The Soneva Winter Collection

Chefs Judy Joo and Esther Choi will conduct a spectacular four-hands dinner at Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani. Their dishes will showcase their amazing talent and rich Korean heritage. Chef Judy Joo In 2003, following an engineering degree at Columbia University and a career on Wall Street, Judy Joo decided it was time for a change. Realising that her passion was in cooking, she enrolled at the French Culinary Institute in New York, and received her Grand Diplome in Pastry Arts before becoming a test kitchen and editorial assistant at SAVEUR magazine. Excited about the thriving UK food scene, Judy moved to London in 2007, and joined Restaurant Gordon Ramsay as a pastry chef. For the following few years, she also worked throughout other Gordon Ramsay restaurants including Maze, under Jason Atherton, Claridge’s, Pétrus, and Boxwood Café as a chef and pastry chef. Judy also staged around the world at restaurants including 3 Michelin-starred The French Laundry in Yountville, California; Heston Blumenthal’s 3 Michelin-starred The Fat Duck in Bray; as well as Bangkok’s 1 Michelin-starred Nahm restaurant. In 2011, Judy became a regular face on TV, starring in Iron Chef UK and securing herself the title ‘Iron Chef UK’, becoming the only female Iron Chef in the UK and the second female Iron Chef worldwide. Off the back of her success in the UK show, Judy became a resident judge on Iron Chef America. Her expertise in Korean cooking led to her own shows: Judy Joo’s Return to Korea and two seasons of Korean Food Made Simple. Since then she published her debut cookbook, Korean Food Made Simple and has made regular appearances on numerous programs in the USA including The Today Show, Wendy Williams, The Talk, and various Food Network shows, and in the UK she has popped up on Saturday Kitchen, Sunday Brunch,  James Martin’s Saturday Morning and ITV’s Cooking with the Stars. Having settled in the UK, London was the obvious choice for Judy’s first restaurant as Chef Patron, and she opened the doors to her modern Korean restaurant Jinjuu – meaning ‘pearl’ – in 2014. Judy’s cooking is focused on the flavours of her childhood – raised in a Korean-American family in New Jersey, her back porch was lined with her mother’s clay pots, filled with fermenting kimchi, gochujang and doenjang. The house’s garage had racks of drying seaweed, and a Korean barbecue grill tucked in the corner. Judy and her sister were often drafted in to help fold row upon row of dumplings. Her multicultural heritage and training is evident in her dishes today: from ‘disco fries’ influenced by New Jersey highway diners, and topped with spicy cabbage kimchi, to classic French pastries that incorporate traditional Korean ingredients. In 2019, Judy left Jinjuu after five years in order to start a new chapter, which included the launch of her new cookbook, Korean Soul Food in October 2019, and has since launched her latest restaurant, Seoul Bird, in Westfield and Canary Wharf specialising in the Korean fried chicken for which Judy is known. Chef Esther Choi Chef Esther Choi, owner and founder of New York City’s mŏkbar and partner of Ms. Yoo, is an influential female chef driven by her Korean roots. With a personal passion for introducing New Yorkers to the flavors of Korean culture, Chef Esther’s cooking combines traditional and modern influences with fresh, seasonal ingredients. Inspired by the old-aged techniques of her Korean grandmother’s cooking, Chef Esther believes that food is the ultimate expression of a country’s culture. From its history and social customs to its language, geography, and arts, Chef Esther seeks to offer guests an understanding and appreciation of Korean foods. Chef Esther received formal training at New York’s institute of culinary education and has worked across the kitchens of ilili, La Esquina, and the Food Network. Esther has received numerous awards for her culinary pursuits and was named “New York City’s Culinary Rock star” in Zagat’s 30 under 30.

During her 15-year career, Hortensia has collaborated with the UN, Olympics Sports Federations and several private clinics. She has a Master’s in Osteopathy and degrees in Sports Education and Physiotherapy. Originally focused on a traditional osteopathic approach to treating sports injuries, Hortensia’s methodology evolved to reflect evidence that stress, emotions and unchanneled trauma have a direct impact on the body. She works closely with you to get to the root of your concerns, using a unique, multi-pronged approach that combines traditional osteopathy with her deep knowledge of the body’s biodynamic, skeletal, muscular and craniosacral systems.

Equipped with more than three decades of experience in holistic wellness, Eduardo is a therapeutic and beauty masseur and physical trainer specialising in musculoskeletal pain prevention and relief. As a hands-on therapist, he approaches acute and chronic pain conditions from a multifaceted toolbox that combines his signature soft tissue work with smart cupping therapy to achieve remarkable healing results. He also specialises in a unique anti-ageing facial treatment, which provides a prolonged face, neck and décolleté lift without surgical beauty procedures.

Graeme Le Saux is a former England international footballer who played most of his career as a left-back, though his football pace and skill enabled him to move into a left-sided midfield role when required. Graeme made his England debut in a 1994 friendly against Denmark and went on to represent his country 36 times. The highlight of his England career was representing his country in the 1998 football World Cup. Graeme started his career at St Paul’s and moved to Chelsea football club in 1987. In 1993 he switched to Blackburn Rovers where he won the 1995 Premier League title with Blackburn. In August 1997 Graeme became the most expensive defender in English football when he returned to Chelsea football club in a GBP 5 million deal. Graeme remained there for six seasons before moving to Southampton football club. Graeme played at St. Mary’s for two seasons announcing his retirement in May 2005 following Southampton’s relegation. Since retiring from football, Graeme is popular with the media working across national and international outlets including NBC, Sky and the BBC. A respected and clear-thinking individual, he frequently undertakes project work with the FA, UEFA, FIFA and the Premier League.

Since 2015, German chef Marcel Skibba has been a key figure in Andreas Caminada’s gastronomic ventures, particularly at Schloss Schauenstein, where he has built a reputation for mastering both classic cuisine and modern techniques. From its opening in 2016 until the 2020/2021 winter season, Skibba led the kitchen at IGNIV St. Moritz, excelling as head chef. Under his leadership, the restaurant earned 17 Gault Millau points and a second Michelin star. Before joining Caminada’s team, Skibba honed his skills at the three-star level, notably working with Thomas Bühner at La Vie in Osnabrück, among other renowned establishments.

Agnieszka Roma Radwańska is a Polish former professional tennis player. Known for making intelligent use of the court, she won 20 career singles titles, two doubles titles, and achieved a career-high singles ranking of world No. 2 on July 9, 2012. Among her many achievements and accolades, Agnieszka is the first Polish player in the Open Era to reach a Grand Slam singles final, the first Pole to win the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Finals, the first Pole to claim a WTA singles title, and was one half of the first Polish team to win the Hopman Cup tournament. In addition, she won the WTA award for Most Impressive Newcomer in 2006, the WTA Fan Favourite Award six times, Shot of the Year five times, Shot of the Month on a regular basis, and finished with a top 10 year-end ranking eight times.  She is also widely considered one of the best tennis players to have never won a Grand Slam. For her accomplishments in sport and for representing her country with distinction, in 2013 she was awarded the Gold Cross of Merit by Polish President Bronisław Komorowski. On November 14, 2018, Agnieszka announced her retirement from professional tennis at the age of 29.

Born in Aarhus, Denmark, in 1977, Jakob Mielcke is a self-taught chef who has travelled the world working with culinary masters, such as Pierre Gagnaire, both in his restaurants in London and in the infamous three-Michelin-starred one in Paris. In 2002, he returned to Denmark as the head chef at Jan Hurtigkarl & Co., and later opened Mielcke & Hurtigkarl together with Jan Hurtigkarl in the Royal Garden Society, where he now explores his creative vision. Since its opening in 2008, Chef Jakob has won praise for his characteristic contemporary food and has become the recipient of numerous awards in and outside of Denmark. A darling among food critics, he originally trained at Pierre Gagnaire in Paris and later at Lecture Room & Library, Sketch in London, before settling in his native Denmark. There, he established a unique, multicultural and creative playground in a hidden garden in central Copenhagen, where he continues to explore his creative vision.

Sascha Stemberg has been running his restaurant, Haus Stemberg Anno 1864, in Velbert, Germany, since 2015. He first started working there as a Sous Chef in 2005 and, together with his mother and father, he planned his culinary dream. The restaurant has been family run since 1864, making Sascha and his wife the fifth generation to inherit it. Each dish is always full of flavour, using only the best ingredients, which are often local. They have their own bees, and work with many of the farmers in the area. In 2013, the restaurant achieved its first Michelin Star.

Born in 1986 in the Czech Republic, Petr studied astrophysics at Masaryk University Brno and at Silesian University in Opava, Czech Republic. He is an astronomer and astrophotographer. His images were featured more than 30 times by NASA as Astronomy Picture of the Day, as astrophotographer and science outreach worker he cooperates with NOIRLab, National Geographics’ TWAN (The World At Night), European Southern Observatory, and many more. An asteroid 6822 orbiting between Mars and Jupiter is named after him. He travels the world to capture and show the immersive beauty of the starry sky and unique or rare sky phenomena. A long route brought him also to Soneva Fushi in 2019, where he experienced a beautiful night sky and took many photographs of it. Petr specializes in the outreach of modern astronomy with his talks to the public and in photographing the night sky phenomena to show what amazing Universe around us can be even seen by naked eyes all around the world, including the Maldives.

Peter Crouch is an English former professional footballer renowned for his distinguished career spanning over two decades. He began his professional journey with Tottenham Hotspur in 1998 before embarking on successful stints with Liverpool, Portsmouth and Stoke City. Throughout his career, Peter participated in prestigious tournaments including the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championship, where he scored 22 goals for his country.  He is one of just 33 players to have scored 100 or more Premier League goals and holds the record for the most headed goals in Premier League history. Following his retirement from professional football in 2019, Peter seamlessly transitioned into a prominent media personality, garnering acclaim as a television pundit and presenter. His legacy transcends the boundaries of sport, as he continues to captivate admirers with his insights and charisma, making him a key figure in football history and popular culture alike.

Born in Kenya to Indian parents and currently residing in the UK, Ravinder Bhogal is a journalist, chef and restaurateur inspired by her mixed heritage and the UK’s diverse immigrant culture. Her debut restaurant, Jikoni, was ranked 56th in the UK by the National Restaurant Awards within 7 months of opening. She has penned three cookbooks that reflect her cuisine of “cooking across borders,” in Cook in Boots, Jikoni: Proudly Inauthentic Recipes from an Immigrant Kitchen and Comfort and Joy. Ravinder has been named in Evening Standard Progress 1000 as one of London’s leading influencers of progress and diversity in the capital twice and launched a home delivery brand Comfort & Joy, a sister brand to Jikoni in June 2020. She is a monthly food columnist for the FT Weekend Magazine and Guardian Feast and a contributing editor at Harper’s Bazaar.

Therese Alshammar is a Swedish swimmer who has won 72 international medals, including three Olympic medals, 25 World Championship medals and 43 European Championship medals, and has set 14 world records throughout her career. A specialist in short distances races in freestyle and butterfly, she is the only female swimmer who has competed in six Olympic Games and the oldest to win an individual world championship title. Therese also runs a learn to swim program for schools in Sweden and has written two children’s books on swimming, mixing fact and fiction to spur interest to play in the water. Johan Wallberg is a retired Olympic swimmer and the current coach for the Swedish national team, leading the training centre for the team as well as research and development. With a unique eye and expertise in swimming techniques, he has coached several World and Olympic champions. Like Therese, he is also involved in learn to swim programs for schools in Sweden where he shares his passion for the sport and encourages young people to both learn how to swim and enjoy the water. While in the Maldives, Therese and Johan will be helping Young Sonevians perfect their stroke while having fun in the water.

Ajay Chopra is an Indian chef, food creator, restaurant consultant and media personality. A pioneer in progressive cuisine, he was one of the first Indian chefs to host Masterchef India and helped change the way people perceive cooking as a profession. Born into a Punjabi family from Lucknow, he spent his childhood in multiple cities in North India. Inspired by his work experience in hotels across the country, he started his own company, Zion Hospitality, a food and beverage consulting company which caters to food and beverage units including hotels, Restaurants, QSR and casual cafe concepts. In 2018, he launched his YouTube channel, The Big Daddy Chef, which shares a collection of easy-to-follow recipes inspired by authentic Indian dishes designed to encourage families to cook and have fun in the kitchen together. His distinctive cooking style uses simple ingredients and techniques to create flavourful dishes, placing him on the list of best chefs in India.

Duval-Leroy is a prestigious champagne producer in Vertus, in the renowned Côte des Blancs region of Champagne, France. Founded in 1859, this family-owned house has cultivated 150 hectares of vineyards over six generations and is celebrated for its innovation and excellence. Duval-Leroy was the first to create a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in 1911, introducing the iconic Cuvée Fleur de Champagne. Over the years, the house has claimed numerous accolades at international wine competitions, including those in Barcelona and Monaco, solidifying its reputation as a leader in the champagne industry. Today, Duval-Leroy is run by Carol Duval-Leroy, alongside her three sons, Julien, Charles and Louis. Carol’s leadership has not only preserved the family legacy but also brought new recognition, with her being named “the most influential woman in Champagne” in 2013. Under her guidance, Duval-Leroy continues to craft exceptional champagnes that reflect the family’s dedication to quality and tradition. On October 29, 2024, Maison Duval-Leroy’s family member Charles Duval-Leroy will be hosting an exclusive Champagne Dinner at So Imaginative at Soneva Jani.

Chantelle Nicholson is a multi-award winning chef owner of Apricity, London. Formerly chef-owner of Tredwells (the recipient of a green Michelin star in 2021) and All’s Well, a ‘pandemic pop-up’. As one of the leading female voices in the UK’s hospitality industry, Chantelle is an advocate for seasonality and sustainability, championing veg-forward cooking and being committed to creating a more sustainable future across her operation and activities, whilst also being an independent board member for ReLondon and a Food Council member for City Harvest.

Søren Ørbek Ledet is the wine director, general manager and co-owner of the Michelin-starred Geranium in Copenhagen, Denmark. For Søren, a former chef turned sommelier and front-of-house manager, the transition from the kitchen to the cellar and restaurant was a natural progression, driven by his desire to offer guests a complete experience. His meticulous wine pairings involve extensive theory, tasting notes and a deep understanding of the flavour profiles of wine and dishes. Managing Geranium’s 25,000-bottle wine cellar requires constant evolution. Søren likens discovering a new domain, chateau or vintage to opening a present as a child – a moment of discovery and enlightenment. The Geranium Wine Cellar features biodynamic wines, classic vintages and unexpected surprises, showcasing his dedication to providing an extraordinary dining experience.

Kevin Diedrich is a prominent figure in the cocktail world, renowned for his exceptional work at Pacific Cocktail Haven (P.C.H.) in San Francisco, California. As the driving force behind this acclaimed bar, Kevin has established P.C.H. as a top destination for cocktail enthusiasts, earning a spot at #38 on North America’s 50 Best Bars list. The bar’s inventive approach to mixology and its commitment to excellence has also garnered the Best American Cocktail Bar award at the Tales of the Cocktail Awards. Kevin’s influence extends well beyond his role at P.C.H., earning him multiple nominations for Best American Bartender, with a win in 2020. Recognised for his mentorship, he was named one of the best U.S. Bar Mentors by the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation in 2022, reflecting his commitment to nurturing the next generation of bartenders.

Italian chef and restaurateur Paolo Casanova is the patron of Chesa Stüva Colani Restaurant in Madulain, Switzerland. Casanova grew up immersed in the world of food and hospitality, with a family background in hotel ownership and culinary arts and has worked with renowned Italian chefs, including Massimo Bottura, Stefano Baiocco. and Fulvio Pierangelini. In 2016, Casanova opened his own restaurant in Switzerland and by 2020, he earned his first Michelin star and was named Discovery of the Year by Gault&Millau. In 2024, he was honoured as Green Chef of the Year recognising for his creative approach to his menus, emphasising the use of premium, fresh and local ingredients. He forages for ingredients and maintains his own vegetable garden, fostering close relationships with local farmers and producers to ensure the highest quality in his culinary creations.

Hailed as one of the best football freestylers in the world, Marcel Gurk is the current German champion, holds ten Guinness World Records and is the author of the world’s first book on football freestyling. He made it to the semifinal of Germany’s Got Talent, Das Supertalent, and travels around the world sharing his unique skills. Having studied sport and media management in Dusseldorf, Marcel also specialises in working with children and has designed his own unique concept to help take his students’ skills to the next level. While in the Maldives, he will be hosting football freestyling workshops for Young Sonevians at Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani.

For the past 10 years, chefs Adam Dahlberg and Albin Wessman have operated one of Stockholm’s most hyped Michelin-starred restaurants, Adam/Albin, offering a gastronomic dinner experience far from the traditional fine dining restaurant. Their restaurant group also includes Misshumasshu, Nori Bar, Ramen and a soon-to-be-open brasserie in the meat packing area of Stockholm. With their heritage rooted in Nordic cuisine and a passion for outstanding produce, the pair are on a mission to redefine luxury in the age of sustainability. While at Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani, they will be combining their signature dishes with the locally grown greens from our organic gardens to create something truly unique.

Coming from a well-travelled, foodie background, Carolina Bazán Bañados chose to devote herself to gastronomy. After finishing her studies in Chile in 2003, she opened the first Ambrosia restaurant with her family in downtown Santiago. From there, she trained in restaurants in Peru, Brazil, Italy and France, where she worked with Chef Gregory Marchand at his award-winning Frenchie Restaurant in Paris. Back in Chile, Chef Bazán and her partner, sommelier Rosario Onetto, started the first Hidden Kitchen movement in Santiago in 2012, which led to a new location and a new concept for Ambrosia. The result is a modern family restaurant, where fresh market produce leads a menu that changes daily according to what’s in season. Her goal was to create an amazing dining experience, where great food is paired with fine wines, music and good old hospitality. By 2017, Ambrosia was joined by Ambrosia Bistro, a smaller, vibrant, more personal space that brings the concept of bistronomy to Santiago, with a focus on seasonal produce and delicious dishes. Ambrosia has been consistently included in Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants since 2014, which also named Chef Bazán Best Female Chef in 2019.  

Dr Armin Kleinböhl is a planetary scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. He is also the Deputy Principal Investigator of the Mars Climate Sounder instrument on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which has been operating on Mars for over 16 years and established the longest time series of global atmospheric measurements on Mars to date. Since 2008, he has provided landing support for all landings on Mars conducted by NASA and his scientific work focusing on the structure and dynamics of the atmospheres of Mars and Venus led him to author or co-authored more than 100 scientific publications. Dr Armin is also the Participating Scientist in Residence for the Japanese Akatsuki Venus Climate Orbiter mission, which leads him to spend several months of the year in Japan. His work also includes managing the “Cloudspotting on Mars” citizen science project with more than 8,000 registered volunteers, which allows members of the public to contribute to planetary science by analysing real data from a spacecraft in Mars’ orbit. During his visit, Dr Armin will be hosting after-dinner stargazing sessions with a focus on Mars and Venus, which will be prominent in the evening sky and will share stories about planetary science and exploration.

Born in Jabalpur in Central India, Chetna Makan honed her creative talents while working in Mumbai as a fashion designer before moving to the UK in 2004. She became a household name after taking part in The Great British Bake Off in 2014 and has since written seven cookbooks ranging from baking to Indian street food, healthy Indian food, vegetarian and quick Indian. She also hosts the popular YouTube channel Food with Chetna, where she shares her creative flair for all things cooking and baking.

Michael Ballack is an iconic figure in German football, widely regarded for his exceptional skill and leadership on the field. Ballack’s football journey began at a young age and saw him rise to become one of the most accomplished midfielders of his generation where he was known for his incredible vision, precise passing and powerful shots. Over the course of his career, he played for top European clubs such as Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Kaiserslautern. Additionally, Ballack was a pivotal player for the German national team, representing his country in multiple FIFA World Cups and UEFA European Championships Since retiring, Ballack has stayed connected to the sport, sharing his expertise as a pundit, commentator and ambassador. This festive season in the Maldives, guests will have the rare opportunity to train under his guidance, learning valuable skills during an exclusive football camp.

Entrepreneur and top chef Tim Raue is one of Germany’s best-known chefs. And with good reason, because the Berliner, born in 1974, has redefined German top gastronomy and made a name for himself internationally as one of the few German chefs. For example, Tim Raue’s restaurant has not only been awarded two Michelin stars and 19.5 Gault&Millau points, as well as the title of Restaurant of the Year 2019 by Feinschmecker, but it has also occupied a permanent place on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list since 2016 – currently ranked 31st in 2021. In addition, Tim Raue is the only German chef to date to whom the world-renowned series Chef’s Table on Netflix has dedicated its own episode, and you can also watch him on MagentaTV in his own series HERR RAUE REIST! SO SCHMECKT DIE WELT on his gastronomic discovery tour around the globe. Tim Raue has also established a firm place for himself on German television: He regularly appears in front of the camera on the hit VOX show Kitchen Impossible and is a jury member on the SAT1 programme The Taste. In the past 15 years, Raue has also published four books – including the autobiography “Ich weiß, was Hunger ist“ and the cookbook “My Way“. In addition to his work as a star chef, Tim Raue is also active as an entrepreneur. For this activity, he was named „Restaurateur of the Year 2014“ by the renowned gourmet guide Gault&Millau. Raue himself says: “With the TIM RAUE restaurant, I have fulfilled a lifelong dream – but my other projects mean culinary freedom for me and the opportunity to fully live out my many ideas with the help of my chefs.“ He already operated restaurants in Dubai and a Michelin starred Pop-up in Switzerland. In his role as culinary consultant, he, therefore, oversees now the Brasserie Colette Tim Raue in Munich, Constance and Berlin as well as Villa Kellermann in Potsdam. In 2016, he also created the Asian restaurant concept HANAMI by Tim Raue on TUI Mein Schiff 5, which has since opened on three other ships in the fleet.

The Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Musical Theatre, one of Moscow’s leading cultural institutions, is renowned for its world-class ballet and opera productions that blend Russian classical traditions with innovative contemporary works. For the first time, the theatre’s most celebrated dancers Evgenii Zhukov, Ksenia Shevtsova, Polina Zayarnaya and Elena Solomyanko will be performing at Soneva Fushi in January. Evgenii, a leading soloist since 2018, has earned acclaim for his versatile performances in classical roles like The Nutcracker’s Prince and Albert in Giselle and his works across acclaimed contemporary projects. Ksenia, the theatre’s prima ballerina since 2019, has starred in major roles including Odette/Odile in Swan Lake and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, also making her mark as a guest artist with the Bayerisches Staatsballett in 2024. Polina, a first soloist since 2020, is known for her dynamic interpretations in both classical ballets such as Don Quixote and modern works by Jiří Kylián and Akram Khan. Elena, a leading soloist, has captivated audiences with her performances in Swan Lake and The Nutcracker while excelling in modern pieces like Wings of Wax and Suite in White. Guests at Soneva Fushi can experience the magic of ballet with spectacular performances and specialised workshops by Evgenii Zhukov, Ksenia Shevtsova, Polina Zayarnaya and Elena Solomyanko.

Born and bred in Mumbai, Vicky’s wit and charm has a duality that is reminiscent of natural Indian spice. A foodie at heart, he is a heady cocktail of flavours, some still undefined. The initial explosive burst of personality and flair is followed through with a wild imagination, delicately layered with sensual middle notes, being excitable, entertaining, inviting, spontaneous and devilish. Through his culinary journey, Vicky taught at the White Star Chef’s Training School onboard QE2, in Manila and St. Nazaire, training over 180 chefs. Currently, Vicky consults as a Culinary Director with GIPL and conceptualises restaurant menus and food concepts for places such as Pizza Express, The Runway Project, The Market Project, The Poona Project, Ministry of Crab and Nihonbashi. He is most recently revamped The Bandra Project, which is a communal style, casual-yet-chic, all-day eatery serving global cuisine. Vicky’s travels and his knowledge of global trends have led him to develop a web series called Vicky The Gastronaut, which is streaming on his Facebook page. The series has gained over 10 million views. He has filmed in Peru and Australia and is now filming the third part of the series at Chiang Mai in Thailand.