Nestled on the iconic Cayman Brac Bluff is Le Soleil d’Or farm, a real-life example of how food sustainability and tourism can work together to create a successful business.
Spread over 35 acres, 20 of which is farmland on the Bluff, the business has become an attraction not only for local residents, but also for tourists seeking an eco-friendly experience with a culinary twist.
The growing popularity of the seven-room boutique resort is welcome news for hotel manager Amar Mala Thottathil after the challenges of COVID-19.
“We are grateful for the tremendous support from the local community [on] Grand Cayman over COVID. Now we are seeing positive responses from international guests compared to last year and we are very thankful,” Mala Thottathil said, in a recent interview with the Cayman Compass.
With the borders open, the resort is enjoying the return of Brac tourism and “this year it’s a really good sign”, he added.
“[The hotel] has seen good pick-up from December and we look forward to having more tourists visiting Cayman Brac overall. In terms of comparing Cayman Brac to Grand [Cayman], there are more travellers who are interested in Grand Cayman at this time, but we remain hopeful and are expecting more bookings [in] the coming months,” he said.
Mala Thottathil added he is grateful for the support of the Brac community.
The resort has also attracted bookings for lunch meetings from Grand Cayman clients who are seeking something unique.
He said he would like to see more flights to the Brac from Grand Cayman, or even direct flights from international gateways, to help grow local tourism on the Sister Island.
“Guests are travelling from Grand just to have lunch or breakfast, with a farm tour, which is really encouraging to see. It’s a positive sign that the community is also taking interest in day trips to the Brac,” he said.
Farm to table
The Le Soleil d’Or resort fully embraces the farm-to-table concept, offering local and exotic varieties of fruits and produce. The farm boasts more than 250 varieties of fruits and trees cared for by seven staff.
Mala Thottathil said this is what makes the resort special to him.
“We are using everything from nature here in our restaurant,” he said, as he pointed out that not only is every available space at the farm utilised to grow food, but also the same is happening at the resort.
Plant pots around the Mediterranean-style hotel house flowering trees, and share the space with hot pepper plants and various herbs.
“Ingredients from the garden are integrated holistically throughout the resort. The restaurant showcases the farm’s bounty with seasonally inspired menus for breakfast, lunch, dinner and cocktails,” Mala Thottathil said.
In 2019, the Dart group acquired the resort and continued to emphasise sustainability.
Today, Mala Thottathil said, the vision of creating a near completely self-sustaining resort is maintained through the expansive farm that supplies the hotel as well as the local restaurants and community.
“We basically have a broadcast list of potentially 500 to 1,000 people who are interested in buying produce from the farm,” he said, adding a weekly update of what is available is sent out, after which customers place their orders and pick up the items.
The produce, as well as the eggs from the more-than-300 chickens kept on the farm, are also sold at the Le Soleil d’Or storefront, with some even shipped to Grand Cayman.
He said the community interest in the farm-to-table concept has been refreshing.
“I would say it is more heartwarming to see the results that you get from the responses from guests or customers. They really love and appreciate what we do for them with the fresh produce that we give,” he said.
Guided tour
Apart from working with Cayman Brac’s specialists in heritage tours, concierge diving and snorkelling, the resort offers a guided tour of the farm which features hundreds of trees and plants.
The highlight is a beautiful towering olive tree, which is not native to this part of the world.
Mala Thottathil said the varieties of produce, some of which are Asian, are seasonal which gives the chef an opportunity to be creative with dishes.
“The menu will change depending on the readiness of the produce. The farmers work really hard to have crops available year-round so the menu options will reflect the change,” he added.
The tour, which is available by booking only, involves a 45-60 minute golf-cart ride around the farm with a guide who shares the history of the resort and describes the types of trees and fruits grown on the farm.
He said the tour has an interactive element where guests are treated to juice and cookies that are made using produce from the farm.
However, he said the main attraction of the tour is the ‘miracle berry’ which is grown on the farm.
When eaten, the berry changes the taste of any food, and turns the sharp taste of sour citrus fruits into a flavour that is almost candy-like, he said.
“We get a lot of calls for [the berry], which is believed to aid with the taste when taking certain medicines. The berry changes your taste buds, especially after eating something sour, and guests find this very interesting,” he added.
He is happy to see the farm-to-table concept spread on the Brac and on Grand Cayman, he said, where there are some businesses offering the same nature-driven menus.
Mala Thottathil also encouraged the community to set up their own backyard farms.
There is “satisfaction from inside… when you make something in your backyard,” he added.
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We love Soleil d or! The restaurant is excellent and the farm tour is a delight. Great to see the ink spreading the word.