Sustainable gastronomy

Ghent takes the lead in entrepreneurship as well as sustainability, and this is noticeable in several local food plan initiatives. Ranging from a simple yet smart way of taking restaurant leftovers home and a reusable cup for coffee on the go at coffee bars to a platform providing surplus food to local social organisations: the initiatives are diverse, inspired and rooted in society. Numerous restaurants are also doing their bit; in fact, Souvenir is the first Ghent restaurant to carry a green Michelin star.

Did you know... Ghent won the 2021 Eurocities award for its “Gent en Garde” food strategy? This strategy is aimed at substantially reducing the CO2 impact of the food system.

Do you want to be sure that you support the right people with your food purchases? Then buy directly from local growers at a farmer’s market or fresh-food shop in the city. You’re guaranteed to get fresh and delicious products from short supply chains. A small yet delicious gesture toward sustainability.

Still haven't found what you were looking for? Discover even more fair trade hotspots in Ghent.

If you’re an occasional vegetarian, then you will love ‘Thursday Veggie Day’, a concept which has turned Ghent into the vegetarian capital of Europe. If you’re a strict vegetarian or vegan, you are also at the right place in a city like Ghent, where you can find a growing range of vegetarian/vegan restaurants.

Did you know you can pick your own fruit at several locations in Ghent? The ‘Buurtfruit’ project revolves around urban orchards and (semi-)public picking locations where you can prevent delicious ripe fruit from going to waste. A fun approach to zero-waste, do-it-yourself and delicious food! You do have to observe a few rules: don’t damage the trees, don’t pick all the fruit and pick sensibly.