Gault&Millau names Tomorrowland a “culinary innovator”
The famous dance music festival joins top restaurant Hertog Jan and growers Urban Crops as a winner in the restaurant guide’s new Culinary Innovators initiative
Beyond the call of duty
The winners include Hertog Jan of Zedelgem, West Flanders, in the category Restaurant Philosophy. One of the three restaurants with three stars from the rival Michelin guide, Hertog Jan was the first restaurant to sign onto the West Flemish Charter of Sustainable Enterprises in 2013, developing a 10-point plan on issues like waste, management of raw materials, engagement with the local community and respect for employees.
Urban Crops of Waregem in West Flanders won in the category Product for its research into automated vertical agriculture using LED lights, which allows food to be grown in any environment without pesticides, but with a reduced production of carbon dioxide and a shorter growth cycle (pictured).
Dance music festival Tomorrowland in Boom, Antwerp province, meanwhile, won in the category Events. The world-famous event pays as much attention to food as to music, the jury said, with the best chocolate, beers specially brewed for the event, the presence of top Belgian and international chefs and a rigorous selection of food stands for visitors.
North Sea Chefs earned a nomination in the category Sustainability for its efforts to promote the consumption of many other species of fish other than the trio of sole, code and turbot. Their work allows fishermen to sell their by-catch, helping the coastal economy and limiting the damage to fish stocks.
Photo courtesy Urban Crops
