Gault&Millau Benelux presents the finalists of the Culinary Innovators Awards 2023
The 6th edition of the Gault&Millau “Culinary Innovators” contest took place on Monday 8 May at the Verbeke Foundation in Kemzeke. More than 100 innovative companies, people and organisations have been selected to receive an award. Eight laureates were chosen from the applicants in seven categories. Before, during and after the awards ceremony, the 550 participants were treated to an innovative culinary extravaganza put on by over 20 top chefs and event partners.
The laureates of the Gault&Millau Culinary Innovators Awards 2023
- Sustainability award: Entropy
- Product award food: NorthSeaChefs & Revi Fumets
- Product award food: Koji Enterprises Garums
- Social award: Pastati & Aarova
- Restaurant philosophy award: Hors-Champs
- Digital & Social Media award: Sam D’Huyvetter
- Institution award: Manger Demain
- Entrepreneur of the Year: Bart De Pooter
About the winners
This year’s finalists prove that a sustainable approach is more important than ever (Manger Demain, Entropy, Hors-Champs). The health crisis and the economic situation have further strengthened the human and social aspects of the hotel and catering industry (Pastati & Aarova, Entropy). New products combine sustainable development and innovation, but above all focus on taste (NorthSeaChefs & Revi Fumets and Koji Enterprises Garums). Social media is a means of digital communication within the sector, with creativity boosting not only visibility but also the overall growth of a chef, restaurant or group of restaurants (Sam D’Huyvetter). As in previous years, our “Entrepreneur of the Year” (Bart De Pooter) combines several of these aspects. By focusing on sustainable development and offering cuisine inspired by nature, and more recently by the sea, this entrepreneur is following the current trend with some sound ideas. By transforming them into an impressive range of projects, he demonstrates entrepreneurial spirit, perseverance, vision and daring. In other words, the post-sanitary era is a time when many aspects of the on-trade are evolving faster and more positively than ever before.
1. Sustainability award: Entropy
Entropy Restaurant is both a social restaurant and a project that stands out for its holistic approach, including the social and the circular. The team’s modus operandi is to cook local produce without wasting food, to make the best use of available resources, and to share and donate to those in need.www.entropyrestaurant.be/
2. Product award food: NorthSeaChefs & Revi Fumets
NorthSeaChefs & Revi’s smokes are not only exceptionally tasty, they also make the most of the seafood. Nothing is lost in locally caught fish, neither the head nor the bones. What’s more, no additives or flavour enhancers are added to these smokes, further enhancing the purity and strength of the taste.
www.northseachefs.be//producten
3. Product award food: Koji Enterprises Garums
Koji Enterprises produces Belgian garums and shio koji in its own fermentation laboratory. The company markets an ambitious range of garums, including eel, shiitake, sardines and scallops. What all the products have in common is a beautiful definition and purity of flavour. Today, the company supplies over 50 Belgian restaurants, including, for example, The Jane and Nuance, our two latest Chefs of the Year.
www.inua.land/
4. Social award: Pastati & Aarova
Pastati supplies fresh pasta and ravioli to order on a daily basis to chefs, caterers and high-end retailers. The social economy and sustainable development are at the heart of their philosophy. That’s why production is entrusted to AAROVA, a special needs company that gives a chance to people on the margins of the work market and uses ingredients sourced mainly from local farmers. This project, which demonstrates great social commitment, has therefore been rewarded with this prize.
www.pastati.be/
5. Restaurant philosophy award: Hors-Champs
Hors-Champs is Stefan Jacobs’ restaurant in Wallonia. The restaurant’s two vegetable gardens are a perfect reflection of their philosophy: ultra-short routes, respect for the seasons, being as close to nature as possible and learning to consume better. It’s the kitchen garden that determines the pace and evolution of the chef’s menus, not the other way round. With his own bakery and wood-fired oven, the chef goes even further.
www.hors-champs.be/
6. Digital & social media award: Sam D’Huyvetter
Chef Sam D’Huyvetter is not only an active culinary entrepreneur, he also stimulates his entrepreneurial spirit with sophisticated social media campaigns. He does this for each restaurant with the help of his team, but also for himself. The result is tasty, contemporary and practical content that suits the creatives posts on Instagram.
www.instagram.com/sam_dhuyvetter/reels/
7. Institution award: Manger Demain
Manger Demain is an association for sustainable food in Wallonia. The association aims to coordinate, connect and support local and regional food initiatives. It provides Wallonia with an overall vision, a method and a work schedule for sustainable food over the next three years.
www.mangerdemain.be
8. Entrepreneur of the Year: Bart De Pooter
Top chef and culinary entrepreneur Bart De Pooter is always on the lookout for new projects and culinary creations. In tune with nature, he creates and experiments with the seasons. The result is an impressive series of projects: Grond zkt Boer, Pastorale, Gare Maritime Food Market, Postuur, Sapphire House, Vis van A, Plant’n & Wild’n, … A more than deserved winner of our “Entrepreneur of the Year” award.
www.bartdepooterstories.com
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About Culinary Innovators
With the Gault&Millau Culinary Innovators project, Gault&Millau has been working for almost 10 years on the future of gastronomy. The Gault&Millau Culinary Innovators team is constantly on the lookout for what tomorrow will bring to our dishes and to the gastronomy scene. Through the Gault&Millau Culinary Innovators Awards Show, the most remarkable initiatives are rewarded each year.
For Marc Declerck, Director of Gault&Millau, the project is part of the expansion and renewal the company has been attaching great importance for 10 years now. “We’ve been food consultants for years, with a wide range of references, including Ostandaise – North Sea Food Fest, Tomorrowland, Aramark, Compass-Group and Gare Maritime Food Market, and we’ve been able to assess the quality of their offerings. In collaboration with Neuhaus, we have developed a number of wedding experiences and are advocating a broadening of the culinary sector with, for example, our Casual Dining selection. Our catering project aims to give a positive image to community kitchens and the event catering sector. These are all initiatives dedicated to innovation and quality enjoyment. We’re passionate about what we do, which gives us energy and keeps us coming up with ideas! This year, for example, we are publishing no fewer than three special guides: the very first edition of the Belgian wine guide, the new regional guide “A Taste of Haspengouw” and the second edition of the regional guide “A taste of Knokke-Heist”. We’ll end the year on a high note on 27 November 2023, with the publication of the new edition of the Belux restaurant guide. This will remain our calling card and will be by far the largest guide – still in print – to restaurants in the Benelux.”
