094 VIRGIN AUSTRALIA DECEMBER 2017
PHOTOGRAPHYBENJAMIN LOZOVSKY, GETTY IMAGES, JACK AFFLECK, JOHN RENICK,RIC STOVALL, TOM COHEN, ZACH MAHONEGETTING THERE VIRGIN AUSTRALIA OFFERS FLIGHTS TO
DENVER, COLORADO, WITH ITS CODESHARE PARTNERS DELTA
AIR LINES. TO BOOK, VISIT WWW.VIRGINAUSTRALIA.COM
OR CALL 1 3 67 89 (IN AUSTRALIA).The venue for this extravaganza is Zach’s Cabin, a luxury
lodge perched in the forest between two ski runs, with views
over the white-blanketed valley below. On entry, we exchange
ski boots for fur-lined slippers; there’s champagne waiting
in the dining hall. Zach’s Cabin is normally a members-only
afair for lunch, with an air of exclusivity that reflects Beaver
Creek itself. (In a survey of the resorts residents and guests,
the majority of respondents said they wouldn’t recommend
Beaver Creek to their friends. Not because they didn’t like it,
but because they didn’t want everyone else turning up.)
Today’s lunch, in keeping with the theme of the weekend,
is called ‘Eat. Ski. Eat.’ It turns out there’s nothing like a side
of beef stufed with duxelles (a paste made from seasoned,
sautéed mushrooms) and wrapped in prosciutto, paired with
an Oregon pinot noir, to get you in the mood to roll onto the
ski slopes and plummet straight to the bottom.
The terrain at Beaver Creek almost seems like it was
designed for the sort of controlled descent that’s necessary this
afternoon. There are no crazy back bowls with clif
drops, and precious few double-black-diamond
runs on which to total yourself. There are just
smooth, easily accessible trails and wide, groomed
runs — said to be the world’s first to be designed on
computer before being carved out of the landscape.
The villages are built for similar levels of relaxed
enjoyment. This isn’t a ditch-the-skis-at-2pm-and-
drink kind of resort. It’s more family orientated,
which becomes obvious when you see the free hot
chocolate being handed out at the bottom of the
chairlifts, or stroll the quiet streets late at night.
Going out after dark is a classy afair. It’s Manhattans
enjoyed in leather armchairs, wine from the cellar at
The Ritz-Carlton, or a quiet beer back at your hotel.Rather than having one large village base, Beaver Creek has
several small enclaves, such as Bachelor Gulch and Arrowhead
— micro-villages ofering a smattering of fancy hotels and
restaurants. The mountain eateries, too, are scattered across
the resort and hidden among trees, meaning you never see
too many people and it doesn’t feel particularly crowded.
That is, until the last night of the Winter Culinary Weekend.
At the Grand Tasting, each of the celebrity chefs has set up
a table and is dishing out tapas-sized plates of their specialty
cuisine. The crowd is a who’s who of Beaver Creek locals
and invited guests. It’s almost as much fun trying to spot
celebrities as it is deciding what to eat. At one point, I’m pretty
sure I recognise Chad Kroeger, lead singer of the soft-rock
band Nickelback, until we figure out it’s a local doppelganger.
That’s the kind of mistake you make around here.
The food is, unsurprisingly, seriously high-end. Acheson is
doing a rustic terrine, while Hall serves a Southern-style bean
soup. Venezuelan chef Maycoll Calderón is known for serving
flavourful Mexican fare at his Huset restaurant in
Mexico City — tonight, he’s serving up tuna tartare
with a jalapeño emulsion. Puttock is giving a nod to
both his roots in Italian cookery and the excellent
alpine produce available in Colorado, with sautéed
mushrooms on creamy polenta.
The food is hearty and extremely filling. And
tomorrow, of course, we’ll have to ski it all of.
The Beaver Creek Winter Culinary Weekend is 18–21
January 2018. For tickets, plus an updated list of chefs and
events at next year’s event, see http://www.beavercreek.com.CLOCKWISE
FROM TOP
LEFT The Mules
and Manhattans
speakeasy at the
Park Hyatt is filled
with tiny bites and
cocktails; a cooking
demonstration from
the kitchen team
at Chateau Beaver
Creek’s Splendido;
Zach’s Cabin, where
guests usually arrive
in an open sleigh
drawn by a snowcat;
Beaver Creek Village
fills up with revellers
during the Winter
Cullinary Weekend.