Uniworld Boutique River Cruises has named Robert van Rijsbergen as Culinary Director in 2022. He will lead the luxury cruise line’s team of corporate and senior executive chefs.
Van Rijsbergen will be responsible for culinary operations on all ships, assisting in the implementation of new food concepts and menu designs. He plans to foster continuous development and training of Uniworld’s culinary crews, and bring a greater focus to the sustainable sourcing of produce onboard ships.
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Van Rijsbergen comes from a long background of experiences, serving elite restaurants in The Netherlands. After completing his training, Van Rijsbergen spent five years working alongside food connoisseurs, earning Michelin Stars and learning from Master Chef Robert Van Kranenborg while developing his own expertise. He was then hired on as Executive Corporate Chef at Azamara for 4.5 years where he was responsible for overseeing all culinary operations, including recipe and menu development, purchase control, and chef training, before joining Uniworld in December 2021.Van Rijsbergen is passionate about bringing ingredients to life and is continuously transforming flavours into culinary masterpieces.
“Throughout my years of cooking I have been exposed to so many wonderful ingredients from all over the world,” said Van Rijsbergen, said. “I hope to take Uniworld guests on a journey through these wonders, transforming the magic and authenticity of fresh local foods from the glorious places we sail, into exquisite meals that ignite tastebuds and highlight the unique flavours of the location. It is also incredibly important that cuisine not only pays homage to the surrounding cultures, but also directly gives back to the communities and land.”
Van Rijsbergen’s positive impacts have already been implemented for the 2022 Europe cruise season, which began on 13 March. Onboard the S.S. La Valenzia’s La Cantinetta, Van Rijsbergen crafted inspiring menu additions including Antipasto, Insalata di Anguria e Pomodoro, Risotto ai Funghi di bosco and Pasta Aragosta con Linguine al nero di seppia e Frutti di Mare. On both the River Empress and River Duchess, Van Rijsbergen introduced a new one-of-a-kind four-course Captain’s Lounge Private Dining Experience to elevate the guest onboard culinary experience.
Van Rijsbergen’s talents will help to take Uniworld’s culinary art form even further, offering guests world-class cuisine made from fresh local ingredients. Each meal is five-star quality with curated menus that are constantly innovating.
