Premier hospitality chain Aitken Spence Hotels showcased their prowess in the culinary sphere, winning five Gold, four Silver and four Bronze at the recently concluded prestigious Villeroy & Boch Culinary World Cup.
Its flagship Maldives resort, Heritance Aarah collectively took home 13 medals.
The five member team from Heritance Aarah, competed against 60 teams from 55 nations, in an intense five-day competition in Luxembourg-Kirchberg, vying for the prestigious prizes.
The winning team was led by Executive Chef Amila Silva and the team was mentored and trained by the Culinary Olympic Record Holder Chef Dimuthu Kumarasinghe (nine-time Culinary Olympic Gold medallist) and the Corporate Chef Maldives Sector Lalith Gunasekare.
Chef Kumarasinghe is the Aitken Spence Hotels Assistant Vice President, Ambassador Heritance Cuisine/Chefs & Culinary Art Development Officer.
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 proved to be the prizewinning ingredient for Heritance Aarah.
Curating innovative and unique dishes that are a melange of flavour, colour and presentation. Heritance Aarah’s inimitable approach to gastronomy, the out-of-the-box creations not only caught the eyes of the judges but also received commendation by all present.
In line with the premium lifestyle experience presented to its discerning guests, Heritance Aarah extends the most generous all-inclusive offering. Standing apart from the orthodox all-inclusive offerings in the Maldives, a key distinction at Heritance Aarah is the 11 F&B outlets, of which seven are for dining. The culinary journey that its guests are privy to includes a holistic epicurean journey from street food to the traditional, to fusion to fine dining, unravelling an experience unlike any other. With culinary among its core values, the resort team, since 2019 has brought home many a medal in the field, including multiple wins at the Culinary Olympics and Culinary Food Expo. These achievements further reiterate the company’s continued efforts and investment in strengthening its leadership position in culinary excellence as well as in soft skill development, as part of long term strategy.
“Heritance Aarah is a unique resort that was designed to challenge the status quo. We turned this into a skill we are proud to have honed and nurtured over the years – our exceptional talent in the culinary world,” Aitken Spence PLC Director Head of Tourism and Leisure and Chairperson of Aitken Spence Hotels Management Stasshani Jayawardena said congratulating the team.
“We are ever so proud to see these achievements and world-class recognition which proves that we are very much in line with the company’s vision. My heartiest congratulations to you all; and thank you for keeping the Aitken Spence flag as well as Sri Lanka flag flying high,” she added.
Aitken Spence Hotels Managing Director Susith Jayawickrama said: “This global recognition is a reward for our continuous investment on culinary training and exposure and proves that Aitken Spence Hotels is among the world’s best in the culinary arena.”
The winning team was welcomed at the Bandaranaike airport by the Senior Management of Aitken Spence Hotels followed by a felicitation lunch and ceremony with the attendance of the Group Supervisory Board of Aitken Spence PLC – Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake, Dr. Rohan Fernando, Stasshani Jayawardena, Nilanthi Sivapragasam, members of the Senior Management of Aitken Spence Hotels and well-wishers from across Aitken Spence subsidiaries.
Recognised as one of the largest and most important cooking competitions in the world, the Villeroy & Boch Culinary World Cup is a prestigious gastronomic festival that meets the highest standards. The Culinary World Cup was held in line with EXPOGAST Trade Show 2022.
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