Fast track from farm to fork

We only know what is in our food when we know where it’s from. To ensure goodness, freshness, and flavor, the food featured at Six Senses restaurants is cultivated in the resort’s onsite organic garden or sourced locally in collaboration with local farmers, producers and suppliers who are committed to responsible sourcing and seasonality.

The result is healthier hosts, guests, and local communities. We all win.

Corporate Food & Beverage Director Jonathan Heath, who leads the commitment to streamlining the farm-to-fork initiative says, “A sustainability fund for regenerative farmers who grow produce to sell and use at our hotels, cooking in a plastic-free kitchen, composting at our hotels returning to the farm for reuse – this all makes the perfect circle: constant, careful, and creative. As a group, and through the Eat With Six Senses approach, we will keep this circle tight and flowing.”

Switching on the sun in Vietnam

As the first in-resort solar farm in Vietnam, Ninh Van Greens harnesses the sun to provide electricity and hot water to Six Senses Ninh Van Bay. But here’s where the idea gets even brighter … the placement of the solar panels allows the right amounts of light and shade to filter through to grow organic food crops for the resort’s restaurants and spa in the Solar FreshCuts plots below.

In December 2023, at an event held alongside COP28 in Dubai, Six Senses Ninh Van Bay was overjoyed to be awarded the “Global Low-Carbon Scenic Spot” by the Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements Awards, an annual worldwide prize awarded by the Global Forum on Human Settlements and supported by UNEP. This recognition is especially attributed to the resort’s low-carbon journey from farm to fork.

The resort extends its commitment to sustainability through The Farmhouse, an innovative dining concept where Executive Chef Timothy Goddard transforms the freshly harvested produce into mouth-watering plant-based dishes.

On March 5, 2024, Chef Timothy will host a pop-up dinner during Culinary Sensation, an annual event showcasing our Eat With Six Senses ethos, which blends eco-conscious elements with fresh, seasonal, and wholesome ingredients cooked from scratch to make healthy eating a pleasure and ensure you leave the table feeling fantastic.

Growing salad in the sand

At our newly opened Maldivian property, Six Senses Kanuhura, Director of Sustainability Jacqueline Krikorian can often be found in the Earth Lab tending her salad babies, grown via an impressive hydroponic system. Unphased by her desert island surrounds, Jackie is applying her background in agriculture and international development, where she worked with farmers and conservationists to protect their environment, to grow a whole range of leafy greens. The whole operation is sustainable, with coconut husk used instead of plastic seed trays and around 90 percent less water needed to grow around 760 different plants, which are harvested by our culinary, bar, and spa teams.

Because goodness is not just consumed but absorbed inside and through the skin, the spa’s Alchemy Bar also uses the power of herbs and fruits such as rosemary and peach flower to create entirely organic potions, scrubs, face, and hair masks.

Why Thai?

Farm on the Hill may be a smallholding, but it adds great purpose and value to Six Senses Samui while benefiting the local community. The farm was created to address a landscaping necessity, which included a large volume of organic waste generated, unutilized grey water, and a lack of nutrient-rich soil. Now equipped with chickens, goats, and a greywater catchment system, the farm produces organic eggs, goat milk, and fresh vegetables.

Farm on the Hill also serves as a popular fun and learning experience for all ages, whether feeding the animals or picking organic produce, or taking a private sunset tour of the grounds before enjoying a rurally wholesome Thai barbecue.

Indian inspiration

In India, food has always been seen as an offering to the divine, and at Six Senses Vana in the Himalayan foothills, nature, and ecology are forever present in how the seasons and supply chain influence the menus. Bringing together Indian-inspired recipes and Ayurvedic principles. Anayu’s menu is crafted to serve each of the three body types – Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. The name Anayu is derived from the Sanskrit words “ana” and “ayu” meaning “nourishment” and “life” and indeed the cuisine is a retreat highlight even when shifting a surprising amount of weight.

Another bridge between the traditional medicine systems and cuisine is Six Senses Vana’s apothecary. Prescribed by doctors and based on principles of Ayurveda, Sowa Rigpa, and naturopathy, the apothecary creates decoctions, infusions, herb mixtures, and topical applications that are grown in, not flown in, and indigenous and intentional.

Winning formula in Portugal

Hot off the press, The Vale de Abraão Restaurant at Six Senses Douro Valley has been awarded the Studioneves Special Sustainability Award in the “Rural Environment” category by Mesa Marcada. Come and enjoy seasonal market-inspired tasting menus and an open kitchen experience with an a la carte menu that's inspired by the wood fired ovens and Josper grill. Our chefs chat to our guests in a fun and informal setting while they cook delicious meals using the best quality fresh ingredients from the beautiful kitchen garden and across the region.

Cheers to that

Most Six Senses hotels and resorts produce their own high-quality drinking water, which does not come into contact with plastic after filtration. This eliminated the use of over 1.7 million plastic bottles in 2022. Six Senses water is provided on a complimentary basis in all guest accommodations. Chilled water, sparkling and still, is served in restaurants at a cost that is significantly less than imported bottled water, with 50 percent of all sales contributing to the Sustainability Fund. The money is earmarked for use in local community projects.

Find out more about our approach to sustainability and keep an eye out for our group-wide results in our April newsletter.