Lorraine Sinclair joins the five-star Hotel Bellevue with a wealth of international experience and several accolades she has
received during her celebrated career as an Executive Chef. The Les Toques Blanches Board Member has worked in restaurants and hotels around the globe from the UK to Asia, including being the corporate chef at two Chinese restaurants that earned Michelin stars during her time there.
Repeatedly celebrated for her culinary prowess, Lorraine won Best Brunch in the BBC Good Food Awards in 2013, Best Steakhouse in 2013 and 2014 by TimeOut, 3rd place for Esquire’s Best Restaurant in Dubai in 2013, and came in the Top 100 Influential Persons in the UAE for Ahlan magazine. An avid charity worker for children and orphanages, Lorraine is also a member of the Hong Kong Chefs Association and has been published in cookbooks for charities in Hong Kong and Dubai.
Lorraine has exceptional experience both inside and outside the kitchen, from menu planning, organising and overseeing special events, and international openings to leading an international task force project for Marriott International, which involved a budget analysis and food cost control as well as creating delectable dishes.
“I am excited to be taking over as the Culinary Director of Hotel Bellevue and its catering establishments Diana, Cigale, and Lanterna. We are trying to evolve what is structurally already here. We are updating the menus, playing with presentations, and changing the breakfast setup for the buffet, among many other things. I am bringing in more international products, which is especially new for our Croatian guests. As a result, we are helping and educating our guests to show what is out there. We are still using local products and will continue to support local suppliers and bring as much of their business onto the island as possible. There is so much talent in the kitchen, but it’s about bringing in new things for them to try and teaching them different cooking techniques. We are returning to the basics to find the strengths and weaknesses within the kitchens.” Enthuses Lorraine.
After being awarded the Michelin Plate, the award-winning Japanese restaurant, Matsunoki will be enhanced by the wealth of skills and innovative thinking that Lorraine developed in Asia and will bring to the hotel. As part of her new initiatives, Lorraine will also introduce new flavours to the palates of Lošinj locals and Hotel Bellevue’s guests.
“We want to make Matsunoki the Japanese restaurant it’s meant to be – to enhance its authenticity. I’d love to see it expand into a Matsunoki pop-up in Zagreb, for example, or to open a pop-up for locals on the island during winter. We want to make it more visible, especially in the off-season, and there are already a lot of plans in the works.” Delights Lorraine.
“This season is about meeting the guests’ expectations and slightly advancing from that. Next season is about blowing the guests’ expectations and taking them to a different level, from restaurant concepts to manning. So much of what I see on Lošinj is pizza, pasta, and burgers. I want to bring a wider range of flavours to the island including umami. I love spicy food and heard that it isn’t popular among Croatians. Thus, I am educating my team about the different colours of peppers and chilis, the depths of heat, and how to cook them so they’re favourable and gentle on the palate. I am also teaching my team about mixing different flavours, like sweet and sour and salty and sweet. We want to give that umami experience to our guests with these flavours. I am excited to enlighten my team and our guests with new ideas.”
Preferred Hotels member Hotel Bellevue is a five-star lavish retreat located on the picturesque island of Lošinj in Croatia, just steps from the healing waters of Čikat Bay. With 185 rooms and 21 suites, Hotel Bellevue’s facilities include Bellevue Spa Clinic, an uber-chic, high-tech haven named Croatia’s Best Hotel Spa 2022, and Matsunoki, a Michelin Plate-awarded fusion restaurant offering traditional Japanese cuisine and fresh Mediterranean ingredients from local organic farming. A luxurious choice for relaxation and regeneration, Hotel Bellevue and Lošinj Island offer a range of natural healing elements, such as pine forests, medicinal plants, and restorative sea air. The island of Lošinj is a hidden gem in the heart of the Adriatic Sea, featuring a unique climate and a rich cultural heritage.
