Claire Vallée (born 1980) is a French

chef A chef is a professional Cook (profession), cook and tradesperson who is proficient in all aspects of outline of food preparation, food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term (), the di ...

. Her restaurant, ONA, was the first

vegan Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products and the consumption of animal source foods, and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. A person who practices veganism is known as a ve ...

establishment to win a

Michelin star The ''Michelin Guides'' ( ; ) are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tyre company Michelin since 1900. The ''Guide'' awards up to three Michelin stars for excellence to a select few restaurants in certain geographic ...

Early life

She was born in 1980 in Nancy and spent her childhood in

Montélimar Montélimar (; Vivaro-Alpine dialect, Vivaro-Alpine: ''Montelaimar'' ; ) is a town in the Drôme Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region in Southeastern France. It is the second-largest town in t ...

. She holds a doctorate in

archaeology Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...

Career

After her studies, she took a summer job at a restaurant in

Crans-Montana Crans-Montana is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Sierre (district), Sierre in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Valais, Switzerland. On 1 January 2017 the former municipalities of Chermignon, Mollens, Valais, ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

, and ended up staying for eight years. She trained as a

pastry chef A pastry chef or pâtissier (; feminine pâtissière, ) is a station chef in a professional kitchen, skilled in the making of pastries, desserts, breads and other baked goods. They are employed in large hotels, bistros, restaurants, bakeries, b ...

. Following some time in

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

, she became a

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the Eating, consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects as food, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slau ...

, and on her return to France was reluctant to work with meat or fish. In 2016 she opened a vegan restaurant in

Arès Arès (; , ) is a commune in the department of Gironde, in the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. Population See also *Communes of the Gironde department The following is a list of the 534 communes of the Gironde depart ...

, near

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...

, in southwestern France. It is called ONA, which stands for "Origine non animale", not of animal origin. She financed her business through a crowdfunding campaign that raised 10,000 euros and through , an ethical finance co-operative. Aside from the food, Vallée extends veganism to the drinks and the decor of the restaurant, which uses

renewable electricity Renewable energy (also called green energy) is energy made from renewable natural resources that are replenished on a human timescale. The most widely used renewable energy types are solar energy, wind power, and hydropower. Bioenergy and ...

and

compost Compost is a mixture of ingredients used as plant fertilizer and to improve soil's physical, chemical, and biological properties. It is commonly prepared by Decomposition, decomposing plant and food waste, recycling organic materials, and man ...

s its wastes. The restaurant closed permanently in October 2022.

Recognition

In 2018 the

Michelin Guide The ''Michelin Guides'' ( ; ) are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tyre company Michelin since 1900. The ''Guide'' awards up to three Michelin star (classification), stars for excellence to a select few restaurants ...

awarded ONA one fork, a symbol for a restaurant of comfort and quality. Rival guide

Gault Millau Gault et Millau () is a French restaurant guide. It was founded by two restaurant critics, Henri Gault and Christian Millau in 1965. Points system Gault Millau rates restaurants on a scale of 1 to 20, with 20 being the highest. Restaurants given ...

gave her two chef's hats, its equivalent symbol. This made ONA the first organic and vegan establishments recognised by these guides. In 2021, she received the first Michelin star awarded to a vegan restaurant. The Michelin Guide also gave her a Green Star for excellence in sustainable gastronomy.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vallée, Claire 1980 births Living people Head chefs of Michelin-starred restaurants French chefs French women chefs 21st-century French businesswomen 21st-century French businesspeople Chefs of vegan cuisine People from Montélimar