Innovative island resort Amilla Maldives has revealed what is believed to be ‘The Most Ethical Burger in the Maldives’: a mouth-watering marriage of the finest ethically sourced meat, homemade gluten free bun and fermented pickle, homegrown salad and egg… and even ketchup homemade from organic, island-grown bananas and coconut sugar. The guilt-free burger has been created as a celebration of Amilla’s pioneering pivot to a more resourceful, sustainable future and embodies the resort’s self-production concepts, Homemade@Amilla and Homegrown@Amilla, and its commitment to only using ethically sourced, hormone- and antibiotic-free meat suppliers wherever possible.

Redefining the impact of the much-loved beef burger, all ingredients have either been produced on-island at Amilla or sourced from companies that share the resort’s commitment to sustainable, environmentally positive food production. All beef served at Amilla is sourced from Australia’s finest 100 per cent grass-fed Cape Grim beef, raised on the pristine northern-western wilderness of Tasmania - renowned for the purest air in the world.

The collective of farmers nurture the finest quality of cattle resulting in superior tender, fat-marbled, premium grade beef from cattle that are hormone, antibiotic and GMO free, and Certified Humane.  The patty is topped with artisanal bacon from the UK’s Dingley Dell, cured on-site at their Suffolk-based outdoor farm, surrounded by 33.2 hectares of wildflowers planted to attract and protect the bumblebees.

The burger bun is homemade at Amilla from organic ground almond, psyllium husk, flaxseed and apple cider vinegar, making for an alkaline- and grain-free base – ideal for those following a low carb and gluten-free lifestyle. The burger is complemented by Homemade@Amilla ketchup made from organic bananas and coconut sugar grown onsite and homemade fermented cucumber pickle; garnished with ‘kulha fila fai’ or Maldivian rocket grown in Amilla’s organic gardens - a rich source of vitamins and inulin; and crowned with a majestic fried egg from ‘Cluckingham Palace’, Amilla’s very own free-range chicken run.

Amilla Maldives’ Executive Chef, Kaviraj Doolum, said: “It is truly a joy to work with food that comes from like-minded people who are passionate about their land and caring for their animals, you can taste the difference in the end product. I am also blessed to have access to vegetables and eggs with zero air miles, direct from the resort’s organic gardens.”

The resort’s Homegrown@Amilla project also continues to grow with the expansion of 16 new hydroponic houses, bringing the total to 22. This latest addition enables the Amilla Islanders to produce all salad leaves for the resort kitchens on-island, resulting in not only more nutritious meals, but also dramatically reducing waste packaging, plastic wrapping and the resort’s carbon footprint.