At Alserkal Avenue’s What The Food 2025 festival, a place redefining the future of food, I sat down with two visionary voices shaping food culture. Douglas McMaster, the chef behind the world’s first zero-waste restaurant and filmmaker Nadir Nahdi, who explores heritage and identity through food. Their conversation reminds us that food is more than what’s on the plate—it’s a medium to understand culture, connection, and change.
Douglas McMaster: The Chef Revolutionising Zero-Waste Dining
Douglas McMaster is a visionary chef and founder of Silo, the world’s first zero-waste restaurant. More than just a culinary innovator, he turns food into a canvas for creativity, sustainability, and connection with nature. With a philosophy that “waste is a failure of the imagination,” Douglas inspires chefs and diners alike to rethink the way we grow, cook, and consume, leaving a legacy that stretches far beyond the restaurant kitchen.
1. “Douglas, you’ve often said, ‘Waste is a failure of the imagination.’ When you first began your journey with Silo, what did that quote mean to you, and how has its meaning evolved over time?”
Years before creating ‘Silo,’ I wrote down a quote that has significant meaning for me, ‘Waste is a failure of the imagination,’ inspired by Einstein. This idea emphasises the importance of thoroughly examining problems to find solutions. In my article ‘Wasted,’ I included this quote, but my Dad suggested I remove some of the quotes. So, I decided to keep this one separate, and it resurfaced during an interview at the start of ‘Silo.’ The vision behind ‘Silo’ has remained constant. We live in a world where waste is a reality, but we can choose to reimagine it. By building food systems and fostering creativity, we ultimately reconnect with nature.
2. “You’ve described Silo as more than just a restaurant—it’s an idea, an artwork, a zero-waste blueprint. With Silo London closing its doors this December, what legacy do you hope it leaves behind?”
It’s the analogy that I derive from a dandelion. When you blow on it, its seeds spread all over. Silo plans to do that all over the world. We plan to open a restaurant in Mexico, projects in Bali, Australia, Sao Paulo, and Portugal. These are the seeds of Silo. The restaurant’s walls are temporary, reflecting what people once believed Silo to be. But Silo is permanence—an idea that spreads and never fades.
3. “In your view, what role does creativity play in sustainability, especially within the culinary world?”
Creativity is the greatest tool to build sustainability. We cannot create sustainable systems without creativity. We need creativity to see the world differently and find creative pathways around the current problems.
4. “What advice would you give to chefs and restaurateurs in the UAE looking to adopt more sustainable practices in their kitchens?”
Authenticity before creativity, as Authenticity is the most important thing we can practice. Very few people understand the concept of sustainability, and there is pressure to adopt sustainable practices or tick certain boxes. This is another impression of inauthenticity. Awareness is essential because if you are born into a world where the food is urban and processed. Then you might not be familiar with nature, and hence you would not subscribe to natural systems.
Connecting to nature is what we need to do as a species. The Oxford Dictionary describes the word ‘nature’ as everything other than humans. This definition suggests that we were literally designed to be separate from nature. Even in the biblical story of Adam and Eve, we were expelled from the Garden of Eden. We can never be sustainable unless we come back to the Garden of Eden (nature).
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Nadir Nahdi Blends Culinary Heritage With His Cinematic Storytelling
Nadir Nahdi is a luminary filmmaker and storyteller whose work illuminates identity, culture, and connection through the lens of food. With heritage spanning Yemen, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Kenya, he weaves diverse influences into stories rich with nuance and shared humanity. As a YouTube Creators for Change Ambassador, Nadir uses his platform to foster meaningful conversations and elevate underrepresented voices in the global food narrative.
1. “Nadir, your heritage spans Yemen, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Kenya. How do these diverse cultures influence your approach to food storytelling?”
It’s been my biggest superpower. Growing up, it wasn’t easy, as I sought validation from at least one of these cultures. Later on, I realised that gaining access to these cultures has given me a great deal of exposure, things to learn, and has allowed me to see the parallels and similarities among all of them. I don’t come from a single, tunnel-visioned perspective, and it has become my USP. It gives my perspective nuance, colour and variety, and it’s what we need in this world.
2. “Your work has garnered millions of views and earned you recognition as a YouTube Creators for Change Ambassador. What role do you believe food plays in bridging cultural divides?”
Content is mainstream media, in terms of what people are watching, like TikTok or Instagram. Although I enjoy watching a good prank video, I am sure many people appreciate a good makeup tutorial. How do we utilise this space to start viewing it with a sense of purpose, offering informative and entertaining content? This is what I am trying to do by creating watchable, impactful content that people can take something meaningful away from.
3. “In your exploration of global cuisines, which dish has had the most profound impact on you, and why?”
It has to be a nostalgic dish for me—and that’s Nasi Padang. It’s more of a cuisine than a single dish, as it spreads across the table with almost 30 varieties of food, and you can mix & match as you like. And that’s one of the things I love about Indonesian regional culture. Indonesian food is often underrated, as people lack access to local produce and are only familiar with dishes like Nasi Goreng. So, if you want to taste the authentic Indonesian food, you have to come to Indonesia.
4. “Looking ahead, what projects or initiatives are you most excited about in the realm of food storytelling?”
Telling stories that necessarily don’t go viral, but are really valuable. I don’t want the algorithm to dictate the stories I tell. There are cultures in the world that don’t have the luxury to be really cool and fascinating. But there are cultures that people would like to swipe across as they are not interested in them. It’s these stories that I want to focus on. The creative challenge for me is to inform more people about these cultures.
This interview with Douglas McMaster and Nadir Nahdi shows how food transcends the plate, becoming a vehicle for creativity, culture, and connection.
Cover Image Courtesy: Priyanka Fernandes
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