Little Ladera, perched on the hilltops overlooking Saint Lucia’s breathtaking Pitons, has been making waves for many years with an innovative and refined approach to hotel cuisine. The legendary Dasheene restaurant is widely lauded as the best on the island, and the culinary team continues to push the boundaries. The hotel’s ‘farm to fork’ programme was conceived as a way of both showcasing fresh Saint Lucian produce and supporting the local economy, with ingredients sourced from more than 80 different farmers and fishermen.

Olivier Bottois, the hotel’s General Manager, is a passionate foodie, who trained in the kitchens of the Paris Ritz and has overseen the food and beverage offering at some of the world’s finest hotels. Olivier is enthused by the recent trend for ‘destination dining’, and his team are working hard to consolidate Dasheene’s reputation as a reason for visiting Saint Lucia in its own right.

“Amongst the top travel predictions for 2014 more people will travel to eat,” he says. “They're already flying to Lima specifically for Gaston Acurio's new Peruvian cuisine (and) our obsession with authentic regional cuisine and the origins of its ingredients will grow with more travellers wanting to take local cooking classes, go with chefs to food markets, and meet farmers and fishermen.”

Olivier recently teamed up with Dasheene’s Executive Chef, Nigel Mitchel, to create a new ‘General Manager Lobster Burger’, a delightfully decadent sandwich using locally caught lobster and home made brioche, as well as a touch of Saint Lucian seasoning. It sounds delicious, and we certainly can’t wait to try it…