Viki Geunes brings three-star culinary service to Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp. The highest achievable culinary stars alongside the highest achievable hotel stars, this calls for unforgettable moments. Guests enjoying a banquet event at the Botanic Sanctuary will experience gastronomical highs, provided by Zilte.

In Zilte, we work in tune with the seasons, in harmony with nature, and that now seamlessly aligns with Botanic. Experience will be at the forefront, just like at Zilte, with a strong emphasis on excellent personal service. The events at Botanic, whether it’s brunch, lunch, or dinner, will now be served at a three-star level: you’re not just coming for a meal, you’ll be immersed in a three-star experience. Viki Geunes

With five premium restaurants under one roof, Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp is unique in the international hotel world. Alongside Hertog Jan**, Fine Fleur*, Het Gebaar*, 1238 and Bar Bulot, it’s also home to fourteen rooms that are used for a variety of events. In addition, the Botanic boasts a unique banqueting service by Silverspoon, the exclusive label of top Belgian caterer J&M. And, from 1 September, all this will be enhanced still further with the addition of well-known 3-Michelin-starred chef Viki Geunes of Restaurant Zilte in Antwerp.

‘It has always been our ambition to deliver the highest possible quality, including when it comes to banqueting. I have the utmost confidence that the combination of the best caterer in the country and our own 3-star chef will realise this ambition,’ says Marc Alofs, managing director of Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp. ‘We have deliberately chosen not to call upon our own star chefs, with whom we have been working for two years now. They are focusing on their own projects, and we fully understand that. But when Jan Jacobs of J&M told me after an event that he had worked successfully alongside Viki Geunes, I invited both of them for an initial chat. It was a very constructive conversation and we agreed that Jan and Viki would exchange ideas once a week and develop seasonal dishes based on Viki’s recipes. Viki’s input and expertise add huge value to our offering, and both he and Jan are experts in their fields. All the dishes are prepared in-house, in a separate kitchen, and under the instruction of a Silverspoon kitchen chef to guarantee continuity.’

© Foto credit: Raphael Balrak

© Foto credit: Ian Segal

Jan Jacobs of J&M is delighted to be working with Viki Geunes again: ‘We speak the same language and, maybe it sounds like an exaggeration, but we know what the other is thinking. I’m committed to living up to his reputation in the world of gastronomy and achieving the finesse and creativity that his dishes are known for. Of course, you can’t compare a 3-star restaurant with banqueting. At Zilte, Viki cooks for a small number of guests. We cook for groups of 20 to 300 people. We can be working on 20 to 30 events per week, depending on the season. We have a permanent Silverspoon team in house every day, which is a must for the rapidly growing number of seminars, product presentations, company parties and weddings.’