Gastronomy
Six Senses Laamu hosts a trio of celebrity chefs for cxclusive culinary events in the Maldives
Maldives.net.mv – At a series of events during September and October 2013, Six Senses Laamu will be presenting a culinary coup, with three celebrity chefs introducing their respective unique cuisines. The dining events and learning experiences will be exclusively for guests of the resort.
Set in two periods, the first will be from 11th to 17th September and will feature the renowned TV chef and author Paul Merret, together with Anton Manganaro from London’s prestigious BAFTA 195 Piccadilly venue. They will create signature dinners at LEAF, and cooking classes at Zen.
The second sector of culinary events will be from 9th to 16th October 2013, and will feature Chef Joe Barza – innovative advocate of new Lebanese cuisine. He will also be presenting signature dinners at LEAF and a cooking class at Zen.
The venue for these memorable menus is LEAF restaurant, a symphony of rustic wood and palm-thatched roof perched above the resort’s organic garden. Maldivian fishermen and farmers are the source for many of the local ingredients. Guest participation at dinner is US$135++ per person.
Cooking classes will be held at Zen, on the upper deck of the unique overwater village, which also offers inspiring tropical vistas over the translucent lagoon waters. Class attendance is US$130 per person.
Special accommodation packages are offered, and for a minimum seven-night stay there is a savings of 15% off the best available rate, with breakfast included. An additional 10% savings applies to bookings made sixty days or more in advance of the arrival date. More details are available at http://www.sixsenses.com/
More about our Celebrity Chefs:
Chef Paul Merret has an impressive background in the restaurant world having worked with some of London’s top chefs, including Peter Kromberg and Gary Rhodes.
Paul’s media career began with a one off appearance on Channel 4’s Light Lunch. Since then Paul has been involved in many television projects including a ten-part BBC2 series named The Best, three series of Ever Wondered About Food on BBC1, Family Supercooks and most recently presenting Economy Gastronomy on prime time BBC2. Alongside this, Paul has been a regular contributor on Market Kitchen, ITV’s Sunday Feast, Perfect and Saturday Kitchen as well as appearing on both BBC Breakfast and GMTV.
Paul is also a keen author and his first book, Using The Plot was published in 2007. Economy Gastronomy followed, which has its foundation in the BBC Television series of the same name, which was hosted and written by Paul alongside Allegra McEvedy. Paul is currently writing his third book.
Paul now owns and runs The Victoria Public House – Dining Room and Hotel near Richmond Park in West London, which won Best London Gastro Pub 2011 in the Great Pub Awards.
Chef Anton Manganaro started his culinary career at the Royal Garden Hotel with David Nichols, formerly of the Ritz and now at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park Hotel. Since then he has worked with many of the well-known chefs of our time, including Gunther Schlender of Rue St Jacques, Paul Gayler of Inigo Jones and The Lanesborough, as well as Gary Rhodes and Anton Mosimann.
For five years he worked with Paul Merrett at Interlude and the Greenhouse achieving a Michelin star. He also travelled the world working in private households before he headed up the kitchen at BAFTA 195 Piccadilly, where he has been head chef for the last 7 years.
Anton prides himself in using only the freshest, and most seasonal ingredients and supports many charities and organisations to promote wellbeing in farming and sustainability. Whilst he enjoys the exciting innovations of contemporary cuisine, he places great emphasis on his classical background.
After 21 years in the industry he is very keen to pass on his knowledge to the next generation of up-and-coming chefs. He works with students of West Thames College who train alongside his team in the BAFTA 195 Piccadilly kitchen.
Chef Joe Barza is an innovative advocate of new Lebanese cuisine. He earned his degree at the School of Hotel Management in Beirut, Lebanon and has become a Master Chef specialising in Lebanese cuisine. He has more than twenty-two years of professional cooking and kitchen management experience, leadership qualities and professionalism, backed by a consistent record of achievement.
Trained by Pierre Pomel, Marc Veyrat, Jean-Pierre Jacob, Pierre Marin and Chicho Sultano, Joe Barza has become a teaching instructor himself as well as a training and development specialist.He has worked alongside Paul Bocuse, Alain Ducasse, Pierre Gagnaire, Joel Robluchon and Alfons Schuhbeck. In 2008, Chef Barza was the head of the delegation at the Bocuse d’Or.
Chef Barza has become a name synonymous worldwide with progressive Lebanese Cuisine. Globally recognised, with a perfect balance of passion, wittiness and creativity he brings a mix of tradition and modernism, elegance and warmth to Laamu’s dining experiences. He combines simplicity and innovation where he uses alternative ingredients instead of usual ones, to create new recipes.
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.”
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.
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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