About Lara
Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but raised in farms across South America, Lara witnessed first hand the social-environmental impact of large-scale industrial agriculture and this fuelled her to pursue a career in Sustainable Development. Lara earned an MSc in Poverty and Economic Development from the University of Manchester and has worked on and off the field in public, private, and non-profit sectors. After years dedicated to studying and working with social and environmental impact, she decided to change careers and become a chef.
She joined Le Cordon Bleu London in early 2015. When Lara decided to pick up a knife and cook, she thought she'd be leaving behind all the years she had invested in sustainable development. It felt like she was abandoning her mission. But she had made her peace with it though, as she was in pursuit of happiness, her happiness: food. It wasn't long before Lara became aware of how short-sighted she was being... and it wasn't long before the part of her she thought she had to give up, boomeranged back into her life.
Because food and sustainability are inextricably linked. In the convoluted whirlpool that is sustainability, food - how it's produced, managed, and disposed of - is at its core. This seemingly mundane act defines how our world is used. It is the undeniable cause of so much climatic consequence. And yet... it could just be part of the solution too.
Lara made food sustainability her life's work. She set out to learn and to act, continuously, for that is the essential cycle for evolution. Together with George, Lara founded SEM, a restaurant in Lisbon working to shift the paradigm in the industry.
About George
George McLeod, originally from New Zealand, is a chef known for his original approach to sustainable dining, and who’s been making a mark in Lisbon’s dining scene via his restaurant SEM. Alongside his partner Lara Espirito Santo, George has embraced a zero-waste philosophy that challenges traditional restaurant operations by focusing entirely on regenerative food sources from local Portuguese producers.
Before his move to Lisbon, George’s culinary career included work in reputed kitchens across New Zealand and the UK, including a pivotal role at Silo in London, the world’s first zero-waste restaurant. It was here that he refined his approach to sustainability in gastronomy, focusing on minimizing food waste and eliminating single-use plastics, which later became foundational principles for SEM.
Opened in 2021, SEM, which translates to “without” in Portuguese, has quickly risen to prominence in Lisbon’s dining scene. The restaurant is renowned for its closed-loop system that utilizes every part of the ingredients, crafting menus that highlight undervalued components like roots, stems, and offcuts. George’s commitment to sustainability extends beyond the kitchen. He actively forages for ingredients, bringing forgotten elements of nature back into contemporary cuisine.
George’s dedication to innovative, sustainable culinary practices was internationally recognized when he was awarded One Knife at the Best Chef Awards in Dubai. This accolade celebrates his success in merging high culinary art with environmental consciousness. In Lisbon, at SEM, George continues to push the boundaries of traditional cooking by championing a menu that emphasises big, bold flavours derived from unconventional sources. His work not only elevates Lisbon’s gastronomic offerings but also sets a precedent for future culinary innovations focused on sustainability.
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