8 July 2019
Emeralds Bread Fruit Gnocchi with tomato, lemon thyme and chadon beni pesto
The highly regarded chefs at St. Lucia's Anse Chastanet resort have expanded their culinary offerings by serving up an entirely vegan experience for visitors.
The storied resort transformed the menu at the popular Emeralds restaurant from vegetarian to 100 percent vegan. Vegans do not eat animals at all while vegetarians do not eat animals but do partake of foods from animals such as milk and eggs.
"We saw an increasing demand for vegan meals from our guests, so we thought why not develop this concept and make it part of our dining experience," explained Karolin Troubetzkoy, Executive Director of Marketing and Operations of the award-winning Caribbean resort.
Anse Chastanet offers guests a choice of four menus most nights, served in two locations, ranging from modern Caribbean to seafood and East Indian-St. Lucian fusion. While all menus feature vegetarian and vegan choices, Emeralds will now cater exclusively to vegans with a modern tapas style menu.
Choices include Crispy Cauliflower Accras with lime, scallion, and St. Lucian mango chutney; and Bread Fruit Gnocchi with tomato, lemon thyme and chadon beni pesto.
The menu was created by James Beard award winner and consulting chef Allen Susser in collaboration with the vegan chef de cuisine at the resort, Frank Faucher. As an added bonus to diners, Emeralds plans to regularly host international vegan chefs.
Anse Mamin Heart of Palm Ceviche with sour orange, avocado and seasoning pepper leche de tigre
Much of the fresh produce used in the restaurant - seasonal and local tropical fruits, spices, herbs, greens and vegetables - are harvested from the resort's organic farm, also named Emeralds, in the Soufrière hills, about 20 minutes away from the resort. Guests can visit the farm for a guided sensory immersion, accompanied by both farmer and chef and enjoy a farm-to-table cooking class using freshly harvested fruits and vegetables.
The farm focuses on growing produce that is not easily available on island, and the resort supports farmers in the community by purchasing vegetables and "ground provisions" that they do not grow themselves.
The Anse Chastanet experience in St. Lucia transcends sun, sand and sea. With more than 12 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails on the 600-acre estate and healthy coral reef life right offshore, there is plenty to do and see.
And guests now have plenty to savor: in addition to the wide variety of culinary options, the resort offers a chocolate lab, where chocolate is made from cocoa trees on the estate.
Visitors traveling between July 15 and October 15, 2019 can take advantage of free night promotions in various room categories. There also is the Summer Escape Sale, which offers 35 percent off room rates with an all-inclusive meal plan.
