Nicolas Decloedt & Caroline Baerten

“We’ve been working with Dries Delanote for over a decade now. He calls himself a wild farmer. In his fields, nature plays the tune. What we value is that he practices regenerative farming. That means he enriches the soil instead of exhausting it. He doesn’t plough, use fertiliser or pesticides. That way, the micro-organisms in the soil can do their work in peace. The bio-diversity above ground benefits as well. The results are clear to taste; every year the quality of his soil improves and his vegetables, herbs and fruit become more flavourful. Our collaboration is a continuous dialogue. At planting time, he asks which herbs and vegetables we’d like to have on the menu. When it’s time to harvest, he keeps us informed of which produce is at its best.”

Once they know which crops are available, Nicolas and Caroline determine what to serve their guests. “Sometimes I dream up a botanical cocktail and Nicolas works out a dish to match. It can also be the other way around.” They currently have a savoury Paris-Brest on the menu, made with layers of smoked celeriac, a vegetable peel reduction, dots of fermented quince and celeriac charcuterie slices the chefs developed themselves at food scientist Maxime Willems’ laboratory. “The result is amazing, the celeriac matures and ferments very slowly until it’s like an umami bomb.” To complement these full-bodied flavours, Caroline serves an infusion of milky oolong from Taiwan. “I infuse the tea in a slightly tart kombucha and a refreshing cordial. I combine that with homemade amazake, Belgian gin and sake; the velvety mouthfeel rounds out the dish’s intense flavours.” The drinks pairing offers diners a chance to taste at least three of Caroline’s creations, along with carefully selected natural wines, Belgian craft beers, ciders and sakes.