Four Seasons Resort Nevis appointed Max Loayza to director of food and beverage of the resort in the West Indies. Since taking on the position, Loayza has overseen the resort’s gourmet culinary program, focusing on fresh, locally sourced ingredients and creativity.
Loayza grew up in Ecuador in a family of restaurateurs. He left Ecuador for Switzerland to attend Les Roches Hotel Management School and from there, his international career took off. Loayza has held positions at various hotels and resorts throughout the world.
Since his appointment, Loayza has helped develop the new beach bar called Kastawey, a relaxing and eclectic space that was inspired by the laid-back vibes of the Caribbean. At Kastawey, guests can enjoy gourmet seafood-inspired dishes and cocktails.
Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado in Santa Fe, N.M., appointed Kai Autenrieth as executive chef. In his first executive chef role in the U.S., Autenrieth oversees the resort’s complete food-and-beverage operation.
Most recently, Autenrieth was executive sous chef at Four Seasons Resort Nevis in the West Indies. His extensive knowledge and training in a number of cuisines including European, South American, Caribbean, Asian and African will be on display as he merges his global take with regional ingredients to create a locally driven menu while paying tribute to New Mexican culinary traditions and Southwestern influences.
He attended culinary school in Bad Wörishofen, Germany, and his first professional experiences were as a pastry chef in Switzerland.
Benchmark, a global hospitality company, named Antonio Estremera executive chef for The Grove Resort & Spa in Orlando. The resort will open its first phase on March 10. The 878-room, all-suite hotel will feature multiple food-and-drink venues, including a three meal-a-day restaurant, two poolside eateries, two lounges, and a large-scale grab-and-go style marketplace.
Estremera arrives at The Grove Resort & Spa with more than 16 years of experience and more than half of his career spent in upper-management positions. His tenure in the hospitality world has taken him up and down the eastern region of the U.S., including a selection of Benchmark properties.
Estremera grew up in the food-and-beverage industry, learning the essentials of cooking during his formative years while working in his family’s restaurant.
Fairmont Chateau Whistler (British Columbia) announced that Jason Mitchell is the hotel’s new executive sous chef. He will focus on the hotel’s significant banquet culinary operations that are spread over Fairmont Chateau Whistler’s 32,000 square feet of meeting, wedding and event space.
Mitchell brings over 14 years of Fairmont Hotels and Resorts culinary leadership experience to this role. He began his Fairmont career in 2000 as a chef apprentice at the Fairmont Royal York and rose progressively up with assignments at various Fairmont hotels.
Mitchell studied at George Brown College, earning a diploma in culinary management. He also earned a diploma in hotel & restaurant management from Loyalist College and a certificate in computer information systems from Seneca College.
Fairmont Chateau Whistler also named a new executive sous chef, Derek Bendig, who will oversee the hotel restaurant operations.
Bendig comes to this role with more than 16 years of culinary experience in Canada and internationally. He studied culinary arts and earned his diploma at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts, Vancouver. Bendig will also be cooking at the James Beard House in New York with the Food Day Canada team on May 24, 2017.
Chateau on the Lake Resort, Spa & Convention Center in Branson, Mo., named Paul Trout its executive chef. In his new position, Trout is responsible for overseeing all culinary operations at the resort. Before his promotion, Trout served as the resort’s executive sous chef since 2011, where he handled all kitchen operations in the absence of the executive chef. In that position, he created menus and recipes for the resort’s restaurants, banquets, and winemaker dinners. Prior to working at the resort, Trout worked for several F&B outlets in California and served in the U.S. Air Force.
The Lord Jeffery Inn in Amherst, Mass., promoted Kevin Doubleday to executive chef and appointed Josean “Tiny” Jimenez as pastry chef.
Doubleday’s responsibilities include menu creation and management of all food departments throughout The Lord Jeffery Inn, including its on-site restaurant, 30Boltwood. Jimenez will oversee the preparation of desserts and assume responsibilities for creating and implementing menus as well as managing the restaurant's staff.
Doubleday joined The Lord Jeffery Inn in February of 2012 as a sous chef. He holds an associate’s degree in culinary arts from the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vt.
Jimenez brings more than 15 years of culinary experience with him to The Lord Jeffery Inn. Most recently, he worked as the chef and owner at MRKT Restaurant in South Deerfield, Mass. Jimenez has showcased his diverse background and has worked his way through various Western Massachusetts and Boston-area restaurants after graduating from the Connecticut Culinary Institute in 2002.