Vegetables make up about 80 percent of the menu at Septime, which won the World’s 50 Best Restaurants Sustainable Restaurant Award in 2017 for a commitment to sustainability that incorporates all aspects of the restaurant’s operations, from employee compensation to food waste reduction. Bertrand Grébaut also works with local producers to ensure that ancient varieties of vegetables are not lost, even buying their entire production ahead of time if it means that the farmer can stay in business, and working with other chefs to develop distribution networks for small-scale production. True to his contemporary mindset, Grébaut has kept Septime a casual, affordable Michelin starred restaurant no matter the renown.

Bertrand Grébaut probably inherited his urge to break free from structures from his vocational training, which was rather unusual for a chef. Before discovering his passion for cooking, he studied literature and graphic design. He trained under very renowned chefs such as Alain Passard, before making a name for himself at L’Agapé as head chef. In 2009, Grébaut – aged just 27 – was the youngest chef in France to be rewarded a star by the Michelin Guide. He took a sabbatical year to travel through Asia to nourish his inspiration and when he returned, decided to open Septime with his associate Théo Pourriat in charge of the fabulous wine selection.

Sunchokes with Tuber Melanosporum and Sea Lettuce

1kg sunchokes
2,5 button mushrooms
1 l water
50 g truffle shavings
2 g squid ink
100 g sea lettuce
20 cl white wine vinegar
Thyme
Unsalted butter for cooking
Sea salt

Sunchokes with Tuber Melanosporum and Sea Lettuce

In a dry frying pan, heat up the cumin seeds for a couple of minutes to release their oils. Remove and repeat this with the coriander seeds. Grind them into a fine powder with a pestle and mortar or a spice/coffee grinder. Place all the sliced vegetables and garlic in a food processor, a few at a time, and whizz until finely chopped. Heat olive oil in a large pot, and cook the chopped vegetables until they start to soften. Add the thyme, bay leaves, oregano, paprika, chipotle, cumin, and coriander, and mix well. Leave to stew for 3 to 4 minutes then add the HP sauce, Worcestershire sauce, diced tomatoes, red kidney beans, sugar, salt and pepper. Bring this to boil, and then lower the heat to a simmer and leave to cook with a lid on for 1 ½ hours, stirring the pot from time to time. Check seasoning and adjust according to taste Just before you serve, stir in the lemon juice and fresh coriander. Serve with brown rice, and if you like, some sour cream

His approach
Working with vegetables and micro seasonality came from the desire of giving value to all the amazing products that our environment and French terroir can provide which are often sadly underrated. It is also a way for me to give back and work ethically and with consciousness. Sustainability can be constraining but I actually find it stimulating and challenging which is something I need in my everyday job.: What are your best tips to make vegetables enticing?
You should treat them as the star of your meal, give them the first role and flatter them with the treatment and the attention you would normally reserve to proteins.: What three plant-based foods could you not be without in your kitchen?
I always make sure to have these 3 kinds of vegetables in my kitchen, according to the season of course! - Fruit vegetables (zucchinis, tomatoes) - Leafy vegetables (spinach, sorrel) - Root vegetables (carrots, asparaguses)