Sourcing Matters More: Interview with chef Dmitry Vinokurov

Inside Greeneration’s vertical farm in Dubai, where edible flowers, speciality leaves and microgreens are grown in a controlled environment and harvested for same-day delivery.

Greeneration is a Dubai-based vertical farm supplying premium edible flowers, speciality leaves and microgreens to leading HoReCa venues. In a conversation with KRASOTA chef Dmitry Vinokurov, the company explores why local sourcing is becoming essential while shaping how chefs cook, think and connect with their ingredients.

We think about food differently in uncertain times. Origin, meaning and connection become more important than ever. To understand this shift, Greeneration spoke with KRASOTA chef Dmitry Vinokurov about the role local ingredients play in his kitchen. KRASOTA Restaurant Dubai is an immersive fine dining concept that combines gastronomy, visual storytelling and technology, offering a multi-sensory dining experience.

The move towards local sourcing wasn’t immediate. Over time, Dmitry began to feel a disconnect between where he cooked and where his ingredients came from. Working with imported products in the UAE no longer felt aligned with the place. Local ingredients, he explains, already carry a sense of origin. They have absorbed the sun, water and climate of the region and cooking with them creates a direct connection to the land.

He cooked differently after this modification. Local products can be unexpected, sometimes imperfect, but they demand respect. They require the chef to listen, to understand the ingredient, and to work with its natural expression.

As a result, the cuisine becomes more precise. Flavours are cleaner, deeper, more defined. Simpler dishes feel stronger because nothing is hidden behind unnecessary complexity. Many chefs, including Dmitry, are facing uncertain times. Adaptability is his goal, not resistance. Menus evolve, supply chains shift, and maintaining a calm, focused kitchen becomes essential. Local sourcing grounds the kitchen in the present.

Dmitry is enthusiastic about UAE farming's future. Innovation in regulated growing habitats and technology has come from extreme situations. Still, he thinks culture drives growth. Demand and trust strengthen local food systems when people value them.

This is where Greeneration plays its role. For chefs, transparency and product integrity are essential. Understanding where ingredients come from, how they are grown, and how they behave in the kitchen creates confidence and opens space for creativity.

Supporting local food doesn’t require radical change. Choose one local product, taste it, and understand it. Small decisions create habits that affect the market. For Dmitry, local food is about connection, not geography. Being honest about where you live by using local foods is something no imported ingredient can truly replicate.