Bordeaux chefs commit to sustainable gastronomy

TheCent33

Fabien Beaufour is the chef at the Cent33 restaurant in Bordeaux. He's quite frank about his job: "I've always wanted to be a chef, I couldn't see myself doing anything else". He has changed his way of doing things, now offering a cuisine that is strictly based on local produce and the seasons. Furthermore, he has joined the Écotable label and talks about his practice, with passion, of course!

You've been awarded the Écotable label. What does it mean?
It's a certification that shows our customers that we've made certain commitments. Like respecting the seasons and working with local producers, and not cooking endangered products such as eels. We must also ensure that vegetarian dishes are available, use sustainable crockery, sort waste... Finally, and this is very important to us, we offer a good working environment to our staff, whose working hours are respected. 

Is meeting these commitments an extra workload?
No. It simply requires us to think differently. So, with this label, we're not grading, we're teaching. The members of Écotable guide us in a collaborative spirit. They recommend suppliers, for example, with whom a restaurant owner has found solutions. 

How do your customers feel about some of your practices?
When you come to eat in an Ecotable-certified restaurant, you have to change some of your habits, and we're not afraid to shake things up. For example, at Cent33, we invite our customers to keep the same fork for different dishes, if they agree. The same goes for wine: you keep your glass, even if you change wines.

What do your customers particularly like?
Firstly, the atmosphere of the restaurant. Here, the welcome is simple, the decor warm, everything has a meaning, right down to the hand-painted plates. You feel right at home. And when it comes to cooking, there's one dish that our customers are particularly fond of: our octopus. We add ginger and vegetables that change with the seasons. 

• Le Cent 33 - 133 Rue du Jardin public, 33000 Bordeaux

Casa Gaïa

Casa Gaïa is the idea of architect Mounir, agro-economics researcher Clémence and chef Jean-Michel. The three of them have created this welcoming restaurant in Bordeaux, with a strong focus on local produce.

What is Casa Gaïa?
It's more than a restaurant project, it's a regional project. The idea was to rewrite what a restaurant could be, working directly with producers, which implies a lot of constraints.

What are these constraints?
The main one is to find the very best. Local producers are not necessarily well known. So we have to find them. To do that, we went looking for them, particularly in the AMAP (local farmers' associations). The other difficulty is logistics and transport. We always have to have reserves, because unlike some restaurant owners, if we're short of a product, it doesn't arrive on a pallet the day after we place the order. Orders are a real headache for our teams. So we stock a lot and make do with the products we have. So our menu is constantly evolving.

Do you have a favourite product?
We like to cook chickpeas. We get it from a producer in the Lot-et-Garonne who produces an old variety. It's a product that's often forgotten, and we use it in all sorts of ways, in chips, hummus or roasted. 

A memorable encounter?
There are so many! But one that stands out is the Crozefond organic farm run by the Pozzer family. One of the first organic farms in France, it opened in the 1960s. They practice mixed farming and livestock rearing. They make everything! Cheese, meat, bread, yogurts...

•  Casa Gaïa - 16 bis rue Latour, 33000 Bordeaux
  
   

Le Prince Noir

Vivien Durand is the chef at Le Prince Noir, a Michelin-starred restaurant perched in the hills above Lormont, just outside Bordeaux. One of his stars is green, as is his approach to cooking!

Why have you turned to sustainable gastronomy?

In fact, when you want to work with quality produce, it's almost compulsory. Freshly picked produce and recently slaughtered meat guarantee optimum quality. And knowing the people you work with is essential. That's the case with Antoine and Suzanne from Ferme de la Banquise in the Médoc. We work a lot with them. And when we talk to Antoine about the time he takes to grow his soya beans, when we harvest this product, our work becomes more meaningful. Our collaboration with them is reciprocal. By assuring them that they can produce such and such a quantity of such and such a product, we assure them that their work will be profitable. They have more peace of mind. And we know we can count on a good harvest.

As well as the short food supply chain, you're also very committed to reducing your waste...
Yes, and that's quite recent. It was our children who influenced us. So the whole team has been working hard on it. Because here, all decisions are taken together. For example, we invested in a substrate machine. Before that, we were producing over 30 kg of waste a day. That was no longer possible. With this machine, which crushes and dehydrates everything, we produce a substrate that we redistribute to our local producers to feed their soil. The circle is complete!

How did you get involved in the BON festival? 
This festival came about after lengthy discussions with Bordeaux City Council. The aim was to create a festival that was socially involved. It's remarkable that our town council has committed itself to this festival, which is a joyous and benevolent way of raising awareness of our food sovereignty! I was the patron of BON and one of the spokespeople. The first BON festival took place from Monday 2 October to Sunday 8 October 2023.

Do you have any favourite local products?
Pigeon from Mios, which we get from our supplier Thomas Labrousse. And as for vegetables, I love cooking leeks. You could say that we're the best local shop in existence! In a traditional shop, customers stay for twenty minutes and sometimes leave empty-handed. Here, once you're in, you stay captive for three hours, observing everything, right down to the washing up. There's a whole story to tell...

• Le Prince Noir - 1 Rue du Prince Noir, 33310 Lormont