Every chef knows that his work is only ever as good as the ingredients and tools he works with. Our Beyond the Table video series takes you beyond the pomp and grandeur of the restaurant dining room and into the lives of local farmers and kitchen artisans - the ones who toil quietly at their craft to help make your dining experience complete.
Four years ago, Bjorn Low traded in a career in advertising to co-found urban farming consultancy Edible Garden City. His goal: to turn unused commercial rooftops into gardening spaces for hotels and restaurants, and fashion lush streetscapes that are as beautiful as they are delicious. It was then, too, that the social enterprise started working with the Pathlight School for children with autism to implement an educational urban farm.
Earlier this year, they took that partnership even further by developing a training centre and commercial farm for the Autism Resource Centre and SG Enable. Within two 20-foot containers on the premises of the Employability and Employment Centre (E2C) in the Enabling Village in Bukit Merah, Mr Low and his team help to train and provide employment opportunities to autistic adults, while supplying fresh, locally grown herbs and microgreens to the city’s top restaurants.
Watch the video to find out more about Edible Gardens’ latest socially conscious initiative, and why Mr Low believes Singapore has every potential to be a driver of the global grow-your-own food movement.
“Love this video? Share it with your friends on Facebook. Or write to us if you know of any other interesting food artisans and producers with stories to tell.”
Written by
Debbie Yong
Debbie Yong was part of the editorial team behind the Michelin Guide Singapore website. Now a freelance food writer and digital content strategist, she is as happy tucking into a plate of char kway teow as a platter of charcuterie.
One of Lithuania’s top chefs, Vita Bartininkaite, tells us about her career path and passions, from her micro-seasonal cooking and 100-year-old sourdough starter to her fermentation-related theatre collaboration!
The village of Šentjanž is set in the hilly Dolenjska (Lower Carniola) region, a landscape of fields, forests and vineyards. This picture-perfect setting is home to Gostilna Repovž, awarded a Bib Gourmand in 2021.
The MICHELIN Guide dedicates a series of videos to the bond between a producer and a chef. For the first episode, we went to meet Eric Jacquier, fisherman on Lake Geneva, with chef Yoann Conte (Restaurant Yoann Conte, Annecy).
“Breaking bread is what people do to commune with one another, to share in an experience, so that’s what we’re trying to create.” — Matt Sussman, Founder
“I’ll never forget—11:04 a.m., I was parking my car right down the street and I got the phone call,” executive chef/owner Ryan Ratino recalls of when his D.C.-based restaurant received its first MICHELIN star.