Jamaica Leading Small Hotel of the World teaches guests the art of healthy Jamaican cuisine
Royal Plantation Ocho Rios invites guests into the kitchen to learn healthy, local cooking with the resort’s exclusive Bon Vivant Wellness Luncheon
New York, NY, USA (August 2006) – Every Monday morning an intimate group of guests are invited to participate in a full morning of cooking, discovering and tasting at Royal Plantation Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Each week during the Bon Vivant Wellness Luncheon, Executive Sous Chef Owen Bain takes these guests behind the scenes right into his very own kitchen for a most unique dining experience, where they’re taught how to prepare a wholesome, low-calorie gourmet lunch made with the freshest local, organic ingredients.
The morning starts off with the sweet taste of Jamaican mango mimosas and a group discussion as Chef Bain relays his passion for food and healthy living by sharing his extensive knowledge of Jamaican cuisine and culture. The lucky guests are taught how to combine fresh-grown produce such as cantaloupe, pumpkins, papaya and calaloo with a variety of local Jamaican herbs and spices to create the perfect accompaniment to their meal. The main dish often consists of the local fish and seafood caught right near the property, such as snapper and conch, cooked to perfection by the group.
Time spent in the kitchen isn’t only for a savory meal however. Guests are told to leave room for dessert, as learning to live and eat well at Royal Plantation is also about understanding how to prepare low-calorie and delicious indulgences. The sweet portion of the luncheon is led by Royal Plantation’s resident pastry chef, Alicia Lewis, who helps guests whip up refreshing desserts. Some of her most tasty concoctions include cucumber and blackberry sorbets, fruit tarts, and preserves and jellies for cookies. What’s the secret for keeping these desserts all low-calorie yet tasty? Chef Alicia uses local honey, which adds delectable flavour in place of refined sugars and butter.
After all the food preparation is complete, guests sit down and enjoy their family-style meal together outside on the terrace of the resort’s elegant Le Papillon restaurant. The waterfront dining creates the perfect relaxing atmosphere after a vigorous morning in the kitchen.
“The desire to maintain a healthy diet and take something new home with them while on holiday is important to our discerning guests,” says general manager, Peter Fraser. “We’re happy to have our master chefs enlighten our guests with the art of healthy Jamaican cooking using only the freshest local ingredients right in our kitchens.”
With “edu-travel” experiences on the rise, this complimentary weekly activity was designed specifically for savvy, health-conscious travellers. Participants not only return home with original Jamaican recipes, but also a newfound understanding that foods made with fresh ingredients can taste even better than they ever thought possible.
Quietly elegant and perched on two private white-sand beaches overlooking the Caribbean Sea, Royal Plantation in Ocho Rios, Jamaica is a stylish and luxurious British Colonial-inspired 74 oceanview suite beach hideaway with a three-bedroom private villa. Built almost five decades ago with classic Colonial Caribbean style, this historically rich and recently renewed oceanfront property has recaptured the subdued grace of days gone by and installed a level of time-honoured genuine Jamaican service that evokes its roots.
A member of The Leading Small Hotels of The World and Leading Spas of the World, Royal Plantation is also the recipient of three American Academy of Hospitality Science Five Star Diamond Awards and winner of the Resort and Great Hotels Connoisseurs Choice Award for 2004, and is Green Globe certified.
For more information call 1-888-48-ROYAL (487-6925) or see their accommodation listing under Jamaica – Ocho Rios at www.caribbean.com.
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