Celebrity Cruises teams up with Waitrose to discover the secrets behind the world’s most famous dishes
Good food always has a story to tell – whether it’s a classic dish as firmly rooted in the region as historic monuments, age-old traditions and majestic landscapes, or a fresh fusion twist that is as global as it is local, every dish gets you a step closer to the heart of a destination.
Uncovering those stories is what travel is all about, which is why Celebrity Cruises has joined forces with Waitrose in an exciting initiative to delve deeper into local history, culture and customs through food from some of its favourite cities.
Ever wondered which of Istanbul’s local restaurants cooks the best manti, the city’s answer to ravioli? Or which of Florence’s gelaterias serves the best gelato?
Modern luxury cruise line Celebrity Cruises has partnered with Waitrose to create a series of travel-inspired mini films that showcase food and drink experiences on offer around the world. The six films, entitled A Taste Of Travel, have been created to offer travel and food fans a different perspective on popular destinations such as Barcelona, Istanbul and Reykjavik, and are presented by cookery writer and deli-owner Rosie Lovell.
Each film offers insights that unveil the lesser-known food and drink specialities, customs and cultures of six different destinations that they can enjoy at home.
Eating with Rosie
Anyone who has flicked through a copy of presenter Lovell’s debut cookbook, Spooning with Rosie, will see that every dish that she creates comes with its own explanation, from gazpacho for a Barcelona morning to Colombian scrambled eggs. Many of the dishes are named after the friend or relative who first gave her the recipe and her talent is to combine international ingredients with a homely cooking style.
That’s the atmosphere embodied by her hip Brixton eatery Rosie’s Deli Café – soon to be joined by a second branch in up-and-coming Peckham – and her previous work presenting alongside Michelin-starred chef Tom Kitchin, making her the ideal candidate to front the new joint venture from Waitrose and Celebrity Cruises.
Lovell will bring that passion all the way from Brixton to Barcelona as she finds out there’s more to gin than a splash of tonic and a twist of lime on her Spanish gin tour, the first of six food and drink journeys exploring the iconic ingredients and tasty local produce at some of Celebrity Cruises’ best-loved ports.
Check out her Spanish gin discovery here: celebritycruises.co.uk/atasteoftravel
Sailing in style
Celebrity Cruises excels in delivering a modern, elegant and luxury holiday consisting of spacious, high-quality accommodation, award-winning food and drink, and a strong focus on destination.
With a growing fleet, the cruise brand boasts more than 260 destinations across 72 countries – with more opportunities than ever to stay longer in key cities to experience the vibe by day and by night.
As well as its sleek decor and top-notch service (ships have one member of staff for every two guests), Celebrity Cruises has a reputation for exceptional food and wine, showcasing fine dining and classic cuisine across its on-board restaurants and bars.
They range from modern French in Murano and fresh ingredients at Italian steakhouse Tuscan Grille, to innovative sushi lollipops or ordering by iPad at Qsine, and the pan-Asian flavours at Silk Harvest – and that’s before you even start on the extensive wine collection chosen by expert sommeliers.
Sail the Mediterranean with Celebrity Cruises on a seven-night trip taking in foodie ports including Barcelona, Provence, Genoa, Rome, Sorrento, Crete and Athens. Private balcony cabins are priced from £1,549 per person departing July 2016, including premium chartered flights from London and all port transfers.
Visit celebritycruises.co.uk/jetsetsail or call 0844 4932043, for more details.
This article was published 6 August 2015