Guest Chef Profile: Guest Chef Richard Samaniego Returns to Belize
We're thrilled to have Chef Richard Samaniego joining us again in Belize this November. This is Richard’s third season with us. This visit he will be working with our cooks at Tobacco Caye Paradise Lodge and Bocawina Rainforest Resort to develop creative new menus for our guests.
Island Expeditions started managing Paradise Lodge in November, and we're excited to have Richard there to share his knowledge and ideas with our Tobacco Caye chefs! Richard arrives in Belize November 14, and will be at Tobacco Caye Paradise Lodge and Bocawina Rainforest Resort for eight days. Guests staying at Paradise Lodge and Bocawina Rainforest Resort during this time can anticipate enjoying specially prepared menus using fresh fish, grilled meats, local specialties and tropical fruit.
Richard brings with him twenty-three years of food and beverage knowledge and experience. He currently works as Executive Sous and Chef de Cuisine at the Saint Regis Deer Valley where he oversees the award-winning Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s J&G Grill. He takes an innovative approach to his menus and strives to showcase locally sourced ingredients whenever possible.
Prior to his appointment at The St. Regis, Samaniego served as Executive Sous Chef at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler in Whistler, British Columbia, where he managed the kitchen – from menu creation to operation – for more than four years. Previously, Samaniego served as Banquet Chef at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa in Sonoma, California, for nearly five years. While there, Samaniego was in charge of menu creation for a wide array of special events including weddings, banquets and wine-maker dinners.
Richard loves Belize, its people and the many outdoor activities it offers to visitors. When we can't find him in the kitchen with the cooks, he is probably out exploring the rainforest trails at Bocawina - or joining some of the locals at Tobacco Caye on a fishing expedition.
WELCOME RICHARD!