Kiawah Island Golf Resort announced October 23 the appointment of Brendon Bashford as executive chef of The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, its Forbes Five Star/AAA Five Diamond oceanfront hotel. Bashford joins the Kiawah team from Boston where he recently served as the executive chef charged with opening the Fairmont Battery Wharf.
Originally from Brisbane, Australia, Bashford has traveled the world working within the Fairmont Hotels and Resorts collection of fine hotels. After starting with the hotel company at the Chateau Lake Louise & Banff Springs, Bashford opened hotels in Dubai and rose to executive chef in Bermuda before moving to the Plaza Hotel in New York City where he oversaw four different restaurants including the famous Oak Room.
When asked about his new role at The Sanctuary, Bashford remarked on the similarities between the Lowcountry and his hometown in Australia and the rich abundance of traditions and native ingredients found here.
“I look forward to the responsibility of directing all culinary activities at The Sanctuary. We are fortunate to have such a wealth of traditions and native ingredients here in the Charleston area. It fits into my philosophy of sensible, sustainable and straight forward cuisine,” Bashford says.
Located along 10 miles of pristine beach just south of Charleston, S.C., Kiawah Island Golf Resort is rated as one of the country’s top resorts by Golf Magazine, Golf Digest and Conde Nast Traveler magazines. It includes The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, the resort’s ultra-luxury 255-room hotel and spa – and 600 private villas and luxury homes, five championship golf courses, including The Ocean Course – host of the 1991 Ryder Cup, the 2007 Senior PGA and 2012 PGA championships. The resort also ranks as the number one tennis resort in the world by Tennis Resorts Online.
