When Andreas Krolik launched a vegan tasting menu offering at his restaurant Lafelur in Frankfurt in 2014 he was the first European chef to do so.

For his presentation on day two of Madrid Fusión Alimentos de España he demonstrated his approach to sustainability in Lafleur by cooking a plate of food with a register of textures and flavours, while focusing on one main ingredient, the jerusalem artichoke.

Outlining how every part of the vegetable is used in the dish, from the skin to the juice he highlighted the importance of zero-waste cooking in his kitchen.

“Sustainability is crucial to me; since I was young I have learned to use every part of the food and not throw anything away,” he said. “The whole focus of this plate is to use every part of this jerusalemn artichoke. It is a great example of using absolutely every part of the product – there are only four ingredients but a whole host of flavours and textures because of the way we have cooked it all.”

Eight years after introducing the vegan menu he was produ to say that 30% of diners choose this option when they visit Lafleur. “We often have families visoiting where the children choose the vegan menu and the parents prefer to eat the traditional option,” he said. “this is a great advantage that we didn’t even think of when we started.”

At his Frankfurt restaurant, the menu is seasonal and ingredients local where possible. “If we can find first quality product in the local region we prefer that, but if it is seafood – langoustine from Norway or other seafood from Scotland – of course I buy it, but it always has to be top quality,” he explained.

He conceded that achieving the same flavours you can achieve from cooking meat can be a challenge in vegan dishes.

“We have been on a beautiful journey, offering these new flavours and do good for the environment at the same time,” he said. “This is not ideological for me; it is a reflection of contemporary life.”