Ciaran Patrick Naughter, Restaurant 4580

Ciaran Patrick Naughter, head chef at Restaurant 4580 in Amsterdam, what qualities do you look for in the members of your team?

– We look for curious people with a desire to understand the produce. We get much of our produce directly from the farmers, implying that they often come here. As they do, we gather the whole team in the kitchen and talk to the farmer, ask questions, taste, and learn. Everyone should know where and when, be aware of animal welfare, and so on.

How do you ensure a safe and secure working environment?

– Work-life balance is crucial for us. There should be no burnouts here, so no one works more than four days in a row. Open communication with the staff is very important for us, finding out their needs and wants and what they wish to see and learn.

In what ways do you work to reduce food waste?

– First of all, “fermentation is friend”, and we are very curious in that regard. We’ve also built up a massive larder, which has become a true source of inspiration. Everything is used from there; we always consult our larder. Most of our dishes contain 3-4 elements from it. For us, it’s simply the right thing to do – and it’s fun too!