• Please tell us a bit more about yourself, any career highlights or awards you have won throughout?

I grew up in in Norfolk in the UK with a father working in the wine industry and a childhood spent gardening and cooking with my mother. This is when I learnt how to make use of the freshest ingredients, putting food at the centre of my life from a very early age.

Spending most of my holidays in France, I developed a flavour for French food which inspired me to develop my cooking skills further, so I enrolled at the Norwich City College Hotel School and completed an Advanced Catering Diploma in 1989 and then began my career at Michelin-starred Cavalier’s in Battersea, London.

After that I moved onto The Capital Hotel working under Philip Britten, followed by a chef-de-partie position with Pierre Koffmann at La Tante Claire at a time when the restaurant was awarded with its third Michelin star. I later worked for Joel Robuchon in Paris, Gérard Boyer in Reims and Pied-à-Terre to name a few. After all that I became the youngest British chef ever to be awarded two Michelin stars, at age 26 in Pied-à-Terre.

Since then, I’ve received a number of awards and commendations, including my flagship restaurant, Tom Aikens winning a Michelin star and rising 2 star in 2009 and my restaurant Muse, which I opened in 2020, winning a host of awards, including its first Michelin star in January 2021, despite having only being open for just 7 months in 2020 due to various lockdowns, as well as The Hardens London Restaurant Award for “Best Gastronomic Experience” in September 2021 and the “Best Restaurant Design” at the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards in October 2021.

In addition to my culinary passion, I am also an avid sportsman with a great passion for cycling. I entered multiple races, including the Marmotte, Luc Alphand and the Etape de Tour up Mount Ventoux. In addition to participating in several London Marathons, I also completed the Marathon des Sables in 2010, running six marathons across the Sahara Desert in five days to raise money for Facing Africa.

  • Can you give us a background of NAUA, what’s the concept behind it? What’s the rationale behind its name?

NAUA is the Arabic word for nucleus of the seed. It is the root of life and the very heart of our nature that nurtures us. I chose the name because it engulfs the essence of life, wellbeing and healthy eating, and looking back at the origin of life is the idea that can propel the concept forward.

NAUA is not about what you must and mustn’t eat, but to show you how creative and delicious healthy food can be. Most people view healthy food as bland boring and tasteless, which is so far from the truth. It is very important that we educate ourselves into a better understanding of healthy eating as it affects everyone on the planet.

  • How does NAUA fit with JW Marriott brand?

NAUA’s philosophy aligns perfectly with the JW Marriott brand that is dedicated to creating experiences that focus on the ‘whole You’ and ‘Nourish Your Soul’ to feed not just the body, but also the soul. This partnership with the JW Marriott brand comes from our shared focus on the importance of holistic nourishment that delivers quality food that is sustainable, traceable, and healthy for the guests that will support them to bolster their journey toward a healthy lifestyle.

Now open at 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, and operated by JW Marriott, guests can look forward to an exquisite culinary and dining experience at NAUA Restaurant.

NAUA offers fresh, delicious and mindful dishes, free from fads and the obvious trends. Guests will dine in a place of calm, encapsulated in a unique setting with menus showcasing global cuisine, harmonising the connection between nature, nutritional importance and experiential cooking.

  • What added value does it bring to Doha’s budding gastronomic scene?

NAUA is a hub for mindful and healthy eating, offering refined dishes made from high-quality, seasonal ingredients that do not compromise on freshness or flavour, while delivering outstanding health benefits to our customers.

Offering ethically and health-conscious food, with produce that is sourced from local and global suppliers, NAUA is set to become Doha’s premier destination for diners who seek the ultimate fusion of healthy living and gourmet food.

  • What is the specialty of the restaurant? Key highlights of the menu?

NAUA boasts a variety of dishes with mindful recipes and ingredients with starters including our special House Made Turmeric Ricotta, exotic Cauliflower & Raisin Tabbouleh, and Prawn Skewers. Our mains feature delightful items including the Lamb Loin, Sheeps Cheese Emulsion and the Spinach & Kale Dumplings, Herb Broth; and our desserts menu feature special creations including the Chocolate Avocado & Lime, and the Cacao, Carob, Reshi Hazelnut Tart, created with vegans in mind.

  • How do you foresee the outlook of the hospitality sector in Qatar in the near future?

The hospitality sector in Qatar is booming. with the advent of the much-anticipated FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and the many other major sporting and international events that will follow it, the country is on an upward trajectory in the tourism and hospitality sector as it consolidates its position as a prime global destination for tourism, business, and sporting events.

  • Any plans to expand in the region?

After the great success of my three restaurant concepts in the Edition Hotel, Abu Dhabi, the ground-breaking hotel concept brought by Ian Schrager in collaboration with Marriott International, and with NAUA now taking off, I’m sure I’ll be looking forward to introducing some new concepts in the region at some future point as I aim to introduce my style of healthy culinary creations to a wider