Claire Vallée (born 1980) is a French chef. Her restaurant,

ONA Ona or ONA may refer to: Anthropology * Ona people, an indigenous people of southern Argentina and Chile ** Ona language, a language once spoken in Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego * Ona, a pre-Aksumite culture in Sembel, Eritrea Geography * On ...

, was the first vegan 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 establishments. The acquisition or loss of a ...

Early life

She was born in 1980 in Nancy and spent her childhood in Montélimar. She holds a doctorate in archaeology.

Career

After her studies, she took a summer job at a restaurant in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, and ended up staying for eight years. She trained as a pastry chef. Following some time in Thailand, she became a vegetarian, and on her return to France was reluctant to work with meat or fish. In 2016 she opened a vegan restaurant in

Arès Arès (; oc, Arés) is a commune in the Gironde department in southwestern France. Population See also *Communes of the Gironde department *Pilgrims of Arès The Pilgrims of Arès is a new religious movement founded in 1974 by Michel Potay. ...

, near Bordeaux, 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

La Nef La Nef (French: The Nave (of a ship or church or a medieval boat) is a French-Canadian early music performance group founded in Quebec in 1991. The founding members were Sylvain Bergeron, the guitar and musical director; and Claire Gignac, the co ...

, 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 and composts its wastes.

Recognition

In 2018 the Michelin Guide 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 on a scale of 1 to 20, with 20 being the highest. Restaurants given below 10 points ...

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 Women chefs 21st-century French businesswomen Chefs of vegan cuisine People from Montélimar