Conscious Cuisine
Our Culinary Team, led by Belizean Chef Sean Kuylen, is inspired by the nourishing power of food. Our ingredients are minimally processed, mindfully and ethically sourced, and celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the region. With a keen focus on authentic and traditional cuisine, we remain open to global cooking influences and techniques. Our Nature Based Conscious Cuisine/No Bar Code approach is a concept that is not used loosely as a marketing term, but truly as a way of life in Belize. This Conscious Cuisine promotes the use of indigenous, wild and traditional foods that have been harvested and prepared for generations, preserving ecological and cultural knowledge. All our vegetables, chicken, eggs, milk, farmed tilapia, peanuts, copal sap, honey, grass fed beef, pork and lamb and even our slate plates are sourced from a radius not further than 15 miles away... as the chachalaca flies, we promise! Anything further would have to include barrier reef spiny lobster, conch and snapper, but hey, you didn't come to the wilderness of the Pine Ridge Forest Reserve for that! Our menus are driven by the farmers of San Antonio Village, the Mennonites of Spanish Lookout, Running W Meats, San Miguel, Silk Grass Farms and dictated naturally by Mother Nature’s seasons. This explains why this morning’s breakfast you may or may not have seen passion fruit, carambola or one of the country’s 53 varieties of mangoes, because it may not be on the tree this month. If it is in season, enjoy...if not, don't blame the chef
Sap’s inspiration comes from the Chico Sapote or Sapodilla Hardwood Tree found on the majority of our furniture including the large beams at Slate and on the stunning countertop in our indoor Rum Bar. The Sapodilla tree once provided valuable sap, which was exported for the production of chewing gum, with “Wrigley's Chewing Gum” being Belize's major market. The men who did this arduous task of extracting the Chicle Sap were called “Chicleros”.
Sap by Sean Kuylen is inspired by these hard-working Chicleros. You will find inspiration from the Chiclero’s way of life throughout the menu such as the Logger’s Breakfast, our activated charcoal Johnny Cake (Journey Cake), and the Ranger’s Reserve crafted rum. At Sap, our focus on local and traditional cuisine pays homage to this lost art of the chiclero and the coveted Sap of the Sapodilla tree.
Welcome to Slate.. Crafted by Maya Yucatec women of the San Antonio Women’s Cooperative, our clay fogon is hand molded and cured for high heat and traditional cooking techniques of the Maya. Slate also boasts an authentic Hueco Pibil(underground roasting pit)where our chefs embrace the traditional cooking of the cochinita pibil;a buried small pig. The meat is marinated with annatto, sour oranges and wrapped in banana leaves and left to cook underground for 15 plus hours of cooking on hot limestone, the same way our ancestors did… Our menu is shareable tasting plates, and we encourage you to share and explore a variety of tastes and flavors.
La Cocina is our culinary classroom where each chef takes pride in presenting their own Master Class on Maya/Mestizo cuisine. La Cocina also has its own wood burning fogon and mano a metate grinding stone where guests learn theoretical and hands-on understanding of our traditional cuisines. Some of the classes offered include the Cycle of the Maize, El Cacahuate, Maya Queqchi Caldo, Chocolate Making, Nixtamal, Tortilla, Relleno Negro and more…
Chef Sean Kuylen is the leading force to these culinary concepts where his #NoBarcode approach to traditional cuisine of Belize takes center stage. He prides himself in sourcing vegetables, protein and ingredients from no more than a 15-mile radius and his menus are dictated by Mother Nature’s seasons and his strong cultural knowledge and practices. Internationally trained, Chef Sean has embraced his country’s cultures & cuisine and is an advocate for the promotion of its Piple, Food & Kulcha.
Think Global, Cook Local!
Experience a symphony of aromas at our Lodge's cafe, “The Morning Fog.”
It offers a unique and memorable experience for coffee lovers. Indulge in signature blends like Cinnamon Spice, Citrus Honey, and Smores, each meticulously curated to enhance your coffee experience. Come and immerse yourself in a world of flavors and scents; tantalize your senses with our home-roasted coffee.
Our team is led by Belizean Chef Sean Kuylen, who is inspired by the nourishing power of food. We celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the region with the use of ingredients that are minimally processed, mindfully, and ethically sourced. The concept of our Nature-Based Conscious Cuisine/No Bar Code approach is truly a way of life in Belize.
All our vegetables, chicken, eggs, milk, farmed tilapia, peanuts, copal sap, honey, grass-fed beef, pork, and lamb and even our slate plates are sourced from a radius no further than 15 miles away... as the chachalaca flies, we promise!
Our menus are driven by locally sourced materials and are dictated by Mother Nature’s seasons. This explains why at this morning’s breakfast you may or may not have seen passion fruit, carambola, or one of the country’s 53 varieties of mangoes. If it’s in season, enjoy...if not, don't blame the chef!