The luxury new entrant to the Maldivian hospitality industry, premier all villa resort in Raa Atoll, Heritance Aarah emerged Overall Champion at the recently concluded Culinary Art Food Expo 2019; clinching the second culinary win within a few months of operations! The Resort’s mettle count tallied at 45 medals – a remarkable 29 Golds, 11 Silvers and 5 Bronze.
The resort, part of the Sri Lankan hospitality group Aitken Spence Hotels opened doors earlier this year, welcoming discerning guests to 150 villas, offering extensive facilities from 11 dining and drinking outlets (six restaurants, five bars), the first of its kind Medi Spa, plethora of excursions and activities with personalized service and curated experiences.
With flavours introduced from around the world through its outlets, Heritance Aarah continues the Company’s well-known trait of exceptional cuisine culture, strumming the hearts of guests its gastronomic innovations. The chef team at Heritance Aarah, having competed alongside best of international brands in the Maldives in July this year and Sri Lanka this month has proven themselves as the best in both island homes with these consecutive wins. It’s first Championship trophy was at the Food & Hospitality Asia Maldives 2019 (FHAM) competition, bagging the highest number of awards won by an individual property in July this year. Known as South East Asia’s biggest food and hospitality show, Culinary Art Food Expo was organised by Chefs’ Guild of Lanka together with World Association of Chefs Societies and CDC Events & Travels. The
event was held from 22-24 October 2019.
With Heritance Aarah being the first ‘Heritance’ resort to have been established outside Sri Lanka, the resort’s win complemented Aitken Spence Hotels group rounding an impressive 130 medals in total; with Heritance resorts in Sri Lanka being the stars of the show clinching 126 medals. Heritance Hotels along with Turyaa collectively won 42 Gold, 37 Silver and 51 Bronze medals. Aitken Spence Hotels received the most number of medals for a company at this event. Heritance Kandalama emerged ‘Most Outstanding Cultural Triangle Team’ with 4 Gold, 11 Silver and 19 bronze medals. Heritance Ahungalla won 22 medals while Heritance Negombo won 21 medals. Heritance Tea Factory and Heritance Ayurveda won 4 medals in total. Turyaa Kalutara also won 4 medals at the competition.
Ms. Stasshani Jayawardena, Executive Director – Aitken Spence PLC and Chairperson of Aitken Spence Hotels congratulated the teams, expressing delight over the many accolades. “Aitken Spence Hotels, and especially the Heritance properties, are known for their distinction in the culinary field. Our resorts, irrespective of its location, have been commended many a times on the unique F&B offering – by certifications, awards and most importantly, our guests. As such, the awards that are brought home from this competition are not a mere matter of pride but a reiteration of our commitment to nurture talent and present only the very best to those who walk in through our doors,” she said. Ms. Jayawardena, who also heads the Tourism and Leisure sector of Aitken Spence, added “The achievements of Heritance Aarah Maldives is especially commendable as it has been in operation for just a few months and have won two championship awards both in Maldives and Sri Lanka.”
Ms. Jayawardena also asserted that this recognition reflects the Company’s dedication to excellence and passion to drive innovation. “Since inception, the Company has been steadfast in its commitment to cultivate talent, promote innovation, inspire youth and local community development. This is evidence of the talents of our youth and we are proud to call them part of our family. We hope they utilise all available resources to improve their capabilities and together, create memorable holidays for our guests.” The winning team was recognised at a ceremony held at Aitken Spence Towers, presided by Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake, Deputy Chairman and Managing Director, Aitken Spence PLC.
Aitken Spence Hotels is part of the Sri Lankan blue-chip conglomerate Aitken Spence PLC and operates 21 hotels and resorts across Sri Lanka, Maldives, Oman and India. The Company’s owned hotels are reflected under the Heritance, Adaaran and Turyaa brands, popular around the world for its exceptional service and undisputed product and curated lifestyle experiences. The Company’s Sri Lankan portfolio includes 11 resorts spread across the island, whilst the Maldives resorts totals to five, four in Oman and one in India.