The No Menu Movement is a conceptual framework that aims to stimulate reflection on our relationship to food, farming and nature. Today, we expect to be able to access any ingredient from any part of the world on any given day. And when entering a restaurant, many expect a varied menu that allows us to choose what our hearts desire, irrespective of the costs of this abundance in terms of food waste, emissions from transportation, packaging and storage, etc.
With the No Menu Movement, we want to make things simpler – much simpler – for at least a space of time that’s long enough to make people think and to start conversations about more profound changes to our consumption habits.
The No Menu Movement is a programme anchored in one week a year across the Nordic countries. For this week, restaurants would sign up for a week with no menu, only a single meal cooked with simple seasonal ingredients, sourced from local/regional and preferably small producers, and offered at a fair price. Restaurants commit to zero food waste for the week, arranging for surplus meals to go to those in need, and using surplus ingredients in the kitchen. Accommodations for allergies and other pragmatic steps to make this an attractive experience for diners would, of course, be made, while keeping with the principles set forth above. Participating restaurants would be marketed through the No Menu Movement platform.
Leading up to and during this week, the association organising the No Menu programme would organise talks, debates and publish think pieces about the relationship between producers and kitchens and the issues we need to fix from farm to table.
We want to inspire guests to see their meal as more than just food on a plate. By increasing public awareness of how and where food is sourced, we aim to create ripple effects – sparking curiosity and changes in how people cook and think about food at home. At the same time, we aim to reinforce the bond between chefs and producers. The long-term aim is to encourage guests to ask questions and engage – turning curiosity into conversations about why flexibility in sourcing is essential for sustainability. And to give small- and medium-sized producers greater access to the market by inspiring long-term close collaborations between kitchens and producers based on flexible sourcing.