The PortoBay Group has created the PortoBay Gastronomic Academy, an internal training facility that focuses on attention to detail and the gastronomic experience offered in the Group's hotels. This innovation has achieved results and recognition, not only from guests but also from the local communities in the destinations where it is offered.

At the head of this academy is Chef Benoît Sinthon, who has now assumed the role of gastronomic consultant for the PortoBay group. As The Cliff Bay's Head Chef and also responsible for Il Gallo d'Oro, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Funchal, he will now work closely with the other Chefs in the hotel group to jointly develop concepts, incorporate even more sustainability practices and share techniques and knowledge.

The first meeting of this academy took place in February, bringing together chefs from Porto, Lisbon and the Algarve in Madeira, to join the team on the island in an intense bout of shared creation. This initiative took place in the PortoBay group’s vegetable garden in Funchal and at the restaurants Avista and Il Basilico. It provided the motivation for teams to now share professional experiences in a more comprehensive way.

Sub-brands Il Basilico and Bistrô

Another effect of the new PortoBay Gastronomic Academy is the consolidation of two culinary sub-brands - Il Basilico and Bistrô - so that these concepts are now common to all group hotels in Portugal. Both concepts were winners with their base, so it was decided that the Group's restaurant strategy should involve a consistent brand and dining experience at the different hotel destinations.

This is why the Il Basilico and Bistrô concepts will be extended to PortoBay hotels across Portugal and become exclusive to them throughout 2021.