- 30 May 2025
Elevate the Plate: Nurturing Talent Through Culinary Education
Resplendent Ceylon recently collaborated with the Empower Culinary & Hospitality School (ECHS), an initiative of the Merrill J. Fernando Charitable Foundation, to host “Elevate the Plate.” This specialized culinary skills workshop aimed to enhance the abilities of aspiring young chefs.
The ECHS holds a unique distinction as Sri Lanka’s only World Chefs certified culinary training facility. It’s a socially-driven initiative, focused on providing industry-relevant training and opportunities to less privileged youth, empowering them with valuable skills for a brighter future.
To enrich their existing curriculum, our Vice President of Culinary Excellence, Nishantha Pushpakumar, alongside Cape Weligama’s Executive Chef, Ishara Wijesinghe, introduced the students to modern culinary techniques, including sous vide. The highlight of the workshop was teaching the students to craft one of our signature dishes: a flavorful cinnamon and herb-smoked lamb loin with fondant potato, salt-baked sweet onion, sous vide leek, baby carrots, and lemongrass jus.
Among the mentors present was Chef Vijayakumara, Chef de Partie at Cape Weligama, who is a testament to the ECHS’s success, having graduated from its very first batch of students.
After the hands-on session, where students put their new skills to the test, they received valuable, detailed feedback on their attempts. We are incredibly optimistic about the future of this partnership and look forward to continuing our collaboration with ECHS to nurture the next generation of culinary talent.

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