Plant-Based Gastronomy & Commitment: What Are the Training Challenges

At Entropy, our cuisine is plant-based, seasonal, and deeply connected to the producers we work with. This approach requires a unique set of skills, often far removed from what is traditionally taught in hospitality and culinary schools.

In an article published by Le Monde, Leo Pajon reflects on his experience of completing a culinary diploma out of pure curiosity:

“I learned a tremendous amount. I also realized how disconnected this training is from current gastronomic trends, as well as from today’s environmental and social challenges.”

At Entropy, we do not build our menus around signature dishes.

We work from constraints.

The season.

The availability of vegetables.

Harvests.

Allergies.

Deliveries.

Producers.

And it is precisely within these constraints that creativity emerges.

Each new season requires us to rethink our dishes, techniques, flavour combinations, and sometimes even the way we organize our work. It is an approach that demands agility, curiosity, and a constant ability to adapt.

Training Differently

In many kitchens, learning consists of repeating the same dish until it is mastered perfectly.

At Entropy, the objective is different.

We strive to develop autonomy.

Understanding a product.

Understanding a season.

Understanding an ecosystem.

And then being able to make informed decisions.

Why choose this vegetable rather than another?

How do you replace an ingredient when it is no longer available?

How can a dish be adapted for an allergy without losing its balance?

How do you make full use of every ingredient?

These are the kinds of questions our teams face every day.

Knowledge-sharing therefore plays a central role in how we operate. It happens through daily work in the kitchen, but also through field visits with our partners and producers.

We have had the opportunity to visit Agronuts and Les Grands Blés, among others, to better understand the work that takes place long before ingredients arrive in our kitchens.

Because understanding a product often begins well before it reaches the plate.

Skills Rarely Taught in School

Working with plants and vegetables requires a different approach.How do you build texture?How can spices, smoking, fermentation, or roasting be used to add depth to a dish?How do you work with less conventional ingredients, such as legume flours?

At Entropy, a significant part of the learning process revolves around exploring these questions.We also learn how to maximize the value of every ingredient we receive.

Vegetable peels can become infusions.Trimmings can enrich a broth.

Overripe fruits can find their way into a fermentation project or a beverage.

What does not end up on the plate often finds a second life elsewhere in the experience.

Paths That Were Never Meant to Cross

Liske previously worked in management consulting. Nothing seemed to predestine her for a career in professional kitchens. Yet she chose to completely change direction and learned the craft at Entropy, from knife skills to advanced culinary techniques. Today, she plans to continue her journey in sustainability consulting while developing her own regenerative agriculture projects, including farm-to-table dinners hosted directly in the fields.

Yassmine came from the insurance industry. After several experiences in hospitality, she gradually realized that cooking brought greater meaning to her daily life. Trained largely on the job, she has grown alongside the project over the years. In the future, she hopes to use her skills to support social and humanitarian initiatives.

Nathan comes from an entirely different background. Trained in art school, he discovered cooking while working in restaurants during his studies. At Entropy, he continues to develop his technical expertise, creativity, and autonomy. Like many people in the industry, he does not yet know exactly where his journey will lead him next.

Alban, meanwhile, works at the intersection of service and beverages. Today, he oversees the dining room, our alcohol-free pairings, cocktails, and beverage selections. He develops recipes based on fermentation, infusions, and often unexpected ingredients. Although he completed hospitality training in France, much of his learning has taken place at Entropy through direct contact with ingredients, experimentation, and ongoing research. He will most likely continue his career within the same field.

Autonomy as a Driving Force

A kitchen does not function solely through recipes. It functions through organization.

Each team member has their own responsibilities. One focuses on hot preparations. Another on cold dishes. Others work on juices, broths, fermentations, or desserts.

Preparation, plating, cleaning, inventory management, and ordering are also part of daily life.

Over time, everyone learns to manage their own area of responsibility: ordering from producers, anticipating needs, and adapting their work according to seasonal availability.

This autonomy is an essential part of our vision of the profession.

A Team in Constant Motion

While some faces have been part of Entropy for several years, our team is constantly evolving.

We regularly welcome temporary staff, interns, and collaborators from a wide range of backgrounds. Some come to discover plant-based cuisine. Others are looking to develop new skills. Others simply wish to share their experience, energy, or lend a hand during particularly busy periods.

Different backgrounds, ages, and cultures enrich the way we work every day.

Because ultimately, a restaurant is much more than a place where food is prepared.

It is also a place where people learn.

A place where knowledge is shared.

A place where people grow.

And behind every plate served at Entropy, there is a little bit of all of that.