Bjorn van der Horst becomes executive chef at luxury resort in the Maldives

Former Michelin-starred chef Bjorn van der Horst has been appointed executive chef at the Soneva Fushi by Six Senses resort in the Maldives.

The chef, who ran the Eastside Inn in Clerkenwell, London, with his wife Justine until September last year, will join the luxury resort on 1 May. Justine has been appointed events manager.

Van der Horst's remit at Soneva Fushi by Six Senses, which includes 65 villas, will include five restaurants as well as a kitchen garden.

"It's a big move but a great opportunity for us," van der Horst told Caterersearch.

"The resort is trying to be as self-sufficient as possible and I'm hugely excited about catching my own fish and managing my own garden."

When asked whether he would consider a return to London, the chef responded: "Yes, we will definitely be back in London. There are still things we want to do here and all our friends are here, it's our home."

Van der Horst headed up the Michelin-starred Greenhouse in Mayfair before joining Gordon Ramsay Holdings in 2006 to launch La Noisette in Knightsbridge, which closed after just 18 months.

He opened the Eastside Inn in May 2009 but was forced to close it last September after running into financial hardship. The restaurant this week reopens as boutique hotel group Hotel du Vin's first standalone Bistro du Vin

Six Senses is a resort and spa management and development company, established in 1995, which manages resorts under the brand names Soneva, Six Senses and Evason; plus Six Senses Spas and Six Senses Sanctuary.

In addition to the Soneva Fushi resort, the group also runs Soneva Gili in the Maldives and Soneva Kiri in Thailand.

Hotel du Vin to open Bistro du Vin on former Eastside Inn >>

Bjorn van der Horst closes the Eastside Inn >>

By Kerstin Kühn

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