World’s best chefs get together to promote all things vege

Brussels (Belgium), 10 May 2021 – It is no coincidence that the starting shots for International Fruit and Vegetable Week and the We’re Smart Academy have both been fired today, 10 May. The Academy brings together top international chefs who share their expertise on healthy, ecological cuisine in the form of cook books, manuals, webinars and clubhouse sessions with other chefs, food companies and consumers. But that’s not all. Because today is also the day that We’re Smart World, the company behind Fruit and Vegetable Week, is launching the new 5 Radishes Chefs Club exclusively for the world’s 79 best vegetables restaurants to have been awarded a prestigious “5 Radishes” rating. 

Fruit and Vegetable Week and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals

International Fruit and Vegetable Week runs from 10 to 16 May 2021. That’s seven whole days of new, creative initiatives around fruit and veg, showcased by chefs, retailers, farmers, producers and more. And this year will be an extra-special week because 2021 has also been declared the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables by the United Nations. Moreover, We’re Smart World – the Belgian organisation behind Fruit and Vegetable Week – has also been appointed one of the UN’s official SDG Voices, recognising its role as an ambassador for the UN’s 17 sustainable development goals (SDG) that range from eliminating poverty to fighting climate change. 

We’re Smart Academy shares best fruit and vegetable ideas with the world

We’re Smart World has also chosen this special edition of Fruit and Vegetable Week to launch the We’re Smart Academy. As part of the Academy’s mission, top international chefs will share their fruit and veg-based secrets during a series of interactive monthly webinars. Fans can join these clubhouse sessions to catch a glimpse of the latest innovations and trends in the field of healthy and ecological cuisine. As part of this seminal edition of the Academy, We’re Smart World is also launching a manual containing 51 different techniques for cooking fruit and vegetables along with numerous healthy and delicious recipes. The Academy will also publish a series of cook books on a regular basis aimed at inspiring both professional and hobby chefs alike. 

“We’re Smart World brings people and companies together around healthy, ecological and sustainable food,” says Frank Fol, The Vegetables Chef®. “Everything begins with our ‘Think Vegetables! Think Fruit!’ philosophy which puts fruit and veg centre-stage. The We’re Smart Academy, in turn, aims to share our knowledge about healthy, ecological food with as many people as possible. So we can inspire them to dare to make fruit and veg the main ingredient of more of their dishes. And by that we don’t just mean chefs and food companies but also consumers.” 

World’s 79 Best Vegetables Restaurants together in one club 

10 May also marks the launch of the brand-new 5 Radishes Chefs Club: an exclusive club whose membership is strictly reserved for chefs of the world’s Best Vegetables Restaurants who have been awarded a coveted “5 radishes” rating in the culinary We’re Smart Green Guide. Currently, only 79 chefs have achieved this prestigious honour. Among other criteria, restaurants awarded a 5 radishes rating must use fruit and vegetables across at least two thirds of their menu, while also demonstrating a strong focus on local and sustainable produce and having systems in place to limit the consumption of water and energy. Most of all, the 79 restaurants currently in de 5 Radishes Chefs Club can boast a high level of perfection and creativity when it comes to the taste experience itself. The Club is intended as a meeting place where like-minded chefs can exchange ideas and visions with each other and other chefs. 

Frank Fol: “We brought the 5 Radishes Chefs Club to life because we know that even the world’s best chefs also want to keep learning about the wonderful world of fruit and vegetables. We therefore invite the chefs to become ambassadors in their region, drawing even more attention to healthy, ecological cuisine in which fruit and veg takes centre-stage.”

The publication of the We’re Smart Green Guide – normally released in May each year – has been pushed back to 20 September 2021 as a result of the pandemic. 

We’re Smart World Agenda 2021:

watermelon, fruit of the yearbell pepper, vegetable of the year

We're Smart Day: Live show

We're Smart: SDG Voice video

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saar dietvorst

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