Known for its extensive culinary offerings set in a picturesque island surrounded by azure waters, Anantara Veli Maldives Resort ups its food game with a lineup of British Michelin-Starred chefs, starting with Chef Gary Foulkes this August.
Packing simple food and big flavours, Gary will be working with locally sourced seasonal produce from the Maldives, letting nature write the menu.
“Seasonal cooking is something I am passionate about wherever I am in the world, I’m really looking forward to getting to the Maldives and seeing what nature’s bounty has to offer. I will base my menu around this, with a few surprises along the way,” said Gary.
While many chefs recount stories of family recipes, Chef Gary shares of his accidental encounter with food when he spent a day on a school placement in the kitchen of a hotel. This led him on an unknown path into the culinary world, working under the tutelage of culinary greats like John Campbell, William Drabble, Gary Rhodes and Philip Howard – a man he credits for having a huge influence on his style of cooking.
In April 2016, Gary joined the Angler restaurant as Executive Head Chef, achieving a Michelin star in just five months, creating a new reputation for the restaurant with his unique and clean style of cooking. His food is inspired by travel, people and experiences, starting with a three-year travel across the globe accompanied by his wife. The trip began in a Volkswagen Campervan in Europe, and quickly became a food odyssey.
Their journey took them across Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan, Indonesia, Central America and South America. The ever-changing menu at Angler is inspired by travel and refined through many years of culinary experience – the use of ingredients such as wasabi, shiso and black garlic in the menu highlights the Asian influence in Gary’s cooking.
At Anantara Veli Maldives Resort, Gary will be teaming up with the resort’s culinary team, led by Executive Chef Francis Purification. “We are excited to have such an amazing lineup in our kitchen. It will be a great experience for our chefs and there’s no better way to learn than to cook with the best in the industry,” said Chef Francis.
Following Chef Gary’s debut at Anantara Veli Maldives Resort are four other British greats who will be making an appearance at the resort throughout the rest of 2023, including Singapore based Michelin-starred chefs, Steve Lancaster of Poise in September and Lewis Barker of Sommer in October.
Firing up the kitchen this 2nd and 3rd of August, Gary will be plating for an exclusive dinner with only eight seats in the wine cellar at Anantara Veli’s Japanese restaurant, Origami.
You must be logged in to post a comment.