Biologist-chef Maxime Willems brings past, present, and future to the plate at an innovation summit
We were tasked with designing the culinary content for a summit dedicated to innovation and the future. But what exactly do you put on the plate when you’re serving The Future of Food? Which ingredients make the cut—and which don’t? Willems offers a glimpse behind the scenes.
The Summit
The Flanders Technology & Innovation Summit (FTI Summit) is a six-day festival of talks, keynotes, inspiration, art, food, and nightlife. The event merges technology and wellbeing, showcasing innovative ideas from start-ups, researchers, and other creative minds.
From 16–21 March in Ghent, Willems—together with chef Tim Nowé (Sir Catering) and Michelin-starred chef Olly Ceulenaere (Publiek)—will curate the restaurant menu for the summit. The challenge: to create a menu that embodies the future of food.
A Menu as Time Travel
The menu had to present a vision of the future of our diet—each dish both an exercise in forward thinking and an evolution from the past. It also needed to reflect the present and past of our terroir, biodiversity, eating habits, ingredients, and culinary classics.
”“The menu of the future must reflect the present and the past.”
Ingredients of the Future
Some ingredients destined for the future menu include:
- Seaweed & ocean crops – Both multinationals and smaller players are exploring future-proof ingredients from the sea. Innovators like start-up Nomet (plant-based croquettes) and the Colruyt Group are investing in healthy marine ingredients such as seaweed.
- Urban biodiversity – Urban farmers like MicroFlavours grow sprouts and mushrooms on spent grains and coffee grounds, turning city waste into new culinary possibilities.
- Mycelium proteins – Belgium’s next-gen brewers include Biolynx, Bolder Foods, and Naplasol, producing plant-based proteins from mycelium—perfect for broths, which can be enhanced with essential oils for added health benefits.
- Responsible meat – The protein transition doesn’t mean eliminating meat entirely. But, as Belgian butcher Hendrik Dierendonck shows, it’s about “less but better”—protecting craft and animals while honouring terroir.
- Fermentation innovation – Fermentation is central to products like chocolate and coffee, both under threat from climate change. At Nursh, we use similar technologies to develop alternatives, inspired by start-ups like WinWinchoc and Northern Wonder.
Appetite for Change
All this innovation stirs the appetite—goesting, as Belgians say. The aim of the summit menu is to give visitors a warm, delicious experience while gently encouraging them to embrace change.
Classics will remain, but adjustments are sometimes needed. The hope is that, just as we’ve done for centuries, we’ll continue to gather around the table—today and tomorrow—to enjoy good food and reflect on what connects us.