Low Food

What Low Food does

Low Food (legal: Stichting Low Food; brand: LOWFOOD) is a Dutch non-profit culinary foundation headquartered at Hondecoeterstraat 20, Amsterdam, founded in 2019. It operates as a curated collective of culinary minds — chefs, scientists, craftsmen, and artists — convened to drive sustainability, inclusion, and the food transition in Dutch gastronomy. Its core assets are not technological but programmatic: the LOWFOOD Labs (four-month, curated culinary experiments with commercial and non-commercial partners, all outputs published open source; eleven editions documented covering Moromi, Chestnut, Mycelium, Kokumi, Grass, Chicken, Grains, Broth, Okara, and Water Lentils), the LOWFOOD Chefs Academy (five-day educational program for aspiring chefs), the LOWFOOD Symposium (annual thought-leadership gathering), and the LOWFOOD Festival (public-facing food-culture event).

The business model is foundation-style and multi-stream: event-related revenue from the Symposium and Festival; participation fees from the Chefs Academy (undisclosed); corporate and non-commercial lab partnerships — visible partners include Tomasu, Cargill/ENOUGH, WWF-NL (WNF), Koninklijke Vezet, Grassa, Oranje Hoen, Vermaat, Food Pioneers; and a flagship strategic partnership in Deloitte's Net Positive Network, including the biannual Dinners to Net Positive and the NP3 Academy for young professionals. There is no commercial product pricing, no SaaS/tech platform, and no public funding rounds. The core team numbers approximately six people, with named members including Nadia Zerouali, Joris Lohman, Joris Bijdendijk, Samuel Levie, Frederieke Sanders, Sebastiaan Aalst, and Tessa van der Geer. Geographic scope is regional (Amsterdam / the Netherlands), and distribution is via events, open-source publications, and LinkedIn/Instagram rather than traditional product channels.

Name

Low Food

Legal name

Stichting Low Food

Website

https://lowfood.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Low Food (Stichting Low Food) is an Amsterdam-based non-profit culinary foundation that convenes chefs, scientists, and corporate/NGO partners to drive Dutch food-system sustainability through open-source Labs, a Chefs Academy, the annual Symposium and Festival, and a strategic partnership with Deloitte's Net Positive Network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Culinary Education and Food Innovation Services

akta.pro primary industry

Professional Culinary Arts (Chef Training) (EDAOAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nutrition, Special Diets & Wellness Cooking (EDAOAKAJ), Chef’s Table & Tasting Menu Restaurants (THAFACAG)

Keywords

• Culinary research
• Sustainable gastronomy
• Food system innovation
• Culinary education
• Food transition labs

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Event Revenue (Symposium & Festival): Low Food organizes and charges for or generates revenue through the Low Food Symposium and Low Food Festival, which serve as the primary public-facing programs for food culture engagement.
2. Chefs Academy (Educational Program): The five-day Chefs Academy offers lectures and masterclasses by leading chefs, product developers, and scientists. Applications are open to aspiring chefs; revenue is derived from program participation fees.
3. Corporate & Non-Profit Lab Partnerships: Low Food Labs are funded through commercial and non-commercial partnerships. Partners (e.g., Tomasu, Cargill/ENOUGH, WWF-NL, Koninklijke Vezet, Grassa, Oranje Hoen) co-fund research and experimentation. Labs are published open-source, creating market-making impact.
4. Net Positive Network Partnership with Deloitte: Low Food is a strategic partner in the Deloitte-led Net Positive Network, co-hosting biannual Net Positive Dinners and the NP3 Academy for young food-system professionals. Revenue model is a partnership/service arrangement.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Low Food is a Dutch non-profit culinary collective (Stichting Low Food) that runs four-month culinary experiments (Labs) with chefs, scientists, and craftsmen to explore undervalued ingredients and publish the results open-source. It complements the labs with a five-day Chefs Academy for aspiring chefs, an annual Symposium for culinary thought leaders, a public Festival for food culture engagement, and a strategic Net Positive Network partnership with Deloitte that convenes food chain leaders through biannual dinners and the NP3 Academy for young professionals.

Product overview

LOWFOOD is a Dutch culinary collective (Stichting Low Food) organized as a platform that connects culinary professionals, chefs, scientists, and artists to drive sustainable food system innovation. The organization operates as an interconnected ecosystem of programs: LOWFOOD Labs conducts culinary experiments exploring undervalued ingredients (Moromi, Chestnut, Mycelium, Kokumi, Grass, Chicken, Grains, Broth, Okara, Water Lentils) published open source; the Chefs Academy provides five-day educational programs for aspiring chefs; the Symposium serves as an annual thought leadership gathering; and the Festival offers public-facing food culture events. Additionally, Low Food serves as a strategic partner in the Net Positive Network (with Deloitte Digital), hosting collaborative dinners and the NP3 Academy for young food professionals. Founded in 2019, the organization operates from Amsterdam with a mission to make Dutch gastronomy lead in sustainability, inclusion and the future of food.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LOWFOOD Labs Four-month culinary experiments that bring together a curated group of chefs, craftsmen, scientists, and artists to develop recipes and products on themes of biodiversity, protein transition, and food waste. Labs are co-funded by commercial and non-commercial partners and all outputs are published open-source. Documented labs include Moromi (with Tomasu), Chestnut (with WWF-NL), Mycelium (with ENOUGH & Cargill), Kokumi (with Koninklijke Vezet), Grass (with Grassa), Chicken (with Oranje Hoen), Grains 1.0, Grains 2.0, Broth, Okara, and Water Lentils.
• LOWFOOD Chefs Academy Five-day educational program for aspiring and young chefs, offering lectures and masterclasses by leading chefs, product developers, and scientists. Participants explore cultural, ecological, and economic stories behind dishes and broaden their perspective on gastronomy and the food system. Applications are managed via [email protected].
• LOWFOOD Symposium Annual gathering for forward-thinking culinary minds including chefs, writers, activists, and cultural innovators, exploring what gastronomy can mean in times of ecological and social change. Held in Amsterdam.
• LOWFOOD Festival Public-facing, low-threshold, flavour-driven celebration of food culture in Amsterdam. A playful, creative and accessible event offering inspiration for all ages, from curious home cooks to seasoned food professionals.
• Net Positive Network Partnership (Deloitte) Strategic partnership in the Deloitte-led Net Positive Network. Low Food co-hosts biannual Dinners to Net Positive bringing together leaders across the food chain (corporations, NGOs, start-ups, universities, and the Ministry of Agriculture LVVN) to accelerate the food transition.
• NP3 Net Positive Partnership Academy Bi-annual five-day academy for young professionals across the food chain. Facilitates deep dives into the food value chain through excursions while learning about net positive approaches and developing next-generation leadership skills.
• NextGen Net Positive Network Network bringing together ambitious young professionals across the food chain, spawning initiatives including the Amsterdams Buren diner, an innovation lab, and the Spring Parade.

Quantifiable outcome

• 11 open-source lab publications covering biodiversity, protein transition, and food waste
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered influential, core and flagship.

• Nordic Food Movement (inspired by Klaus Meyer)influentialOthers · 1 January 2019The Nordic Food Movement, inspired by Claus Meyer, was the founding influence for Low Food's creation in 2019. Low Food was established inspired by the Nordic model, adapting it to challenge the status quo of Dutch gastronomy with sustainability as a compass.
• TomasucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTomasu is the partner for the Moromi Lab — a Low Food Lab exploring moromi (press cake left after soy sauce production) as a nutritious, umami-rich ingredient with culinary potential. The lab developed recipes and products demonstrating circularity and flavor innovation using this overlooked ingredient.
• WWF-NL (WNF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWWF-NL (WNF) supported the Chestnut Lab, which brought together chefs, researchers, food designers, and system thinkers to rediscover the sweet chestnut as a resilient, multifunctional ingredient. The lab explored chestnut's potential from starch to sugar, root to canopy, as a symbol of biodiversity and agro-forestry.
• ENOUGH & CargillcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerENOUGH and Cargill co-partnered with Low Food on the Mycelium Lab, which explored mycelium (the root network of fungi) as a fully fledged ingredient with unique culinary possibilities — not as a meat substitute, but with its own texture, story, and bite.
• Koninklijke VezetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKoninklijke Vezet partnered on the Kokumi Lab, which explored kokumi (a lingering, subtle flavour) in Dutch root vegetables and cabbages — the missing link to putting vegetables more front and center on the plate.
• GrassacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrassa partnered on the Grass Lab, which delved into the potential of grass (protein) for human use and consumption — exploring what happens when grass moves from field to fork.
• Oranje HoencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOranje Hoen partnered on the Chicken Lab, which explored the often-overlooked parts of the short-chain Oranjehoen chicken — shining light on every facet of the chicken to unveil novel culinary possibilities and innovative recipes.
• Deloitte Digital (Net Positive Network)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLow Food is a strategic partner in the Deloitte-led Net Positive Network since day one. Together they co-host biannual Dinners to Net Positive and the NP3 Academy — a bi-annual 5-day program for young professionals across the food chain. The network brings together corporations, NGOs, start-ups, universities, and the Ministry of Agriculture (LVVN) to accelerate the food transition.
• Food PioneerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood Pioneers is a founding partner of the Low Food Foundation, working together to shape Dutch gastronomy and drive the food transition through culinary innovation and network building.
• VermaatcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVermaat is a founding partner of the Low Food Foundation, contributing to the movement to develop Dutch gastronomy as a force for sustainability and inclusion.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Rethink Food: US non-profit using culinary innovation to address food insecurity and sustainability — running chef-driven R&D, dinners, and accelerator-style programs. Comparable chef-led, sustainability-anchored non-profit model.
• EAT Foundation: Oslo-based non-profit convening global food-system actors (Stockholm Food Forum, EAT-Lancet) around sustainability, protein transition, and biodiversity — the same themes Low Food Labs pursue. Overlapping donor and partner ecosystem.
• MAD (by René Redzepi): Danish non-profit founded by René Redzepi around the same Nordic-food-vision thesis that inspired Low Food. Runs food culture publications, dinners, and symposia connecting chefs, scientists, and citizens — directly comparable mission, structure, and GTM motion.
• Food Tank: US-based non-profit think tank focused on sustainable food systems, hosting summits and publishing research. Comparable convening-and-publish model, though with more policy/research emphasis versus Low Food's chef-led labs.
• Basque Culinary World Prize / Basque Culinary Center: Non-profit foundation and university combining culinary R&D, chef education, and an annual prize to recognize chefs driving social and environmental impact — closely aligned with Low Food's flavor-first, sustainability-driven culinary innovation mission.
• Nordic Food Policy Lab: Nordic Council initiative convening policymakers, chefs, and researchers to advance sustainable food systems. Shares Low Food's Nordic food-movement lineage and cross-sector convening approach, though more policy- than culinary-led.

Regional players

• Foodvalley NL: Dutch public-private partnership and ecosystem organization accelerating food innovation in the Netherlands. Geographic overlap with Low Food and similar partner base (corporates, research institutes, government), but operates as an innovation cluster rather than a chef-led foundation.
• Food Inspiration: Dutch food media and event platform targeting food professionals with magazines, events, and trend reports. Operates in the same Dutch food-innovation conversation as Low Food but with a media-business model rather than a foundation/lab model.

Broad incumbents

• Le Cordon Bleu: Global culinary education institution operating in dozens of countries. Competes in the same chef-training category as Low Food's Academy but as a commercial, degree-oriented player rather than a sustainability-focused foundation.
• Culinary Institute of America: Largest US culinary education institution, increasingly integrating sustainability and food-systems curricula into chef training. Comparable educational mission to Low Food's Chefs Academy, but at vastly greater scale and with degree-granting programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/low-food
• Instagraminstagram.com/lowfood_feed

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Low Food