Home>Blog>Michelin and Green Michelin-starred Chef Rico Birndt to headline culinary residency at JW Marriott Maldives
19 July 2026
Michelin and Green Michelin-starred Chef Rico Birndt to headline culinary residency at JW Marriott Maldives
JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa will welcome Michelin-starred and Green Michelin-starred Chef Rico Birndt for an exclusive culinary residency in October, bringing one of Germany's leading advocates of sustainable gastronomy to the Maldives for the first time.
The collaboration will culminate in a one-night-only six-course dinner on 24 October 2026, while also offering culinary experiences centred on garden-to-table cooking, fermentation and sustainable sourcing.
For chefs and culinary professionals, the residency presents an opportunity to explore the philosophy of one of Europe's foremost practitioners of ingredient-led, environmentally conscious cuisine.
Chef Birndt is the founder of Restaurant June near Lake Chiemsee in Germany, where his cuisine has earned both a Michelin Star for culinary excellence and a Green Michelin Star for sustainability. His cooking is rooted in seasonality, zero-waste principles and respect for natural ingredients, with fermentation, ageing and preservation techniques playing a central role in menu development.
At Restaurant June, herbs and vegetables are cultivated on-site before being transformed through house-made miso, shoyu and fermentation processes, creating depth of flavour while reducing waste and extending seasonal produce.
That philosophy aligns closely with the JW Garden at JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa, where herbs, edible flowers and tropical produce are harvested for use throughout the resort's kitchens.
For chefs, the collaboration demonstrates how ingredient sourcing, sustainability and culinary technique can work together to create contemporary luxury dining experiences rooted in locality rather than excess.
The centrepiece of the residency will be an intimate dinner at Kaashi Restaurant, where Chef Birndt will present a six-course tasting menu combining the flavours of the Indian Ocean with the refined techniques and seasonal approach that define his Alpine cuisine.
Throughout the evening, he will personally introduce each course, discussing the inspiration behind the dishes, his sustainability philosophy and the sourcing of the ingredients used.
Beyond the public dinner, Marriott Bonvoy members will also have the opportunity to bid for an exclusive culinary experience through Marriott Bonvoy Moments.
The programme includes an interactive Garden-to-Table cooking class using produce harvested directly from the resort's gardens, followed by lunch with Chef Birndt and an intimate 10-course wine-pairing dinner at RIHA, the resort's open-air destination dining venue inspired by Maldivian culinary heritage.
For culinary professionals, the residency highlights several of the industry's defining trends: regenerative sourcing, fermentation, minimal waste, local ingredient utilisation and chef-led storytelling.
Commenting on the collaboration, Chef Birndt said modern luxury is rooted in authenticity and a genuine connection to the land.
“Bringing our approach to fermentation and garden sourcing to an environment as beautiful as the island allows us to create imaginative creations infused with local ingredients,” he said.
General Manager Mohit Dembla said the partnership reflects the resort's commitment to mindful luxury, sustainability and culinary excellence.
For the Maldives hospitality industry, the collaboration reinforces the growing role of international chef residencies as platforms for knowledge exchange and culinary innovation. By combining Michelin-recognised techniques with local produce and the resort's own kitchen gardens, the residency showcases how sustainable gastronomy continues to shape the future of luxury dining.
