article 2 cna to lx-Little Bukit Farm: How the pandemic spurred this couple to realise their dream of starting a farm in Phuket
The COVID-19 pandemic was a devastating event but its unusual scenarios also birthed many beautiful stories. One of them was the creation of Little Bukit Farm, located near Phuket’s Ko Kaeo town. It was founded by husband-and-wife team Joe Sanya and Melinda Briend-Marchal.
Shared Turner: “Approximately a third of all dishes at Rosewood Phuket incorporate ingredients sourced from our Partners in Provenance programme, including seasonal vegetables, sago palm flour, unique golden brown rice and caviar from locally raised Siberian sturgeon.”
Shared Turner: “Approximately a third of all dishes at Rosewood Phuket incorporate ingredients sourced from our Partners in Provenance programme, including seasonal vegetables, sago palm flour, unique golden brown rice and caviar from locally raised Siberian sturgeon.”
The hotel purchases produce from Little Bukit Farm for use in its restaurants. It also offers excursions to the farm. This immersive experience not only enhances the hotel’s branding but also showcases true sustainability that has been overshadowed by many cases of green washing for branding purposes.
I got a taste of the farm dinner experience offered by the hotel, which is held monthly and costs THB28,000 (S$1,029) per couple (or THB9,000 per person). A 40-minute ride from Rosewood Phuket took me to the farm where a welcome Champagne drink preceded a personal tour led by Briend-Marchal and Sanya. Amid plump chickens running between my feet, we fed the goats and got a crash course by Briend-Marchal on how she ages her organic cheese that tastes refreshingly light and is void of any cheesy pungency.
“When the goats are in good living conditions, they can continue to produce milk with only one gestation (the same as human wet nurses in the past). This way of getting milk respects the animal’s wellbeing and their herd integrity,” explained Briend-Marchal.
We then proceeded to an elegant outdoor area for a seven-course degustation meal by candlelight and fairylights – front-row seats to the view of the setting sun bathing the farm in painterly orange light. The dishes featured fresh produce from the farm that are paired with sustainably sourced ingredients from other Partners in Provenance suppliers.
