Renowned Australian pastry chef and chocolatier Kirsten Tibballs, often dubbed the “Chocolate Queen,” made a limited appearance in Suva this week, headlining a special high tea at the historic Grand Pacific Hotel. The event, billed by hotel management as a rare chance for residents and visitors to sample an elevated tea service, was presented as part of a short Fiji residency that will continue later this year at the InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa in Natadola Bay.
Grand Pacific Hotel General Manager Robert Clark said the high tea offered an uncommon culinary moment for Suva. “This event gives Suva residents and visitors the opportunity to enjoy an elevated high tea experience at the historic hotel,” Clark said, highlighting the hotel’s role in bringing international culinary talent to the capital. Tibballs’ appearance follows a string of chef collaborations across the IHG portfolio that have aimed to boost Fiji’s hospitality offering and attract traveller interest.
Tibballs’ residency at the InterContinental is scheduled from 25 to 28 March 2026 and will focus on dessert-driven experiences. Delivered in partnership with IHG Hotels & Resorts, the programme will include a series of exclusive, limited-capacity events designed to be intimate and highly curated. Regional General Manager Lachlan Walker said the aim is to create unique culinary moments that appeal to both local guests and international visitors seeking distinctive experiences in Fiji.
“Bringing chefs of this calibre to our properties helps to deepen the culinary calendar and offers guests experiences they can’t find elsewhere,” Walker said, noting the strategic role such residencies play in promoting Fiji as a destination for food-focused travel. The InterContinental’s Natadola Bay setting, already known for luxury resort dining, will host the dessert-focused sessions that Tibballs will lead during her March residency.
The initiative also has a charitable component. Event organisers confirmed that FJ$5 from each sale of selected events will be donated to Daulomani Safe Home, an organisation providing shelter and protection to women, children and members of the LGBT+ community facing difficult circumstances. The contribution ties the culinary series to a social cause and provides a fundraising element for the limited-ticket experiences.
Tibballs said she was looking forward to sharing the high tea format in Suva and extending the series in Natadola Bay. Her visit adds to a broader trend in recent months of international chefs and themed culinary nights at Fiji’s major hotels, part of efforts from hoteliers to refresh offerings and capture tourism demand. For now, the Suva high tea stands as the latest public appearance in a residency that will next focus on bespoke dessert events at the InterContinental in March 2026.
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