Five Star Caribbean Hotel Promotes Food Trends

New GM Lobster Burger

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. January 14, 2014

Soufriere, St Lucia - January 14, 2014 - Dasheene restaurant located at the luxury Ladera resort in Soufriere has re-issued its commitment to provide the best in authentic Caribbean cuisine. Ladera's General Manager, Olivier Bottois, and his Saint Lucian culinary team continue to innovate and attract tourists with their "farm to fork" programme; working together with over 80 local farmers and fishermen. Bottois is a born, "foodie" and passionate about Caribbean cuisine. He trained in the kitchens of the Ritz Hotel in Paris, and oversaw Food & Beverage at world-class hotels with the five-star Four Seasons Hotel chain before becoming a General Manager. “Our guests want the authentic Saint Lucian experience when they come to Ladera,” he said. “Throughout their romantic stay, food plays a very important part. Visitors to Saint Lucia want to experience local cuisine and this helps our economy; using local ingredients means our local chefs take pride and pleasure showcasing their local cuisine.”

Ladera's GM, Olivier Bottois and his creation the "GM Lobster Burger." Bottois admits, “to expose the team to various cooking techniques and presentations I introduced international consulting chefs to Dasheene last year, but at the end of the day, the understanding of local products, truly comes from local people.”

Bottois supports Barbadian hotelier Ralph Taylor who recently called for strengthening the hotel sector's ties with local food producers. Taylor stated: “…one of the most common complaints is the dearth of local dishes.”

Bottois advised, "Amongst the top travel predictions for 2014 more people will travel to eat - they're already flying to Lima specifically for Gaston Acurio's new Peruvian cuisine. In 2014 such "foodie destinations" will be joined by countries such as Saint Lucia and the region. Our obsession with authentic regional cuisine and the origins of its ingredients will grow with more travellers wanting to take local cooking classes, go with chefs to food markets, and meet farmers and fishermen. What is now a strong industry trend has been in place at Dasheene for decades."

With this in mind, Bottois, who missed being involved in the kitchen, decided to team up with Dasheene's Executive Chef, Nigel Mitchel. The creation: “The GM Lobster Burger” uses local lobster and homemade brioche and is based on the best burgers Bottois says he has, "had in his life...particularly in New York.” He wanted a burger that was decadent, softer, with less bread and more lobster using the mille-feuilles principle, a double-deck brioche, lobster salad, and of course, a touch of Saint Lucia! Chef Nigel believes the seasoning they created together is the master blend - the mix makes this Soufriere GM Lobster Burger unique, “but the presentation,” the chef admitted, “is appealing too.”

The verdict? "I need to take Mr Bottois on a boat trip to show him how the local fishermen catch lobsters and then get him to crack them," Chef Nigel quipped. “There is no contest,” Bottois responded, “The GM Lobster Burger served only at Dasheene is not only authentic but takes burgers to a new level as we continue to showcase local cuisine.”

The GM Lobster Burger is on the New Year menu at Dasheene restaurant from 1 January 2014. For reservations or more information, call Dasheene at Ladera on: 1 758-459-6623.

Additional pictures and information: Delia Dolor: 1 758-717-7979 | 1 758-484-7979 | [email protected]