Nepo Kitchen Consulting 2017

Khao Lak, Thailand

Kitchen support chef during the second week of January, off to Thailand the Mai Hotels resort at Khao Lak in the Phang Nga region of Thailand, flying into Phuket and taking the hotel shuttle north to Khao Lak. My assignment was to analyze the operation check and assist with assimilation into TUI’s Family Life concept at their 6 restaurants and 3 fast food outlets in time for the predominantly Scandinavian winter season.

Idre Fjäll, Sweden

The winter season continued in Idre ski resort in southern Jämtland, commuting from Stockholm two weeks on-two weeks off January through March. Our major tasks were to revitalise the resorts restaurants and assisting the management in re-establish their restaurants under their own direction after many years of out sourcing.

TUI Family Life F&B congress Mallorca, Spain

Preparation for the annual TUI F&B and executive chef conference was ongoing during February and March. As well as conference planning collecting in and casting a crucial eye over the menus of 20 or more summer resorts scattered around the Mediterranean was also in full swing. Are they following the established restaurant concepts? Is the variation on the standard buffets up to standard? Reconfirmation of outstanding issues and updates were the major tasks.

All the conference preparation culminated again at Alcudia on the Spanish resort island of Mallorca, this year four back to back workshop conferences with hands on cooking training and theory, Italian, Asian, sushi workshop, children’s food, allergies and vegan/vegetarian options were covered during the intense weeks. All in all, about 70 delegates attended from as far afield as Thailand to Cape Verde islands.

Kitchen support chef at TUI’s Family Life resorts

Down to Oliba in the north-eastern corner of Sardinia for a week helping with the opening of the Studio Vacanze resort, an ochre rendered resort tucked away on the beach, it’s almost feels like you are in a nature resort. A buffet highlight was the whole roasted tuna on the carving station which was very popular with all the guests.

Then I travelled back to Spain again, a new area for this visit, Flying into Faro in Portugal then ducking across the border through the orange groves to Isla Christina a seaside resort on the Andalusian coast, Isla Christina and Islantilla is dominated by the local Spanish market. Then off to Croatia to the seaside resort of Rabac, the Croatian coast is picture perfect and very relaxing it seems to be far from the maddening crowded tourist meccas of other European beach destinations. The property was a new opening and we focused on buffet diversification, vegan and vegetarian options. My next assignment was too Sunny Beach in Bulgaria, my first visit to Bulgaria and to eastern Europe for many years, a new resort again, the landscaping wasn’t really finished but the rest of the resort was up and running and busy from day one. Opening implementation, quality awareness and control were the measure of the day. Then back to Isla Christina and Islantillia resort again, this visit was during their high season the whole coast was full of local Spanish tourists down to enjoy the family orientated coastal resort. Towards the end of September, I travelled with TUI back to Alcudia in Mallorca, for a resort assessment and quality control week.

Khao Lak, Thailand

In November, I found myself back in Thailand in a concept implementation & menu reviewing role.

Nordotel, Canary Islands, Spain

I also participated in a chef’s congress in the Canary Islands with the Nordotel chain, we looked at their coming seasonal menus their purchasing as well as doing some mandatory cooking classes.