The highly celebrated and newly opened Grand Hyatt Baha Mar announces the appointment of Brent Martin as executive chef. Widely known and respected within the Hyatt family, Martin brings 21 years of experience and leadership to the artistically designed 1,800-room resort on Nassau’s admired Cable Beach. In his new role, Martin will manage employees and oversee the development and launch of the property’s 18 restaurants and dining outlets, several of which are inspired by the local culture and rich heritage of the resort’s surroundings and centered on incorporating authentic and seasonal ingredients.
“With Brent at the helm of our food and beverage team, we are confident that our culinary offerings will elevate the dining experience in our community and industry as well as showcase Grand Hyatt’s pursuit to create extraordinary experiences,” says Scott Allen, general manager of Grand Hyatt Baha Mar. “His experience is rooted in attention to sustainable sourcing and he has a long history in creating a direct connection with food producers. Chef Martin brings knowledge and respect for the crossroads of cultures, especially those in our area that will be incorporated into our menus.”
Chef Martin will oversee the opening and day-to-day operation of the following outlets:
- 25 North: Food hall-inspired concept housing international dining stations
- 3 Tides: Culturally diverse open theater kitchen featuring grills, glass-enclosed pizza oven, raw bar and more
- Churchill’s: Open air bar offering fine cigars, live music and more than 40 different rums
- Conch Shack: Colorful bungalow dishing out traditional, “Bahamian sashimi,” such as made-to-order conch salad
- Daqs: Island hot spot serving a variety of traditional Bahamian-style daiquiris
- Drift: Casual poolside café offering pan-Latin specialties and North American favorites
- El Jefe: Food truck serving street-style Mexican food
- Elixir: Walk-up cocktail bar conveniently located on the pool deck
- Grand Club: Exclusive lounge for Grand Club guests and Diamond members serving continental breakfast
- H2O: Swim-up bar with frozen specialties and in-pool seating
- Le Madeleine: Parisian café serving fresh-baked pastries and authentic French cuisine
- Out Island Bar: Offers spectacular views of the ocean and pays tribute to a historic island bar and the Out Islands of The Bahamas
- Palms Café: A laid back, casual ambiance with tropical fare and frozen cocktails
- Reflections: Cocktail bar with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the pools and ocean along with views of the casino and a theatrical fire and water show
- Shuang Ba: Elegant, chef-driven Chinese restaurant serving modern and classic cuisine
- Starbucks: Offers high-quality coffee, premium teas, tasty pastries and more
- Stix: Traditional Pan-Asian eatery offering daily house made noodles where diners can view chefs’ twist noodles into vermicelli
- The Blue Note: A modern cocktail lounge reminiscent of the past with Bahamian art, tapas and live jazz
“I’m honored to be leading Grand Hyatt Baha Mar’s culinary operation and looking forward to introducing new flavors and ingredients to the island,” Martin says. “I hope to inspire an open-minded lifestyle by offering a broad spectrum of creative culinary experiences while still holding true to classical, culturally significant recipes.”
Martin has been a member of the Hyatt family since 1996 and has served in various culinary roles throughout Hyatt’s global portfolio, most recently as executive chef at Hyatt Regency Bellevue in Seattle, Grand Hyatt San Diego, and Grand Hyatt Seattle. Heavily decorated with awards and accolades, Martin received the James Beard Award nomination for “Best Chef of the Southeast and Caribbean” when serving as chef de cuisine at Hyatt Regency Grand Cayman. In 2013, Martin played an integral role as executive chef for the opening of Andaz Maui Resort & Spa where he helmed the resort’s signature Ka’Ana Kitchen culinary operation and led his team to receive an invitation to the James Beard House. During his tenure, Andaz Maui was voted the “#1 Top Resort in Hawaii” in Conde Nast Traveler’s 2016 Readers’ Choice Awards.
A native of Wellington, New Zealand, Martin draws inspiration from English-style “fry outs” frequently hosted by his family and studied culinary arts at Wellington Polytec.
