ABOUT US

“My Finnish background inspired the name Kasvio (herbarium in my native language) as, during my childhood in Eastern Finland, I used to wander the fields and forests collecting and identifying plants for my plant collection.

Today, I look at my ingredients in much the same way. I familiarise myself with them, investigate their characteristics and experiment with transforming them into thrilling culinary experiences for our guests.

The way I see it, what we eat is always connected to stories and memories. I respect that and I’m less interested in disrupting those ties than I am in creating new kinds of connections to our food histories.”

“Immersing myself in plant-based cuisine opened my eyes to the huge range of ingredients and the importance of seasonal cooking. Working with a narrower range of ingredients really sharpens your creativity.

I not only draw on Finland’s cooking traditions, but am also inspired by the country’s wide variety of ecosystems. To me, it’s interesting to take a particular environment, such as, for instance, the dune landscape in the Netherlands, and think about how I could recreate it on a plate”

“Kasvio piqued my interest as it focuses on entirely plant-based dining that includes foraging and provides room for local products. To me, it’s important to no longer view vegan dining as an exception, but to see it as an expansion of the culinary arts.”

We work with producers who care about food as much as we do — grown and made with patience, and respect for what’s around it.

Seasonal vegetables come from organic farmers, and our legumes, grains and seeds are grown across Europe. Voedselbos Haarzuilens is where we forage, just outside the city, and Bakkerij Kameel bakes our bread and brings it over fresh.

To drink, we offer minimum intervention wines from Europe, our own kombuchas and other non-alcoholic drinks as well as local craft beers.

Our tables come from fallen trees in the woodlands just outside Utrecht; our floor, from old railroad ties — designed by Het Groene Kabinet, who built circularity into every part of the space. During the renovation, we swapped every gas appliance for electric ones running on green energy. In the kitchen, we keep waste to a minimum and recycle what we can.