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Over the last decade, chef Manoella Buffara has blazed a singular trail from the Brazilian town of Curitiba, showing the world how gastronomy can be a positive force towards a better community and environment. As her restaurant Manu receives the Flor de Caña Sustainable Restaurant Award 2023, the chef reflects on how food can make a difference on a bigger scale
The concept that nurturing one's immediate local environment can yield a substantial global impact seamlessly aligns with the professional principles embraced by Brazilian chef Manoella Buffara. Situated in the tranquil city of Curitiba, away from Brazil's bustling gastronomic hubs of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, her restaurant is a testament to a commitment that transcends geographical confines. Since its establishment in 2012, Manu has been breaking boundaries, actively fostering a positive transformation in the realm of sustainability that extends well beyond its city.
It is a powerful philosophy that also earned Manu the Flor de Caña Sustainable Restaurant Award 2023 – a prestigious accolade bestowed as part of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna – which rewards venues that are going above and beyond to make sure the food they serve and the way they serve it has a positive ecological and social impact.
Manu is located in Curitiba, a city surrounded by multiple national parks (image: Helena Peixoto)
For Buffara, the prize is a recognition of the efforts that form part of an integral vision for her restaurant, reflected in her commitment to the community and the environment. “Since we opened our doors, my philosophy has always been to work with the best of what we have in our surroundings, either in terms of products or in the relationships we try to create with our suppliers,” she says. From day one, the chef has been building up a loyal network of local producers, many of whom she has helped develop from scratch into sustainable businesses.
Connecting people with the planet
Coming from a farming family, growing around goats, cows, corn and other crops, the chef learned the importance of honouring the land since childhood. The experience has shaped her culinary approach, seeking to get closer to what comes from the earth. Her menu at Manu explores the rich vegetable biodiversity of Paraná, the state where she put down roots after working in world-renowned restaurants such as Noma and Alinea, and which she decided never to leave – even though she has international projects, such as a more casual restaurant about to open in New York.
Around 80 per cent of Manu’s suppliers come from within a 300-kilometre radius (images: Rubens Kato [left] and Helena Peixoto [right])
Voted into five editions of the Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants list, ranking No.35 in 2023, Manu has long been a diners’ favourite, despite its location off the beaten track. Buffara – who was also voted as Latin America’s Best Female Chef in 2022 – curates an 11-course seasonal tasting experience that might include the likes of delicate tuna accompanied by chestnut and yellow tomato, or a pillowy soft brioche bread served with homemade fermented butter and an umami-rich pork paste. Its aim is made plain on the menu itself, which states: “We cook to change the weather. We cook to change nature. We cook to change the mood. We cook to change people. But most of all: we cook for ourselves."
Beyond the walls of her restaurant, Buffara has spearheaded diverse initiatives in her hometown with the support of the local government, such as championing the establishment of urban community gardens across vacant lots throughout Curitiba to cultivate vegetables and nourish the locals. In addition to growing food, workshops are conducted in the gardens to teach people how to efficiently use vegetables in their kitchens, promoting practices such as zero-waste home cooking. She has also led an initiative to propagate beehives across various neighbourhoods, preserving native Brazilian bees and providing her city with excellent honey.
At Manu, guests are invited to touch, feel and interact with ingredients (image: Rubens Kato)
"I perceive this award not merely as acknowledgment for the collaborative efforts of my exceptional team but, more importantly, as a tribute to Curitiba,” adds Buffara. “It validates initiatives that have contributed to reshaping the community's connection with the city through the medium of food." By seeing gardens and hives all over town, the inhabitants began to be more conscious about the origin of what they eat, her main goal being to better connect the population with food.
With the same purpose, in 2020 she created the Manu Buffara Institute, an organisation committed to fostering personal, professional and social development within the community. One of its primary initiatives is to provide sustenance for families facing social vulnerability. Furthermore, the institute organises educational programmes, empowering individuals to seek employment in the restaurant industry and beyond.
Redefining sustainability
The chef uses her city as a prime example to demonstrate how it’s possible to get a community to engage with its edible ecosystem by allowing them to touch, feel, taste and interact with the ingredients. Buffara argues that restaurants must recognise their culinary creations as part of a chain that begins long before the chefs' work. “Enhancing this chain is equivalent to refining what ultimately reaches our guests' tables, elevating our culinary offerings but also making a tangible difference in people's lives,” she adds.
A notable example of how their efforts have positively impacted the community is the introduction of fresh fish to Curitiba. Buffara says that when she opened Manu, finding fresh fish in the city was challenging, as most available options were frozen and came from industrial fishing. “For the last few years, I have been working tirelessly to meet fishermen in my state and convince them to bring fresh fish to the city. Not only to meet the demands of mine and other restaurants, but also to help to create a fairer and more sustainable food chain for them, respecting seasonality,” Buffara points out.
Buffara accepted the Flor de Caña Sustainable Restaurant Award 2023 on behalf of Manu at the awards ceremony in Rio de Janeiro
Around 80 per cent of Manu’s suppliers come from within a 300 kilometre radius. The staff have developed close relationships with producers and ensure their collaboration benefits both parties, believing that getting to know the individuals behind the ingredients and supporting regional production helps strengthen the local economy and preserve culinary traditions. The restaurant also upholds a commitment agreement and a best practice manual, both signed upon onboarding every new supplier. “This approach serves as a means to instil a heightened sense of sustainability consciousness starting from the source,” she explains.
According to Buffara, receiving an award for sustainability – particularly one that acknowledges both the restaurant’s environmental and social commitment, and that is independently assessed by 50 Best's audit partner, the renowned Sustainable Restaurant Association – is a profoundly significant recognition. In an era where the term "sustainability" has been overused to the point of losing its true meaning, she emphasises that the concept extends beyond basic actions like waste management, plastic avoidance and composting.
“Of course, all these steps are crucial, but for me sustainability fundamentally involves caring for people, the environment and the social fabric of our lives,” she concludes. “This award stands as evidence that every restaurant can wield a substantial impact on the community where it is situated.”
The list of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, was revealed on 28th November at a live awards ceremony in Rio de Janeiro. Browse the website, join the community on Instagram, follow us on Facebook, visit us on X and subscribe to our YouTube channel and newsletter to stay up to date with the latest news and announcements.
