What led you to One&Only Reethi Rah?

Tell us a bit about your journey to get here. I’ve been working at One&Only Reethi Rah for around eight months. All the stars aligned at one time and coming here became a possibility. After working throughout the world – all around Asia and the Middle East, mainly in city-oriented places like Doha, Dubai and Bangkok – for the last 22 years, this is the first island resort I have worked on. I find it so peaceful and so relaxing; and you often forget you’re on an island as you’re moving around so much.

You have launched a number of exciting culinary experiences at the resort, can you tell us about some of them?

One thing I am very proud of is our work with local fishermen, and our focus on using sustainable fish. The local fishermen bring us the types and sizes of fish we want, and only as needed. This helps reduce our waste, and helps us support local businesses. We offer them professional equipment from our resources, and encourage them to use non-barbed hooks and biodegradable hooks and lines. This means that if a hook does break, it will dissolve in two weeks and the fish won’t be harmed. We also only ask them to bring us sustainable fish, which means we take the fish that we are in great abundance to ensure we’re not harming the reef.

How was this initiative started?

Half of our team on the island are Maldivian, and I was able to work very closely with them. We had a language barrier, so at first I’d show them pictures of the fish I wanted, and ask them whether you can find them here. They’d then connect with local fishermen and we’d communicate this way. After about 2 months, I’ve been able to establish consistent deliveries and build a strong relationship with these local fishermen.

How can guests get involved with this initiative?

The fishermen come at 3:00am for their deliveries. We’ll be introducing a new culinary experience in the future, where they’ll come between 7:00am – 8:00am. We’ll invite our guests to get involved; to come see the fish and learn about how we check them. They’ll also be able to pick a fresh fish for their dinner that evening.

What makes Botanica so unique?

Botanica is a true garden-to-table concept overseen by the wonderful Chef Brent Savage of The Bentley Group. It champions healthy ingredients, natural food and an intimate connection with the nature surrounding the kitchen and tables.

Can you tell us about the philosophy at Botanica?

The philosophy is to create a special dining experience where you’re surrounded by the ingredients being used in your dish. Not only can you see them; you can touch, smell and taste them. Also, because it’s picked on the day, there’s no comparison with flavour. It’s open air, so when you look up, you’re under the stars and the moon, surrounded by candlelight. You look around your table and you’re surrounded by fresh basil, turmeric, ginger, rosemary, squash and pumpkins. There’s winding trails that go between the gardens, so you’re free to take your cocktail and walk around. It’s very interactive, and compliments all the senses. You feel like you’re in your own part secluded of the jungle.

Is the menu based on this fresh produce?

The menu is always based on items we’re growing, or that have started to grow and can be used in the next few months as they ripen. The Maldives is so close to the equator that the seasonality doesn’t change. The only thing that changes is the hours of daylight, which deviates by one hour. Things like pumpkins, melons and zucchini, which usually only produce once per year, we are able to get them to produce twice each year.

How is Botanica’s philosophy implemented in the sourcing of food?

We stick to the philosophy of Botanica the best we can. When sourcing the proteins we serve – like chicken and beef – we only use eco-friendly and nearby sources. We have our own boat that picks up our ingredients from the port, using biodegradable styrofoam boxes, always ensuring that freshness is retained.

Can you tell us more about your passion for the Chef Garden?

I grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania, so at first it was a hobby for me to try and figure out how to improve our gardens on the resort. We soon developed a hydroponic growing facility, so we were growing cucumbers, lettuce and different types of tomatoes. I then started to collect the end trim of vegetables and fruits that would normally be thrown away, and plant those and see what would grow. After this, my team got really excited and started to save absolutely everything to see if we could get it to grow.

MEET THE VISIONARY: CHEF DWAYNE