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Premier hospitality chain Aitken Spence Hotels showcased their prowess in the culinary sphere, winning five (05) Gold, four (04) Silver and four (04) Bronze at the recently concluded prestigious Villeroy & Boch Culinary World Cup. Its flagship Maldives resort, Heritance Aarah collectively took home 13 medals.
The five (05) member team from Heritance Aarah, competed against 60 teams from 55 nations, in an intense five-day competition in Luxembourg-Kirchberg, vying for the prestigious prizes. The winning team was led by Executive Chef Amila Silva and the team was mentored and trained by the Culinary Olympic Record Holder Chef Dimuthu Kumarasinghe (nine-time Culinary Olympic Gold medallist) and the Corporate Chef Maldives Sector Lalith Gunasekare.
Chef Kumarasinghe is the Aitken Spence Hotels Assistant Vice President, Ambassador Heritance Cuisine / Chefs & Culinary Art Development Officer. Excellence in skill, collective values and expertise of the team, together with sheer hard work, commitment and dedication; along with the spirit of Aitken Spence proved to be the prizewinning ingredient for Heritance Aarah.
Curating innovative and unique dishes that are a melange of flavour, colour and presentation. Heritance Aarah’s inimitable approach to gastronomy, the out-of-the-box creations not only caught the eyes of the judges but also received commendation by all present.
In line with the premium lifestyle experience presented to its discerning guests, Heritance Aarah extends the most generous all-inclusive offering. Standing apart from the orthodox all-inclusive offerings in the Maldives, a key distinction at Heritance Aarah is the 11 F&B outlets, of which seven are for dining. The culinary journey that its guests are privy to includes a holistic epicurean journey from street food to the traditional, to fusion to fine dining, unravelling an experience unlike any other. With culinary among its core values, the resort team, since 2019 has brought home many a medal in the field, including multiple wins at the Culinary Olympics and Culinary Food Expo.
These achievements further reiterate the company’s continued efforts and investment in strengthening its leadership position in culinary excellence as well as in soft skill development, as part of long term strategy. “Heritance Aarah is a unique resort that was designed to challenge the status quo. We turned this into a skill we are proud to have honed and nurtured over the years – our exceptional talent in the culinary world,” Aitken Spence PLC Director, Head of Tourism and Leisure, and Chairperson of Aitken Spence Hotels Management Stasshani Jayawardena said congratulating the team. “We are ever so proud to see these achievements and world-class recognition which proves that we are very much in line with the company’s vision. My heartiest congratulations to you all; and thank you for keeping the Aitken Spence flag as well as Sri Lanka flag flying high.”
Adding to Ms. Jayawardena, Aitken Spence Hotels Managing Director Susith Jayawickrama also echoed her sentiments. “This global recognition is a reward for our continuous investment on culinary training and exposure and proves that Aitken Spence Hotels is among the world’s best in the culinary arena.”
The winning team was welcomed at the Bandaranaike airport by the Senior Management of Aitken Spence Hotels followed by a felicitation lunch and ceremony with the attendance of the Group Supervisory Board of Aitken Spence PLC – Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake, Dr. Rohan Fernando, Ms. Stasshani Jayawardena, Ms. Nilanthi Sivapragasam, members of the Senior Management of Aitken Spence Hotels and well-wishers from across Aitken Spence subsidiaries.
Recognised as one of the largest and most important cooking competitions in the world, the Villeroy & Boch Culinary World Cup is a prestigious gastronomic festival that meets the highest standards. The Culinary World Cup was held in line with EXPOGAST Trade Show 2022.
Aitken Spence Hotels is part of the Sri Lankan blue-chip conglomerate Aitken Spence PLC. Aitken Spence Hotels owns and operates 18 hotels and resorts across Sri Lanka, Maldives, Oman and India. The Company’s owned hotels are reflected under the Heritance, Adaaran and Turyaa brands, popular around the world for its exceptional service and undisputed product and curated lifestyle experiences. The Company’s Sri Lankan portfolio includes 8 hotels and resorts spread across the island of which five are Heritance properties, whilst the Maldives resorts totals to five (with one Heritance resort), four in Oman and one in India.
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BY Alice PHILIPSON
AFP Hanoi (Vietnam) In a small corner of a once-grand villa in the heart of Hanoi, Nguyen Manh Tri surveys the home he has loved since childhood but is now giving up as its foundation cracks, roof crumbles and staircase buckles.Tri, 47, lives in three rooms of the subdivided house, one of around 1,200 French-style villas in the city on a list of protected homes published this year.
Most of the villas are close to a century old, built during French colonial rule, and have been degraded by age and humidity. The five families living inside face cramped, damp and noisy conditions.Despite their protected status, the future of these homes — and their inhabitants — hangs in the balance, say architects, as residents struggle to afford their upkeep and the state flip-flops over how best to preserve the crumbling heritage of Vietnam’s capital.
“When I was a kid, I remember this was a beautiful house,” said Tri of the 1930s villa where he was born, which weaves local design and elements of the Art Deco movement.
“It was romantic. I could hear the bell from the post office and the sound of the train in Hanoi station.”
But since then the outer shell of his home has begun to crumble and inside “the structure of the house has been deformed” as families built makeshift extensions, trying to eke out a little more space, Tri told AFP.Cracks are spreading across the walls, ceilings and balconies, and clay tiles plunge from the wide, overhanging roof — prompting his family’s decision to move out.
– ‘Damage and collapse’ –
The listed villas — now often hidden behind cafes, noodle shops and fashion boutiques — were built both by the French and by Vietnamese architects for their wealthy compatriots working under the colonial power.
When the French left in 1954, thousands of these homes were taken over by the communist government and turned into offices, while authorities required any owners still in Vietnam to divide up their property and give portions to poor Vietnamese.Some private owners, such as Tri, are now keen to escape the villas for modern apartments, but others prefer to stay despite the poor conditions and without knowing if their homes will survive the coming decades.
“I have been living here my whole life, so I don’t want to move anywhere else,” said 65-year-old Hoang Chung Thuy, who shares her three-storey villa with 10 other households, a seafood restaurant, a clothes shop and a tea stall.
She cannot fix the crumbling walls without approval and money from her neighbours upstairs but she is determined not to leave the house her grandparents built.Tran Huy Anh of the Hanoi Architect Association says without proper maintenance, these buildings “risk damage and collapse”.
“Those built at the beginning of the 20th century… need continuous renovation and maintenance every 20 to 30 years, it should not be longer.”
In 2015, two people died when a villa built in 1905 — and home to around 20 people — fell to pieces.
$1 million restoration –
Authorities first drew up regulations to protect the villas in 2013, but have gone back and forth over the path forward for the homes.A large swathe of villas has already been razed, Anh says, while in April the city announced a plan to sell 600 of those owned by the state, before retracting the idea just days later.Now Hanoi says it aims to renovate 60 by 2025, but faces long drawn-out negotiations to convince each and every resident to move.
It took a decade for the first project — a $1 million restoration of an old villa — to begin.But now the city is determined to return the house to its former glory, says Pham Tuan Long, an architect and chairman of Hoan Kiem district, where this villa and Tri’s are found.
“We are trying to preserve the original elements and architectural values as much as possible by using traditional materials and traditional renovation techniques,” Long said.
But just a few streets away, Tri packs up his home, uncertain of its future. Moving out is difficult, he says, but even harder is imagining a time when the house is no longer standing.
“It has been a part of my life. This house is the place where I was born, got married, had my kids,” he said.
“But we can’t get out of this situation.”
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Life insurance leader also wins second consecutive Gold as Service Brand of the Year and Silver for Innovative Brand of the Year Ceylinco Life achieved the ultimate in brand success on December 8 when it was crowned Sri Lanka’s Brand of the Year – the top accolade presented by the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM) – transcending brands of all sectors of business, the company announced in a news release.
It said the life insurance market leader also won the Gold award as the Service Brand of the Year at the 2022 edition of the SLIM Brand Excellence awards, repeating a feat it achieved in 2021, and took the Silver for Most Innovative Brand of the Year for its ground-breaking product ‘Ceylinco Life Pension Saver.’
“This is a great way to bring 2022 to a close,” Ceylinco Life Chairman Mr R. Renganathan commented. “Adversity is a true test of character, and to be named the Brand of the Year in one of the most challenging years in memory is possibly the best way to demonstrate the strength and dynamism of a brand. We dedicate this award to the fortitude and passion of every member of the Ceylinco Life family and to the million Sri Lankan lives under our protection.”
Easily the biggest event of the year for the professional marketer fraternity, the SLIM Brand Excellence Awards recognize top brands with five main awards and 10 special awards every year.
For the purpose of these awards, multiple aspects of brand building are evaluated under the headings of Brand intent, Brand content, Brand process and Brand performance, assessing not just the commercial success of brands but their fulfillment of promises to consumers. The SLIM Brand Excellence awards are considered the ultimate recognition of the courage, dedication and perseverance marketers have demonstrated in making their brands champions.
This is the second consecutive year that Ceylinco Life has won a prestigious triple at the SLIM Brand Excellence awards. At the awards presented in respect of 2021 the Company was adjudged Sri Lanka’s Service Brand of the Year and took the Gold for Best New Entrant Brand of the Year for ‘Pension Saver’ and won the Silver for CSR Brand of the Year.
Ceylinco Life’s award-winning ‘Pension Saver’ product is a Retirement cum Life Protection Plan that offers a Premium Assurance Benefit, Loyalty Rewards, and a monthly pension after maturity. The marketing of the product has helped significantly raise awareness about the importance of retirement planning for Sri Lankans, which is clearly communicated via the product’s features as well as the touchpoints and messaging used to promote the brand.
Adjudged the ‘Most Valuable Life Insurance Brand in Sri Lanka’ by Brand Finance and certified a ‘Great Workplace’ in Sri Lanka for the third consecutive year in 2022, Ceylinco Life was declared Sri Lanka’s Service Brand of the Year by the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM) in 2021 and won the SLIM Kantar Peoples Award as the Most Popular Life Insurance Company in Sri Lanka for the 16th consecutive year, also in 2021. Ceylinco Life has been the country’s leading life insurer for more than half of the 34 years it has been in existence.
XOther accolades won in respect of 2021 include the ‘Most Popular Service Provider’ in Sri Lanka’s Life Insurance industry from LMD, the ‘Most Valuable Life Insurance Brand’ in Sri Lanka from Brand Finance, one of the 10 Most Admired Companies in Sri Lanka from the International Chamber of Commerce Sri Lanka (ICCSL) in collaboration with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and one of the 10 Best Workplaces in Sri Lanka’s Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) sector from Great Place to Work.
“Ceylinco Life has close to a million lives covered by active policies and provides innovative life insurance solutions which offer protection while de-risking the goals and ambitions of the Company’s policyholders.” the release said..
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Premier hospitality chain Aitken Spence Hotels showcased their prowess in the culinary sphere, winning five Gold, four Silver and four Bronze at the recently concluded prestigious Villeroy & Boch Culinary World Cup. Its flagship Maldives resort, Heritance Aarah collectively took home 13 medals. A company news release said last week.
The five (05) member team from Heritance Aarah, competed against 60 teams from 55 nations, in an intense five-day competition in Luxembourg-Kirchberg, vying for the prestigious prizes. The winning team was led by Executive Chef Amila Silva and the team was mentored and trained by the Culinary Olympic Record Holder Chef Dimuthu Kumarasinghe (nine-time Culinary Olympic Gold medallist) and the Corporate Chef Maldives Sector Lalith Gunasekare.
Chef Kumarasinghe is the Aitken Spence Hotels Assistant Vice President, Ambassador Heritance Cuisine / Chefs & Culinary Art Development Officer. Excellence in skill, collective values and expertise of the team, together with sheer hard work, commitment and dedication; along with the spirit of Aitken Spence proved to be the prizewinning ingredient for Heritance Aarah.
Curating innovative and unique dishes that are a melange of flavour, colour and presentation. Heritance Aarah’s inimitable approach to gastronomy, the out-of-the-box creations not only caught the eyes of the judges but also received commendation by all present.
A news release outlining tis success said that in line with the premium lifestyle experience presented to its discerning guests, Heritance Aarah extends the most generous all-inclusive offering. Standing apart from the orthodox all-inclusive offerings in the Maldives, a key distinction at Heritance Aarah is the 11 F&B outlets, of which seven are for dining. The culinary journey that its guests are privy to includes a holistic epicurean journey from street food to the traditional, to fusion to fine dining, unravelling an experience unlike any other. With culinary among its core values, the resort team, since 2019 has brought home many a medal in the field, including multiple wins at the Culinary Olympics and Culinary Food Expo.
“Heritance Aarah is a unique resort that was designed to challenge the status quo. We turned this into a skill we are proud to have honed and nurtured over the years – our exceptional talent in the culinary world,” Aitken Spence PLC Director, Head of Tourism and Leisure, and Chairperson of Aitken Spence Hotels Management Stasshani Jayawardena said congratulating the team. “We are ever so proud to see these achievements and world-class recognition which proves that we are very much in line with the company’s vision. My heartiest congratulations to you all; and thank you for keeping the Aitken Spence flag as well as Sri Lanka flag flying high.”
Adding to Ms. Jayawardena, Aitken Spence Hotels Managing Director Susith Jayawickrama also echoed her sentiments. “This global recognition is a reward for our continuous investment on culinary training and exposure and proves that Aitken Spence Hotels is among the world’s best in the culinary arena.”
The winning team was welcomed at the Bandaranaike airport by the Senior Management of Aitken Spence Hotels followed by a felicitation lunch and ceremony with the attendance of the Group Supervisory Board of Aitken Spence PLC – Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake, Dr. Rohan Fernando, Ms. Stasshani Jayawardena, Ms. Nilanthi Sivapragasam, members of the Senior Management of Aitken Spence Hotels and well-wishers from across Aitken Spence subsidiaries. Recognised as one of the largest and most important cooking competitions in the world, the Villeroy & Boch Culinary World Cup is a prestigious gastronomic festival that meets the highest standards. The Culinary World Cup was held in line with EXPOGAST Trade Show 2022.
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