HOW TO METAMORPHOSE
I had a vision, so I embarked the restaurant on a radical transformation…..
I love telling my employees the tale of using Ethic as a competitive edge to succeed.
On a recent trip to New York City, I found myself spending hours explaining how we managed to metamorphose our business. It was so clear and so easy to tell as a story that I decided to write it down:
Our Transformative Journey
In an era defined by climate crises, shifting consumer values, and a growing demand for ethical consumption, the restaurant industry faces a pivotal choice: cling to tradition or reinvent itself for a sustainable future. My restaurant, a once-traditional Michelin-starred French fine-dining establishment in London’s vibrant Soho chose the latter. I had a vision, so I embarked the restaurant on a radical transformation, stripping all animal products from our menu and redefining luxury dining through a lens of ethics, innovation, and environmental stewardship. Here I explain our metamorphosis—from a bastion of classic French cuisine to a pioneering plant-based powerhouse—exemplifies the principles of embracing fate, controlling agency, and thriving through adaptability, offering a blueprint for long-term success in an unpredictable world.
Confronting an Inevitable Future
Our journey began with a reckoning. For decades, the restaurant had built its reputation on rich, French-inspired dishes like foie gras, duck confit, and veloutés—staples of haute cuisine. But by the late 2010s, chef Alexis Gauthier found himself at a crossroads. External forces—rising awareness of animal agriculture’s environmental toll, shifting dietary preferences, and a younger generation prioritising ethics over extravagance—signalling an unavoidable truth: the future of food would demand radical change.
Embracing Fate: The Uncontrollable Forces
We recognised that resisting these shifts would be futile. Climate science warned that animal agriculture contributes nearly 15% of global greenhouse emissions, while documentaries like Cowspiracy and Dominion galvanised public scrutiny of industrial farming. Concurrently, the rise of veganism in the UK—a 400% increase between 2014 and 2019—meant consumer palates were evolving. For us, these were not threats but inevitabilities. As we later reflected, “The world is changing. You can either be left behind or lead the change.”
Mastering Agency: The Plant-Based Reinvention
Accepting the uncontrollable—societal and environmental shifts—freeing the restaurant to focus on what we could control: our restaurant’s values, creativity, and execution.
In 2016, we began phasing out animal products, culminating in a fully vegan menu by 2021. This transformation required reimagining every aspect of the business while preserving our Michelin-style rigour.
1. Redefining Luxury Through Innovation
Our team faced a challenge: Could plant-based cuisine deliver the complexity and indulgence expected of fine dining? Their answer lay in technical mastery and storytelling. Signature dishes like “Faux Gras” (made from walnuts and mushrooms) and “Tuna” (crafted from compressed watermelon confit) paid homage to French classics while showcasing culinary ingenuity. By leveraging techniques like fermentation, dehydration, and molecular gastronomy, the restaurant proved that ethics need not compromise excellence.
2. Building a Resilient Supply Chain
Transitioning to plant-based sourcing required overhauling supplier relationships. We partnered with local organic farms and vertical gardening startups to secure seasonal, low-carbon ingredients. This not only reduced the restaurant’s environmental footprint but also insulated it from global supply-chain disruptions—a lesson in controlling controllables.
3. Cultivating Stakeholder Buy-In
The shift risked alienating loyal patrons. To mitigate this, we launched “Transition Tasting Menus,” blending plant-based and traditional dishes to educate diners. Staff were retrained to articulate the ethical and culinary vision, transforming servers into ambassadors. Meanwhile, collaborations with vegan chefs and influencers broadened the restaurant’s appeal.
The Stoic Framework: Balancing Acceptance and Action
I honestly believe that our strategy mirrors Stoic philosophy, which advocates focusing energy on actionable goals while accepting external realities.
The Dichotomy of Control in Practice
Controllables: Menu creativity, staff training, customer education, waste reduction.
Uncontrollables: Market skepticism, industry trends, climate policies.
By doubling down on the former, the restaurant turned potential vulnerabilities into strengths. For instance, when criticised by traditionalists, we leaned into transparency, hosting chef’s table events to demystify plant-based techniques. Similarly, instead of lamenting the loss of meat-centric diners, we targeted a growing demographic: ethically minded millennials, animal activits and Gen Zers willing to pay a premium for sustainable experiences.
Rewards of Resilience: Ethics as a Competitive Edge
The gamble paid off. While the restaurant voluntarily relinquished its meat-centric Michelin statue, we gained something far more valuable: a reputation as a trailblazer.
1. Financial Sustainability
Contrary to fears of declining revenue, the vegan pivot attracted new audiences. The restaurant reported a 30% increase in bookings post-transition, with 70% of guests citing “ethical values” as their primary motivator. Private dining events and vegan wine pairings further diversified income streams.
2. Brand Legacy
We became somehow a case study in ethical leadership. Features in The Guardian, BBC, and Netflix’s You Are What You Eat amplified its message, positioning the restaurant as a thought leader.
3. Operational Resilience
Plant-based menus proved unexpectedly advantageous during crises. Amid Brexit-related meat shortages and COVID-19 supply-chain chaos, our localised, vegetable-centric model ensured continuity. The restaurant also slashed food costs by 20%, as legumes and grains replaced expensive animal proteins.
Challenges and Criticisms: Navigating the Unpredictable
The transition wasn’t without hurdles. Some staff resigned, unwilling to adapt. A minority of diners lamented the loss of “authentic” French cuisine. We addressed these challenges through what Stoics call amor fati—loving one’s fate.
Employee Retention: Cross-training staff in plant-based techniques fostered pride in the mission.
Customer Feedback: Negative reviews were met with invitations to revisit, often converting skeptics.
Industry Pushback: Gauthier countered traditionalist critiques by highlighting parallels to past culinary revolutions (e.g., nouvelle cuisine).
The Future is Plant-Based: A Blueprint for Others
Our success offers universal lessons for businesses navigating disruption:
Anticipate, Don’t Resist: Recognise societal shifts early.
Innovate Within Values: Let ethics guide creativity, not limit it.
Educate Stakeholders: Turn customers and employees into allies.
Measure Impact Over Profit: Sustainability builds long-term loyalty.
Banquet of Tomorrow
Our story is more than a restaurant reinvention—it is a manifesto for the future. By accepting the uncontrollable (the decline of animal agriculture and the reality of animal consciousness) and mastering the controllable (culinary innovation, stakeholder engagement), the restaurant transformed fear of obsolescence into a thriving, purpose-driven enterprise. Our Michelin style may have faded, but its legacy burns brighter: a testament to the power of aligning business with ethics. As the food industry grapples with an uncertain future, we proved that those who embrace fate, control their choices and act with conviction will not just survive—they will set the table for generations to come.
Here with my chefs dining and visiting the kitchen of 11 Madisson Park after discussing Ethic as a competitive edge to succeed. The proof was in front of their eyes.