BEGIN TO TRUST AGAIN

WHAT IT IS?

Have you ever felt like you don’t quite know what you’re eating? Do you worry about the conditions under which your food is raised and treated? In the world we live in, where saturated fats and ultra processed products have taken over, it is normal to feel that way. We are living in a culture of distrust. Rodrigo de la Calle, a Spanish chef, want to change the tide in his restaurant ‘El Invernadero,’ which means greenhouse in Spanish. Its distinctive trademark is the restaurant’s gastro-botany approach. They use all parts of a plant, such as roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits and bring it to the guests’ ravishing plates. The plates are further enriched by the use of superfoods. The ambition of the host is to deliver “a rich, tasty, succulent, healthy and emotional experience.” More tasty edutainment is hardly imaginable. Apart from the delicious fun, El Invernadero also helps to re-boost confidence in the sector.

WHY IT’S COOL?

El Invernadero finds the best vegetable products of each season and shows guests and customers different ways to treat them. There are no waiters around, ‘just’ an interactive team of 8 chefs who take turns serving the dishes and explaining them to the customers. Who better to explain the dish and its origins than the chef who prepares it? As El Invernadero works with organic and local farmers, so it has far less impact on the environment. El Invernadero is not a vegetarian restaurant, which might limit its audience, but it is a restaurant where vegetables are the star product. The chef believes that in order for his public to regain confidence in gastronomy, the whole food system and the people who are part of it, have to be re-educated. Really everything they sell is homemade, from the bread to the drinks and brews.

WHY IT HAS FUTURE GROWTH POTENTIAL?

There is a Spanish saying that goes “you are what you eat”. Nowadays, for large parts of the food industry, the only thing that matters is to make money at all costs — without caring about our collective welfare. That is why the ideas behind El Invernadero are so Cool. They bring top-quality super food, all from the region, with a low eco footprint. It’s all about promoting a culture of sustainable gastronomy, with a sharp focus on the health and integrity of society. It is difficult in a world where eating badly is easier and cheaper than eating well, but as more and more people are becoming aware of this, the movement is more on the rise.

For further information about El Invernadero please click here!