NEW RESEARCH | How innovation is created in the world’s finest kitchens

Star chefs in the most exclusive restaurants are innovators who set trends for the entire restaurant world. Halmstad researchers have interviewed 20 Michelin-starred chefs about how they create innovation.

Food may not be the first thing we associate with innovation. But the fact is that new ideas are essential for the survival of haute cuisine restaurants.

– It could be new dishes, flavor combinations or innovative entire menus that are developed. Or a completely new restaurant concept with a specific atmosphere and story, says Deniz Dönmez, Halmstad University, who studied innovation in the world’s finest kitchens in her doctoral thesis.

From idea to plate – a winding road to successful innovation

Innovation in haute cuisine kitchens does not follow a straight line, but is in a constant process of testing and refinement.

– Perhaps a simple carrot is combined with mango or cocoa. You try, adjust and see if it can become a dish that enhances the whole experience.

Although the head chef leads the work, the innovation process is collective. Ideas are shaped together with the team – and in interaction with suppliers, designers and architects. Everything has to fit together: the food, the environment, and how the restaurant is perceived by the outside world.

The success of an idea is not determined by the chef himself. What matters is legitimacy – that the innovation is perceived as valuable by others.

– Guests, media and restaurant guides are the ones who give legitimacy to an innovation in haute cuisine. The Michelin Guide stars can mean a lot for the future of a restaurant, says Deniz Dönmez.

More than food on the menu

The study also shows that innovation can be about work culture. Many chefs want to break with the rigid hierarchy that has long characterized the industry and instead create a more sustainable environment for staff.

– For example, one restaurant had hired a psychologist who meets regularly with the team to manage stress. This is also a form of social innovation.

Inspiration from the world

A common denominator for the chefs interviewed is that they have worked abroad and traveled a lot. Encounters with other food cultures become a source of new ideas.

– Broadening your horizons through travel and experience in different cuisines is often a prerequisite for innovation to occur, says Deniz Dönmez.

Focus on the overall experience

Whether it’s a new dish, a refined working environment or a well-thought-out concept, the goal is the same: to create an unforgettable experience for the guest.

– Innovation in haute cuisine is like a 3D concept. Chefs look at the experience from different angles and constantly try to raise the bar, says Deniz Dönmez.

Contact deniz.donmez@hh.se

More about the dissertation
Deniz Dönmez defends her dissertation Styles of representation of newness and change in creative industries: Legitimacy of innovations in Haute Cuisine at Halmstad University on August 28.