In the town of Arès, France—not far from Bordeaux—the vegan restaurant Origine Non-Animale (ONA) struggled to gain funding before opening in 2016, but persevered thanks to chef Claire Vallée’s determination. Vallée, who used crowdfunding and a loan from an ethics-oriented bank, has now received a Michelin star for her menu at ONA—making it the first vegan restaurant in France to achieve such an honor, as well as the first entirely animal-free restaurant to do so. Last year, Michelin published an article listing several Michelin-starred vegetarian institutions that feature vegan menus. This year, no restaurants lost stars, as Michelin’s intention behind publishing a guide in the midst of the pandemic was to offer support to the ravaged hospitality industry. Read more at the Guardian.
Image courtesy of Maxime Gautier