34 / Le Havre, France

There are many plates of food in the higher echelons of the gastronomic world that have been compared to, or even considered, works of art. But blockchain technology can now literally turn a chef’s dish into a masterpiece, both protecting and promoting it in the process. Frenchman Scott-William Braley has combined his entrepreneurial vision with digital expertise and applied it to the food world through his company, Culinr.

Essentially Culinr translates chefs’ signature dishes into pieces of 3D digital art, which are then turned into NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens). The NFTs time-stamp a specific creation and provide a certificate of authenticity, meaning the plate of food exists beyond its perishable shelf-life, even after its been eaten, and retains a value. The process also makes it much easier for chefs to protect the intellectual property of their work, helping prevent it being duplicated without permission.

As a lover of gastronomy and art, Braley also sees this as an opportunity for other gourmets to own a digital asset that has meaning, thereby developing a new relationship between chefs and their customers – or even finding new customers. “Owning something that is entirely digital may sound counter-intuitive at first sight, but it will definitely affect our lives in the near future,” says Scott-William, who holds a Masters from the Sorbonne in Paris. Culinr is attracting premium chefs from across the world interested in digitising their culinary assets and, ultimately, Braley aims to create a digital gallery where dishes can be exhibited and sold, as well as where classic historical dishes can forever be archived.

“Our mission at Culinr is to imagine and build the future of gastronomy within a digital world that is rapidly merging with our real world. This includes applying it to the Metaverse. By turning each dish that matters into a digital artwork, we are de facto creating a new investment opportunity for all in the gastronomic world.” – Scott-William Braley