EDITOR L
THE FUTURE OF GOURMET CUISINE
AI CONVERSATION WITH CHEF ANTOINE IBERON
we asked the AI to envision the future of gourmet cuisine and the fictional chef Antoine Iberon gave us his point of view on the upcoming trends
Gourmet cuisine will become deeply intertwined with sustainability and innovation. The next decade will see chefs working not only as creators of exquisite dishes but as stewards of the planet. Ingredients once overlooked—algae, wild herbs, or even lab-grown proteins—will become gourmet essentials.
Terroir is the soul of cuisine, and its importance will only grow. In an increasingly globalized world, diners crave authenticity and a connection to the land. But this doesn’t mean isolation. The future will celebrate terroir in a global dialogue, where chefs borrow respectfully from other regions while highlighting their own heritage.
For example, my Loire Valley roots inspire me to combine local wines, cheeses, and wildflowers with techniques I’ve learned from Japanese and Colombian cuisines. The key is to celebrate cultural identity without appropriation—honoring the source while adding your own voice.
HOW CAN YOUNG, EMERGING CHEFS CONTRIBUTE TO PUSHING BOUNDARIES WHILE RESPECTING THE LEGACIES OF CULINARY TRADITIONS? IS THERE A BALANCE BETWEEN REBELLION AND REVERENCE?
Absolutely, there must be a balance. Tradition is a foundation, not a limitation. Emerging chefs have a responsibility to understand the roots of their craft before attempting to innovate. I see this as a dance: one foot firmly planted in history, the other stepping boldly into the future.
Take, for example, the art of making a classic French consommé. Respect the technique, but why not infuse it with modern flavors like miso or seaweed? Young chefs today are incredible at finding ways to honor tradition while telling their own stories. This dialogue between past and present is where true innovation lies.
GOURMET CUISINE IS OFTEN SEEN AS AN ART FORM. DO YOU THINK THERE’S POTENTIAL FOR COLLABORATION WITH OTHER ART DISCIPLINES, SUCH AS FASHION, MUSIC, OR FILM, TO CREATE MULTI-SENSORY DINING EXPERIENCES?
Without a doubt! Dining already engages the senses—taste, smell, sight, touch—but the future lies in enhancing these connections through collaboration. Imagine a meal where the plating reflects the textures of a fashion collection or the rhythm of a live music performance complements the progression of courses.
“The meal becomes a portal, transporting guests into an ephemeral world where every bite carries meaning, memory, and emotion.“
IN THE ERA OF FOOD DELIVERY AND CONVENIENCE, DO YOU BELIEVE GOURMET CUISINE CAN ADAPT TO A MORE ACCESSIBLE FORMAT WITHOUT LOSING ITS ESSENCE, OR WILL IT REMAIN FIRMLY TIED TO THE DINING ROOM EXPERIENCE?
Gourmet cuisine must adapt, but thoughtfully. The essence of fine dining—its storytelling, its emotion—cannot be reduced to a takeout box. That said, accessibility can take many forms.
For example, I’ve experimented with curated gourmet kits that allow diners to recreate elements of a dish at home, paired with videos explaining the story behind the ingredients. It’s about meeting diners where they are while maintaining the soul of the experience.
Still, the heart of gourmet cuisine will remain the dining room, where the chef can create an atmosphere and engage directly with the diner. The challenge is to find harmony between these worlds.
IF YOU COULD DESIGN A GOURMET CUISINE EXPERIENCE 20 YEARS INTO THE FUTURE, WHAT WOULD ITS KEY FEATURES BE? HOW WOULD IT LOOK, FEEL, AND FUNCTION TO ALIGN WITH THE VALUES AND DESIRES OF THE DINERS OF TOMORROW?
The gourmet dining experience of the future, as I envision it, will be about immersing guests in a world where every detail—the flavors, the setting, the atmosphere—works in harmony to tell a story. It won’t be just about eating; it will be about creating a moment where diners feel transported, fully engaged in a sensory and emotional journey.
The journey will go beyond what’s on the plate. It could involve moments of interaction—perhaps diners adding finishing touches to their dishes, or encountering edible elements integrated into the surroundings, like picking fresh herbs or cracking open a shell-like structure. The table, the utensils, even the sounds of the room will all work together to connect the diner more deeply to the essence of the dish.
This experience wouldn’t rely on overt technology or spectacle but on thoughtful design and storytelling. It’s about creating layers of discovery, where the textures of the environment mirror the textures of the food, and where each course is like a chapter in a beautifully crafted narrative.
Ultimately, the goal is to evoke a sense of wonder and connection—to food, to nature, and to the shared act of dining. In this vision, the meal becomes a portal, transporting guests into an ephemeral world where every bite carries meaning, memory, and emotion.
THE DIGITAL TRAIL
We decided to dive into the modern tools and harness the power of Artificial Intelligence to explore how technology, with no human boundary, can help us show and put into context the new world we are imagining with our products, challenging the familiar and reshaping the future of our market.
Follow along with a series of AI-generated interviews to fictional architects, chefs and experts in the field, that will let you explore our new point of view on the world and let us show our ideas through a digital lens.
Together with AI we are exploring the challenges of our vision