

Further affirming its passion for exceptional wine experiences, Constance Moofushi Maldives was recently recognised at the 2025 World’s Best Wine Lists Awards, where its Alizée Restaurant was nominated for and proudly won the “Best All-Inclusive Wine List”.

This accolade highlights Moofushi’s distinctive wine philosophy—an extensive and carefully curated selection of exceptional wines rarely found in all-inclusive resorts, particularly in such a pristine and remote destination.

“This collaboration with Creation Wines offers our guests exclusive tastings and immersive experiences, while also enriching the knowledge of our passionate sommelier team. It is a true reflection of Constance Hotels & Resorts’ spirit—where gastronomy, passion, and timeless moments of indulgence come together in paradise,” said Mevin Ramasamy, General Manager, Constance Moofushi Maldives.

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