Checking In With… The Hemsleys
1. What does wellness mean to you?
M+J: We take a holistic approach towards wellbeing with food at its heart because our passion doesn’t just lie in healthy eating, but in tasty food that we enjoy. Wellness truly begins from within, so it’s about enjoying real, unprocessed, nourishing food, prepared mindfully for the best possible digestion and enjoyed fully for a healthier, happier and more energised life. One of our mantras is, ‘good food, good mood, good digestion, good health!’
2. How do you travel ‘well’?
M+J: With a bit of prep and research! Google the destination you’re heading to before you leave and suss out the surrounding offerings so you know if there are great places to eat and exercise nearby. We love discovering new yoga studios to try out while we are away. When it comes to the journey itself, we like to pack nutrient-rich foods that travel well and are risk-free, like biltong, avocados, and harder fruit such as apples, as well as thick dips with crudités and homemade multiseed crackers.
3. You were brought into the spotlight by Vogue.co.uk, what advise can you give hoteliers on how to use the digital marketplace for success?
J: By working with various websites, offering recipes or sneak peaks into their spas they are opening up their reach. People love food, they love pampering – visual imagery allows them to imagine themselves there and consequently it will be on their minds when booking their next holiday!
M: Yes, Instagram has been a huge visual tool, instrumental to our growth.
4. Many hotels are still nervous when it comes to social media, what are your tips for successfully using this platform?
J: Social media is a fantastic way to connect with your audience and really find out what they like about what you do and what they want more of – definitely a quicker route to success for many companies – it’s a much more efficient and direct way of communicating!
M: Encourage guests to tag the hotel and ‘location’ and check it daily – regram great pics and comment on their posts – make sure your hotel is ‘instagrammable’ particularly food and drinks – beautiful, vibrant-coloured breakfast spreads always go down well.
5. Your target is the early adopter of healthy living trends, what do you think they look for when travelling?
J: A chance to get out in the open, some pampering using high quality chemical free products, an authentic experience – a cooking lesson by the chef or walking the grounds and learning the history/story behind the hotel, good food using local ingredients, fresh air and lots of nature!
6. How could hotels easily promote healthy eating in their menus?
M: If people see it, they want it, so promoting it on all menus, not just in spa menus is a great place to start.
J: Yes and celebrating locally-sourced ingredients and well-known dishes from the area is also a good way to embed it into the location and theme of the hotel, so it doesn’t feel like you’re on holiday eating ‘boring’ food – you’re enjoying real, delicious, top quality food that is traditional to where you are and also wonderful for you. So you’ll come home feeling energised and refreshed as opposed to feeling like you need a post-holiday detox!
7. What are hotels lacking at the moment for you in terms of food offerings?
J+M: The mini bar is always a bit dodgy! We go to gorgeous hotels, boasting eco credentials and a healthy menu and then in the room we are faced with the usual tuck shop that you find all over the world, like crisps, commercial chocolate bars and fizzy drinks. Hotels think that this is standard fare but they need to lead the way – people go to hotels for an experience so it would be so much more exciting to see what unusual treats they can rustle up from locals etc. instead.
8. You started the bone broth phenomenon, what do you think the next trend in healthy eating will be?
J+M: We’re all about basing meals on veggies, so noodles, spaghetti and rice made from veggies are definitely a thing! We launched our spiralizer back in 2015 and it’s changed the nation. We get so many emails from people whose hubbies/kids/mums have got the spiralizing bug and started replacing the refined pastas and rice with veggies covered in their favourite sauces. Not only are you getting more whole foods in, but it’s fun in the kitchen and means that even if your knife skills leave a lot to be desired, you can still whip up a beautiful dish of veggies into a meal. It’s certainly a talking point at the dining table!
9. In your opinion, which hotel or place does wellness best?
J: Kamalaya in Koh Samui is a fantastic place to unwind and find your mojo – they have a brand new fitness facility as well as yoga and meditation galore. The food is incredible – especially the delicious breakfast buffet! Como Shambhala is well known as a luxury wellness spa escape and I’ve got my eye on Clover Mill, a yoga and ayurvedic spot in Malvern, Worcestershire that has Eco Lodges, workshops and retreats.
M: Song Saa Island in Cambodia and I’m really looking forward to exploring Tulum in Mexico, I’ve had so many recommendations from friends who have had incredible experiences there.
Bio: Loved by the food, fitness and fashion industries alike, sisters Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley have taken the health and wellness industry by storm since launching their family-run wellness business (2010) aimed at people who want to live healthier happier lives. Within two weeks of creating their blog the girls were asked to contribute to Vogue.co.uk, where they are still regular columnists. The Art of Eating Well is Jasmine and Melissa’s best-selling first cookbook, which champions nourishing, home-cooked food.
Their philosophy is poured into every page – from their love of bone broth to championing natural fats as a diet staple. Packed with over 150 exciting recipes, it’s hard to believe that these delicious dishes are free from grain, gluten and refined sugar.
Last year the Hemsleys launched their sell-out Hemsley Spiralizer, a must-have kitchen tool for instantly turning fruit and vegetables into noodle-like spirals. Hemsley + Hemsley continue to cook and consult for celebrities and high-profile events around the world (including Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Vivienne Westwood). Good + Simple, Jasmine and Melissa’s highly anticipated second book, is out now. The girls’ first ever day-to-night café – Hemsley + Hemsley at Selfridges, London – opened its doors in April 2016. Their debut TV series, Eating Well With Hemsley + Hemsley, is currently airing internationally throughout 2016.