Food can provide the immersive experiences today’s travellers are seeking, allowing them to better understand and create connections with the destinations they visit.
So says Ilaria Edoardi, product development specialist for Silversea’s Sea and Land Taste (S.A.L.T) programme and a food anthropologist. And when it comes to cuisine, she is certainly an expert to pay attention to, having spent her career in the food and wine industries. As she admits: “I’m obsessed by food. Food is my life, and travel is my second passion.”
Edoardi has a master’s degree in Food Anthropology from the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at SOAS University of London, and describes her specialism as “adding another layer of depth into what we think of food”.
She first sailed with Silversea 10 years ago with friends, and when the line started developing the S.A.L.T programme she was invited in to help, alongside Adam Sachs, the former editor-in-chief of Saveur magazine.
She explains: “They wanted someone that could dig deeper and help out with what was already on board and someone to develop the programme and roll it out. It’s very hands-on.”
S.A.L.T is currently available on Silver Moon and Silver Dawn, spanning the S.A.L.T Kitchen restaurant, S.A.L.T Bar, S.A.L.T Lab, (which offers culinary classes), and shore excursions. Edoardi explains: “They have an editorial slant, so we’re weaving food products, recipes and dishes together, and you learn about the story behind them.”
Menus at the S.A.L.T Kitchen change daily, depending on the ports and regions the ship is sailing to, with different specials each day, and Edoardi describes them as “snapshots of specific ports.”
She cites an example of a South American sailing she joined last year, where guests were served two types of ceviche. One was a Caribbean-influenced recipe, and the other was from Peru. “They are both amazing, but very different, and you can tell a story just by serving those two dishes next to each other. The waiters will have these little stories to explain, so if someone is interested, they can really understand what’s behind each dish.”
Menu of options
Edoardi says S.A.L.T was designed to be easily tailored to the level of immersion guests crave. “You can experience it at the level you want it to, because not everyone is a food nerd like me,” she explains.
“There are people that just want to enjoy a nice dish and be told a couple of anecdotes around that. And they can do it very simply at the restaurant, or they can come and learn more stories in the S.A.L.T Lab.
“If they are keen, we can take them on excursions to touch and feel, and see the people behind the food, and that connection is invaluable. These people may not speak perfect English, but what they convey just with their facial expressions, and their joy, is just beautiful.”
Edoardi says people are key to the success of S.A.L.T, helping elevate it beyond simply tasting dishes. She explains: “The key to this programme was to spread food culture. So to really link the food to the people who are in the places where we’re going. It’s about showing the eco-system around it, and the soul behind it. You have to look for a story behind food. And when there’s a story, there’s people.”
Selling the story
She says S.A.L.T is a “no brainer” for customers who are keen foodies. “You have a whole deck which is dedicated to the love of food, and which will allow you to get deeper into the cuisine of the place where you’re going.”
She also recommends it for those who are keen to expand their culinary horizons, but are still slightly wary. “For those who are curious about food, but want to try it in a safe environment, it’s a great experience. There will be people that will explain each dish and ingredient, which can be a bit daunting sometimes in a market, if you don’t know if people speak your language. Travellers can expand their comfort zone, but from the safety of a trusted brand.”
The concept can also be a useful hook for agents to tempt customers who usually opt for land-based holidays, and love their food and drink.
Edoardi explains: “These travellers may feel that on a cruise, what they’re missing out on is spending time in a destination in the evening. On land you’d sit in a nice restaurant, relax, and people watch, and see what’s going on in the destination.
“That might not happen on a ship, but with S.A.L.T you can still go to a restaurant that extends your experience that you had on shore, and is focused on the destinations you’re visited.”
