In honour of World Food Day 2020 on the 16th October, with this year’s theme committed to making food systems more sustainable, strong and resilient through healthy eating habits and sustainable practices, we have rounded up the best places for gourmands to travel to. From organic restaurants using locally sourced produce to bespoke wellness meal plans and supporting local wine makers, these are the best trips to book to satisfy your taste buds as well as your eco conscience.
CAYO Exclusive Resort and Spa, Crete
Locally sourced Grecian goodness from a Michelin-starred chef
The perfect destination for gourmands looking to explore Crete’s northern coast, CAYO Exclusive Resort and Spa is nestled on its own private swathe of beach overlooking Elounda Bay and boasts four gastronomic restaurants. From the effortlessly cool Stone Beach House, perched on Plaka Beach, to Kelari, where guests can expect a fine-dining experience, all-day eatery Ambrosia to Mediterranean restaurant Sage and Thyme, each adopt a farm to fork ethos. Curated by chef Lefteris Lazarou, the first Greek chef to be awarded with one Michelin star, the menus feature the freshest produce, locally sourced from specially selected eco-friendly farms and the resort’s own organic garden.
Owing to a hugely successful career, Lazarou has accomplished many triumphs in his life, one of which comes in the form of Varoulko in Piraeus, Athens, a restaurant specialising in seafood dishes made entirely of ingredients handpicked by Lazarou himself from his daily visits to the local markets – a tradition he has kept to this day.
Following in the footsteps of Lazarou, the same ethos is practiced at CAYO, where guests can indulge in a wide array of dishes guaranteed to tantalise taste buds and take comfort in the knowledge that all ingredients are ethically sourced from local markets, farms and gardens. Speciality dishes include red mullet tartar, seabass ala ‘polita’ and mushroom ragout.
To book and for further information, visit cayoresort.com.
argos in Cappadocia, Turkey
New cooking classes, al fresco picnics and wine tasting in the original land of viniculture
Nestled amongst honeycombed hills and magical fairy chimneys on the ancient hilltop village of Uçhisar in central Turkey, argos in Cappadocia hotel is set within a 2000-year-old network of ancient ruins, caves and underground tunnels, and is home to the region’s largest wine cellar with a capacity of 70,000 bottles. New for 2020, argos is now offering exciting cooking classes with a chance for guests to harvest the in-season produce themselves and wine tasting experiences, in order to sample and protect the local cuisine of the region, taste authentic local dishes and cook alongside the hotel’s experienced chefs.
Aiming to support the vintification of the country, argos will be offering a new wine tasting menu alongside this where guests can learn about the cutting-edge techniques used which lend to the 30 grape varieties growing healthier through a combination of this technology and the features of the climate, with volcanic soil rich in minerals and rapid seasons.
As well as this, guests can dine in the rustic chic SEKI restaurant where produce is sourced from the hotel’s own organic vegetable garden and jams and sauces are made by one of the hotels own 1,800 fruit trees which are dried and preserved inside the regions fairy chimneys, or choose SEKI room service. What’s more, argos can arrange for romantic picnics in the hotel’s rooftop garden with a breath-taking view over Pigeon Valley, or even a private barbecue at their al fresco Monks terrace venue with a live grill in the magical Cappadocian surroundings. Following clean agricultural practices, argos also recycles all rainwater.
To book or for further information, visit argosincappadocia.com.
COMO Hotels and Resorts, Worldwide
Food for the soul with COMO Shambhala cuisine
COMO Shambhala, the holistic wellbeing concept within COMO Hotels and Resorts, is founded on the philosophy of healthy living – and it doesn’t stop at the spa. Highly tailored wellness programmes are accompanied by a menu of energy-giving COMO Shambhala cuisine, curated on the belief that healthy cuisine can and should be both delicious and nutritious.
Expertly developed and finessed by the group’s executive chef over the past decade, COMO Shambhala cuisine focuses on a perfectly calibrated mixture of raw and cooked ingredients with specific nutritional purposes. Designed to boost energy, enhance concentration and balance blood-sugar levels, dishes are prepared with special techniques that ensure living enzymes are retained, helping cleanse the body from the outside in.
The specialist cuisine is served-up across a selection of COMO properties, from the heart of the Bhutanese Himalayas to Parrot Cay, a private island in Turks and Caicos. On-property nutritionists are on hand to help design bespoke meal plans to complement specific wellbeing programmes, whether it’s a full body detox or to lose weight, teaching cooking techniques that can be practised long after leaving the hotel.
While travel to some of COMO’s compelling destinations is on hold, guests can try their hand at COMO Shambala cuisine at home with The Pleasures of Eating Well, a collation of recipes from around the world. For more information visit comohotels.com or for recipes, click here.
Gennadi Grand Resort, Rhodes
Nutritious and delicious Greek and international dishes served with a food waste free policy
A breath of fresh Aegean air offering sun, sea and sustainability, the sleek Gennadi Grand Resort effortlessly combines exceptional design, eco-friendly architecture and luxury hospitality rooted in sustainable practices, echoing the relaxed feel of this lesser-known corner of Rhodes set in the idyllic Gennadi Bay.
A member of the Lindos Hotels group, Gennadi is committed to ensuring a sustainable quality and food safety culture through the use of locally sourced produce and fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables in each of the restaurants mouth-wateringly tasty dishes. Offering everything from traditional Greek, Mediterranean, grills and fine dining fusion dishes, Gennadi prides itself on nutritious and delicious dishes that are unprocessed, and they cut those containing palm oil. As well as this, Gennadi minimises food waste from ordering and storing raw ingredients and using leftovers in innovative ways where possible.
In addition, Gennadi’s laid-back luxury restaurants have also increased their vegan and vegetarian offering by reducing meat dishes that add to CO2 emissions. Designed to take guests on gastronomic journey like no other, guests can dine at Ten2One restaurant for California inspired meals and snacks, Eδesma fine dining restaurant where traditional Greek dishes are given bold twists with modern cooking techniques, or savour premium cuts and homemade sauces at στK Grill Restaurant.
To book or for further information, visit gennadigrandresort.com.
Es Saadi Marrakech Resort, Morocco
SLOW food and farm-to-fork dining
One of Es Saadi Marrakech Resort’s main themes is mindfulness. Incorporating this into their gastronomy has been incredibly well-received, leading to the resort’s light filled and spacious ‘Lagon and Jardin’ facing the lagoon pool of the Palace and serving a specific SLOW (Sustainable, Local, Organic and Wellness) food menu which includes low calorie suggestions as well as gluten-intolerance alternatives. Described as the anti-fast food, the SLOW food movement has gone about celebrating locally sourced organic foods and encourages farming of plants, seeds and livestock characteristic of the local ecosystem.
In addition, the restaurant offers a deliciously light salad bar each lunchtime. Consisting of both raw and cooked full-flavored vegetables, salads, nuts, and freshly gathered herbs, eco-conscious travellers can rest assured, as all fresh produce is grown in the resort’s family-owned organic farm, Le Bled, located in the Ourika Valley; this salad bar offers a truly healthy and energy-boosting gourmet meal.
To book or for further information, visit essaadi.com.
