Lizette & Lucien in the spotlight:
award winner Social/Human Award at the Culinary Innovators 2024.

At the Gault&Millau Culinary Innovators event 2024, Lizette & Lucien, a soup and lunch bar in Ostend, was honoured with the Social/Human Award. This heartwarming initiative, which employs young adults with intellectual disabilities, was recognized for its forward-thinking approach in hospitality and its significant social impact. The combination of culinary expertise and social inclusion makes Lizette & Lucien unique.

Surprised and pride among the team

Lizette & Lucien reflect on the team's reaction after winning the award: "It was incredible to see how surprised everyone was; they could hardly believe it. Gault&Millau is a respected name and winning this award felt almost surreal. It’s a tremendous recognition of everything we’ve built over the past five years."

Strong community through collaboration

“We are deeply connected in the region and actively participate in local initiatives. For instance, we featured a special dish at the 'Ostendaise' food festival, which remained on our summer specials menu throughout the entire season. We also use social media to connect with a wider audience and promote regional projects. This approach has helped us to share our story with an even broader community,” they explain.

Overcoming challenges, achieving breakthroughs

Lizette & Lucien have faced several challenges over the years, but their resilience has been remarkable. Their first major challenge was while launching in 2019. “We wanted to create a restaurant where quality was essential while giving individuals with intellectual disabilities a meaningful role. That raised questions: How many stimuli can our employees handle? How many hours can they work in a row? Thankfully, the concept worked, and we started right.”

However, in 2022 they faced a major challenge when a gas explosion forced them to close. “Our employees were suddenly out of work and deeply worried about a seriously injured colleague. It was a tough period, but five months later, we reopened at a new, larger location in the heart of Ostend. The reopening was a success, thanks to the resilience of our entire team."

Growing with a mission

“We remain committed to our concept, where our special employees—young adults with intellectual disabilities—are actively involved in all aspects of the business. Our goal is to expand to offer even more opportunities to these individuals. At the same time, we maintain a close eye on our kitchen's quality, which is key to our success.”

Advice for future innovators

The Lizette & Lucien team offers clear advice to future innovators: "Make sure your concept is meaningful, but don’t lose sight of culinary quality.”

Do you want a chance to win an award? Sign up for Culinary Innovators 2025 by Gault&Millau!