Nourishment
“Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” – Hippocrates
Sri Lanka has a rich and vibrant culinary culture which inspires our approach to food at the Sanctuary. Sri Lanka is blessed with many fruits, vegetables, leaves, and spices, allowing us to create a traditional menu that stimulates the senses.
We want you to feel at home here and this is reflected in our authentic, home-style cooking. Our menu is mindfully created to support vibrant health and happiness, balancing ayurvedic nutrition and pure enjoyment.
Food at the Sanctuary is predominantly vegetarian and contains no dairy and very little wheat. We occasionally serve fish, but only when it has been freshly caught by the local fishermen. We don’t serve coffee or alcohol, which helps to cleanse the system and works in harmony with our treatments. Each day we wake you up with freshly made herbal tea before morning yoga and offer king coconuts after yoga.
We believe that community and human connection are essential for wellbeing, and so our three buffet-style meals are eaten communally each day. All of our food is seasonal, locally produced, and supplied by local markets that share our ethos on sustainable food production. We have also started to grow our own vegetables and fruits at our biodynamic farm in the rainforest, and aim to supply 75% of the Sanctuary’s food by the end of 2020.
Since most guests are with us for seven or 10 days, we offer a different menu each day for variety. Some guests will have their own meal plan depending on their requirements and health conditions. We can cater to most dietary requirements and recommend mentioning this to us when you book.
We regularly collaborate with internationally renowned Ayurvedic chefs who work closely with our Head Chef to inspire and create a world-class culinary experience.
Emily Dobbs
Emily Dobbs studied fine art at Manchester Metropolitan where she used spices and egg yolk to make ‘paint’. She then travelled around the USA and started cooking in order to fund her trip and have set up accommodation.
Raul Garcia Crespo
I have been cooking at yoga retreats around the world for the past 7 years where I get to work in my passion of sharing the knowledge & love I have for healthy and nutritional food.