The master of Michelin’s Green Star

Buğra Özdemir is a key chef in our country who emphasizes sustainability, drawing on his education and research in Denmark. Remarkably, he is just 29 years old. At The Barn in Silivri, he applies his culinary knowledge in a way that inspires many.

The Green Star, awarded for the past four years, is just as appealing as the red one. It not only emphasizes flavor and service but also addresses important contemporary issues like seasonality, waste reduction, and carbon footprint. Buğra Özdemir, the chef at The Barn, is the first in Türkiye and one of the few worldwide to write a master's thesis on Michelin's Green Star. He completed his thesis on green-starred restaurants in Denmark while attending a scholarship program from Noma's Mad Feed Academy.

Michelin has been presenting the Green Star since 2020, aiming to promote sustainable practices in the global restaurant industry. I believe it has largely succeeded in this mission. Now, chefs not only strive for culinary excellence but also those who honor and connect with nature are eager to receive Michelin recognition. In the initial two years of these awards, most were given to Nordic countries, which is why Buğra went to Denmark to write his thesis. His acceptance into the Mad Feed scholarship program opened significant opportunities for him.

What is Mad Feed? It's an initiative of MAD (which means 'food' in Danish), a non-profit organization established by René Redzepi, the chef of Noma, one of the world's most renowned restaurants. Mad Feed acts as a platform for exchanging ideas, discussions, and innovations related to food, sustainability, and its future. One of MAD's primary goals is to unite chefs, food enthusiasts, and activists globally to drive positive change in the food industry....