"It's the land that feeds us"
Anthony Maubert
Restaurant Assa
Every Morning....
Every morning Anthony Maubert, and his partner Fumiko rewrite the daily menu. Their restaurant is called Assa, meaning every morning. The menu is determined by what the suppliers have harvested over the previous few days.
All the food comes from within a twenty-minute radius of the restaurant and all its producers share Anthony’s respect for the land, for animals and for nature. So he sources his vegetables, fruit, fish and meat from people who are as passionate as he is.
Anthony grew up at his grandparents’ farm in Mayenne, surrounded by astonishing produce. From early childhood his grandfather passed on to him a passion for cooking on wood fires. At Assa your plate is filled with memories of his grandparents and the farm where he grew up, by the scents, colours, flavours and love of the land, and of Fumiko’s Japanese poetry.
In 2021 Michelin, which had already awarded the restaurant a star, gave Anthony and Fumiko a green Michelin star.
The green star is an annual award that pays tribute to restaurants that exemplify sustainability. The star is awarded to restaurants and chefs who take responsibility for norms relating to ethics and the environment. They work with ethical suppliers and producers to reduce waste, and do all they can to keep plastic and other non-recyclable materials out of their supply chain. Many chefs work in close cooperation with growers, farmers and fishers. They forage for food in the woods, keep their own animals, and grow their own vegetables and fruit. Some chefs also seek out regenerative farming methods and try forest gardening. They often go beyond simply taking account of the environment and pay attention to the quality of life enjoyed by their team, as well as developing an ambition to devote their energies to educational projects and local and sustainable initiatives.
(source: Michelin)
We've been awarded a Michelin Star and a green star for sustainability. It's something that is very dear to us"
Fumiko Maubert
Restaurant Assa
"We use every part of the animals, which we buy whole, and explain to our customers that we don’t sacrifice living creatures just to take the best bits. The minimal amount of food that is not sold through the restaurant is consumed by our chickens."
Producteur de legumes asiatiques et exotiques
Masato Fujisaki, born and bred in France as the son of a French mother and a Japanese father, grows organic Japanese vegetables in polytunnels a stone’s throw from Anthony and Fumiko Maubert’s top restaurant, called Assa.
As Masoto is showing us his farm and describing how he came to be growing Japanese vegetables in France, Anthony calls by to pick some of the edible flowers Masoto grows for him.
As well as Japanese vegetables, Masoto produces several special kinds of tomatoes, including a firm greenish-yellow Mexican variety requested by a friend. Assa is not the only place his vegetables can be enjoyed, since he also has a weekly stall at the market in Blois.
We have selected another two stories that might inspire you.
