Reopening restaurants after coronavirus with Mauro Colagreco, Dominique Crenn, Vladimir Mukhin, Ana

“Ask yourselves: what are you willing to sacrifice?” – Mauro Colagreco, Mirazur, Menton While The World’s Best Restaurant 2019 was closed for three months, chef Mauro Colagreco kept himself “sane” by spending time with his gardeners in the Mirazur allotments. While he witnessed nature regenerating, he reconsidered his entire restaurant concept, reopening in late June with four new menus based on the biodynamic lunar calendar. By paying closer attention to nature, he says that he is able to make a more sustainable business while protecting the planet. “We have to rethink the way in which we produce and consume,” he says. “The real question is: what are we willing to sacrifice to change the rhythm in which we live? We have to find a new rhythm – one that is closer to nature.”

“Use the power to be at the forefront of change” – Dominique Crenn, Atelier Crenn, San Francisco As both chef and activist, Dominique Crenn says there are opportunities to rebuild a better world after the pandemic, with changes to the way we eat, farm and work with our local communities. She says the role of chef should also be redefined, and awards should be given not just to those who are cooking great food but to those who are fighting for positive change. “What are you doing, what is your purpose?”, she asks. “That’s how we’re going to redefine what a good chef is. It’s not just about cooking amazing food, it’s also about cooking with purpose, being part of a new way of doing things and bringing out amazing, wonderful ideas and reflections on how we can do better in this world.”

“Focus on who you are” – Vladimir Mukhin, White Rabbit, Moscow When Vladimir Mukhin was forced to close all 23 restaurants in his group due to the lockdown, the chef and his team had to think on their feet, quickly opening a version of White Rabbit to deliver semi-prepared dishes to people’s homes with an invitation to dine with Mukhin by video call. During the closure, he learned many things, from developing a personalised approach that brought him closer to his guests to improving on communication and developing a clearer view of his restaurants’ future. “Use these turbulent times to look deeper into yourself,” he says. “This time helped me to gain even more confidence in what we are doing and gave me a better vision on what to do next.” For Mukhin, the changes inspired him to create his new tasting menu, Metamorphosis, which will take his guests on a journey through White Rabbit’s history.

“Look after your team’s all-round wellness” – Ana Roš, Hiša Franko Reopening Hiša Franko in early June after three months of lockdown in Slovenia, Ana Roš says she and her team were “vulnerable and emotionally crushed”. Now her staff are “learning how to walk again” and Roš believes it is vital for chefs and restaurateurs to look after their team members’ mental health. “Restarting normal life after lockdown with such a strong rhythm as we have in the restaurant business is really difficult,” she says. “Take care of your people as well as you take care of yourself because everyone has different fears and uncertainties.”

“Give food fair value” – Clare Smyth, Core by Clare Smyth, London With a restaurant focused on giving value to humble, local products such as potatoes and carrots, Clare Smyth has always educated her guests about good farming practices and quality ingredients, but her “pet hate” is when restaurants undercut each other with low prices, undervaluing the quality and labour behind each dish. Now, more than ever, she says diners need to be willing to pay a fair price for their meals to support restaurants and producers. “As restaurants, we now have the opportunity to make people understand the real value of things because for many years in the hospitality industry, everything was a race to the bottom,” she says. “Businesses won’t survive if people don’t understand the value. People need to appreciate the hospitality industry more now, especially given what it’s gone through. It’s about fair trade in the food trade.”