Renowned Australian chef, clinical nutritionist and Le Cordon Bleu Master’s graduate, Chef Samantha Gowing, is taking her ‘food as medicine’ philosophy across the globe, announcing a new partnership with Club Med Asia Pacific – the inaugural Le Cordon Blue Online Learning Program will be streamed from the Maldives – and two Australian-based wellness masterclasses and weekend getaways.

From October, guests at selected Club Med Asia Pacific villages will enjoy a healthy new menu inspired by Gowing’s wellness gastronomy philosophy. The new menu will be unveiled at nine resorts and will include up to 42 specialty plates to complement the expansive buffet each week, with a healthy intention designed to cater for up to 1500 guests.

“I’ve just returned from a 10-day Chef’s seminar at Club Med Bali, training 12 Executive and systemising the new Wellness Gastronomy philosophy which was embraced wholeheartedly by the team,” says Gowing. “I am proud to work with a hospitality brand that is making it a priority to provide healthy eating options to their guests and I’m excited to see how guests enjoy the new menu and learn about food as a real source for wellness.”

For those who can’t get away to a Club Med resort but want to learn more, on August 6 Gowing will launch the inaugural four-week Le Cordon Bleu Online Learning program, the first session streamed live from the Maldives, surrounded by the rich tropical produce of the picturesque islands. The course, titled ‘Gastronomy and Nutrition’, will focus on unpacking some of the myths around buzzwords like superfoods, clean eating and power food, and explore the scientific evidence that corroborates the classification of certain foods as more powerful than others.

Closer to home, Gowing will host her popular Masterclasses and wellness weekends in September. The Melbourne Spring Masterclass will take place on 7 September at the Neff Market Kitchen at the South Melbourne Market and will focus on improving cellular health and optimal wellness for spring.