Michel Muffat is the French-born Executive Chef at Niva Kuramathi, a resort island the Maldives.
The archipelago attracts 2 million visitors every year and dining on its resort islands is a crucial part of its appeal.
Next year marks the 50th anniversary of tourism in the Maldives so it is an opportune time to ask one vastly experienced chef in the Maldives what is the “secret” to his success.
Together Magazine:
Can you give some background about you and explain what brought you to the Maldives, and to Kuramathi in particular?
Michel Muffat: I was trained in France at the hotel school of Thonon-les-Bains then worked in different places around Europe, Switzerland, Portugal and France, I then change continent when I moved to Korea and Thailand. In 2003, tourism stopped completely in Southeast Asia due at the SARS. Most hotels stopped their operation but then I got the opportunity to come to Kuramathi where the challenge was huge and very interesting for me. It was the perfect place to put in place what I was learning in the previous 20 years.
Together: What is it that has kept you in the Maldives for so long (over 20 years)?
Michel Muffat: I would say the challenge of it all.
First,this involves putting everything in place, implementation of the hygiene standard, organizing culinary training and improving the quality of the food.
It also involves renovation of all kitchens, creating an identity at each “a la carte” restaurant and organizing the supply chain.
Second: the trust of the top management who gave me full ‘green card’ to implement all the necessary needs for the island as well as implementing some on my ideas for the proposes of our guests who constitue a large culinary range .
Third: Kuramathi is a good place for my 2 passions in life: cooking and scuba diving.
Together: How do you manage to balance managing 12 restaurants on the island?
Michel Muffat: Managing 12 restaurants relies entirely on delegating to a strong chef de cuisine in each kitchen. All the chefs de cuisine were trained by me and they are the warranty of the follow up of our recipes, maintaining quality and hygiene standards and overseeing the training of the junior team members.
Together: What are the key differences between your 9 à la carte restaurants and your 3 buffet restos?
Michel Muffat: The buffets are here for pleasure. The a la carte restaurants have their own identity and serve a cuisine based on their concept. Guests can choose an a la carte restaurant according to their preference.
Together: What is the most popular type of cuisine and why do you think that is?
Michel Muffat: The island BBQ is the most popular. The reason is that it provides some grilled food and excellent quality of meat. The flambee at the table, which is something relatively rare now in Europe, is another reason for its popularity.
Together: How vital and important is self-sufficiency and sustainability to your operations?
Michel Muffat: Sustainability and self-sufficiency are absolutely vital to modern culinary operations. They dictate everything from ingredient sourcing to waste management, operating costs, and consumer trust. I prioritize local production before importing goods.
Together: How often are the menus changed and what inspires you in your choice selections?
Michel Muffat: I do not change the full menus but only some parts of all menus around a couple of times per year, mostly based on popularity of the dishes and new trends.
Together: Is climate change an increasing factor in your business?
Michel Muffat: In the kitchen this is not a factor at all for the moment, for the Maldives it is for sure. Climate change is an increasingly critical factor for businesses, particularly in the tourism and fisheries sectors. With over 90% of resort infrastructure located near the coastline, operations must constantly adapt to rising sea levels, beach erosion, and warmer ocean temperatures affecting marine life and corals.
Together: What are the main challenges and issues facing your work?
Michel Muffat: The main issues as regards the kitchen department includes logistical difficulties in the supply chain and making sure food will arrive on time.
Strict food safety (HACCP) maintenance in a tropical climate is another challenge.
Kitchens also struggle for recruiting skilled workers and this, too, is an issue. The conflicts around the world bring increases in fuel and disruption in the supply chain and these put a constant pressure on maintaining budgeted food costs.
Together: The Maldives attracted 2 million visitors last year. How do you see your sector evolving in the future?
Michel Muffat: Local island tourism and boat safaris continue to attract a significant share of these 2 million visitors, generating direct economic benefits for local communities.
This is excellent but it also comes at the expense of the environment. In my opinion, it is essential to attract a more affluent clientele who stay longer and spend more in order to rebalance the number of arrivals.
Going forward, sustainable practices, eco-certifications, marine conservation initiatives, and climate-adapted infrastructure must be implemented by all tourism stakeholders, not just the resorts.
