ASK THE EXPERT
Chef KATHRYN KELLY on creating culinary experiences at sea and on shore
WITH more than three decades of experience in the culinary industry, Chef Kathryn Kelly is Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Executive Director of Culinary Enrichment. She has spent countless hours at sea, travelling and experiencing cultures all over the world.
She is responsible for Regent’s distinctive Culinary Arts Kitchen and Gourmet Explorer Tours, immersive experiences that afford guests unique opportunities to learn from and be inspired by some of the world’s most renowned cuisines.
■ What is the Culinary Arts Kitchen?
‘It is a culinary facility by Regent Seven Seas Cruises that rivals any cooking school on land. With 18 individual stations, the Culinary Arts Kitchen sets the bar as the premier, state-of-the-art culinary school on land or at sea.
‘You’ll find a Culinary Arts Kitchen on three Regent ships: Seven Seas Grandeur, Seven Seas Splendor and Seven Seas Explorer.’
■ What benefits will guests enjoy when they attend a cooking class?
‘Guests will enjoy a fun, immersive experience where they will learn really high-level culinary skills and techniques that chefs use every day.
‘They will also learn how to construct a recipe, and will pick up a skills repertoire that they can easily transfer to their home kitchens. They’ll expand their knowledge of different cuisines too, learning about spices and other key ingredients, while delving into recipes from each of the destinations along the way.’
■ For foodies, what is so great about the Gourmet Explorer Tours?
‘I designed each and every Gourmet Explorer Tour for Seven Seas Explorer. Having travelled the world for 40 years as an intrepid gourmet chef, I decided that these tours were a perfect way to share my secret and special places with our guests.’
■ What can guests expect from these tours?
‘In Rhodes, for instance, guests spend the day with a Greek family in their restaurant, while in Barcelona guests go behind the scenes of a Michelin-starred restaurant and explore the magic of molecular gastronomy. I begin the design of each tour with a simple question: ‘A visit to this port would not be complete without experiencing…’
■ How do the Gourmet Explorer Tours and Culinary Arts Kitchen complement each other?
‘I’m passionate about travelling, teaching and learning. With these two experiences, I can buy fresh fish in Corfu and use it for a Greek cooking class that day. I can take guests to an olive farm in Spain and actually show them how we make extra virgin olive oil.
‘I can introduce our guests to the perfect Bandol rosé in the garden of a renowned French chef, who will cook lunch for us from the herbs, vegetables and fruits that he harvested as the sun came over the Côte d’Azur.’