Georges Athanassopoulos, Màloma

Georges Athanassopoulos, co-founder and head chef at Màloma in Brussels, you focus primarily on vegetables, but you’ve also chosen to serve meat. Why?

– We only serve a small amount of selected meat, but at the same time, animals are very important for the whole agriculture sector. If they are kept outside on open fields with space, the right conditions and treatment, they will contribute to biodiversity. The important thing is to let them reach a certain age before slaughter – they shouldn’t be too young.

There is some fish on the menu. How do you know that it comes from sustainable sources?

– Before I opened this restaurant, I tried to find the source of the fish that we used, but it turned out that most providers I encountered along the way were not very transparent about the source of the fish.  This seems to be the case when it comes to fish in Brussels, in general. These days, we get our fish from Normandy, small boats and only line fishing. Which in my opinion and according to the latest research – is the most sustainable fishing region.

What’s the secret behind obtaining the best quality vegetables?

– I take care to have a good relationship with our producers. They are all very small; they don’t use machines, only their hands, and they don’t overproduce. When the products are in season, I go to the fields a lot, then we buy what they need to sell, rather than asking for specific kinds and amounts.