At Sandals in Saint Lucia – meet Mike Nassiri, the GM who could be your top chef – for a day

(Sandals Resorts)- It’s been said that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, and the General Manager of Sandals Grande Saint Lucian has discovered that adage to be spot on.

When Michael Nassiri donned his chef’s jacket for a special lunch with Sandals diamond guests, it wasn’t just for show, they soon realised that he could cook, and he did it very well. Indeed, on any given Thursday a group of these unsuspecting VIP guests may be treated to cajun spiced salmon with spinach rice, Caesar salad with jerk chicken, nicoise salad with seared tuna tataki, steak tagliata and sauce brunoise or a mouth-watering spaghetti carbonara or bruschetta, with pancetta ham – all personally prepared by the general manager.

Chris and Peggy Varney recently vacationed at Sandals Grande St Lucian Spa & Beach Resort and experienced first-hand the Diamond Members’ Luncheon. This is what they had to say; “A special thank you Mike Nassiri for hosting a wonderful luncheon. Your exceptional culinary skills and dedication to creating a personalized and sincere dining experience made the event truly memorable. Your effort and attention to detail did not go unnoticed and were greatly appreciated by all who attended.”

When you dig a bit deeper, you’d find that Michael has simply fallen back on the skill that got him into the hospitality industry in the first place; food and beverage. Growing up in Germany, Michael was always very industrious. A positive mind-set, strong financial management skills and good understanding and control of accounting procedures allowed him to grow and eventually lead hotels from some of the most well-known brands throughout the Middle East and Europe.

As General Manager at Sandals Grande St. Lucian Spa & Beach Resort he leads an outstanding team of 800 hospitality professionals. In an increasingly competitive industry, Michael’s innovative approach has once more shone through, earning him the nickname – among his colleagues – as the cooking GM. So what started as a one-off event has now evolved into a highly anticipated, and much talked about weekly affair. Every Thursday, Michael conspires with the Executive Chef Rene Cahane, dons his custom-made chef’s jacket and strides into Kimonos Restaurant to give his returning diamond guests the gastronomic experience of a lifetime. Michael recollects that it was every chef’s dream to wear the chef’s hat because it brought with it prestige. The taller the hat, the higher up one was in the kitchen hierarchy. But not anymore, now this chef has one mission – to wow his guests.

These days, not only guests, but also team members, look forward to being invited to the special lunch hosted by the GM, and according to Michael, this speaks volumes. ”This is why people keep coming back to Sandals, because of the unique and incredible experiences that we offer. We deliver that personal connection that no one else can do.”