The Ritz-Carlton have announced a strategic partnership with Viking to set a series of Ritz-Carlton Culinary centres in several hotels and resorts. This is following the successful piloting of the concept in 2006 with the Ritz-Carlton Cancun where guests can attend a variety of culinary classes.
In Cancun they found that this service proved extremely popular with families, singles and groups for team building activities. In-keeping with Ritz-Carlton’s positioning regarding creating experiences, making them personal, unique and memorable, the successful concept will now be rolled out through the US to begin with and then globally.
The venues will be both indoor and outdoor. The format, variety and size of classes will vary from location to location but will showcase the talents of Ritz-Carlton chefs and also the recipes of that resort/hotel. They will focus on regionally indigenous products and local flavours to create a lasting memory and skill for their guests.
The Cancun centre currently operates two hour classes 5 days a week with 14 participants each class. Pricing for the class will market specific but ranging from US90-US175 per person per class. Wine tastings at the centers are also under consideration.