Saudi Arabia – In a nod to the 200-plus dormant volcanos that lie below Saudi Arabia, gastronomy duo Bompas & Parr are bringing multi-sensory dining to AlUla, home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hegra.
Inspired by the work of Professor Robert Wysocki from Syracuse University in New York, one of the world's foremost experts in molten rock, the Forces of Nature experience marks the first time that diners have been able to watch local produce be cooked for them across a stream of molten lava at a temperature of 1,350°C.
Creating a ‘performance spectacle,’ Forces of Nature is hosted outdoors at night, led by lava technicians. Dishes are inspired by the origins of cooking on open flames, with whole salt-baked celeriac and charred fillets of beef finished across this molten lava, served alongside smoked cocktails.
Through Forces of Nature, Bompas & Parr are demonstrating Discovery Dining in action – where eating is transformed into a deliberately slower, performance-led experience, brought to life through elevated surroundings. It also targets affluent Experience- collectors at a time when Saudi Arabia is positioning itself as a luxury travel destination.
Strategic opportunity
Eschew expedited eating by weaving sensory stimuli into dining experiences, helping people to slow down and appreciate the flavours, techniques and surroundings