Celebrate Provenance: Rosewood São Paulo

“For us, our greatest role is to bring guests closer to our producers,” says Chef Fernando Bouzan. “We want to strengthen the relationship between these two ends, telling their stories and bringing lived experiences into the dining experience. That brings genuine value to our purpose.” 

At Blaise restaurant, the hotel’s flagship food offering, the goal is to celebrate the products and the producers, reflecting local terroir by every means possible. “Everything is designed with that in mind, including the fact that the building we're in — the former maternity hospital — is the inspiration behind our artwork by visual artist Fernando de la Roque,” says Fernando. “There's a richness of detail throughout every part of the hotel, a story behind every choice made.” 

Local supply chains at Rosewood São Paulo 

At Rosewood São Paulo, the team is meticulous about building supply chains to exacting specifications, and evaluating suppliers and producer partners goes far beyond a simple price quote. “Moral values and ethics are non-negotiable,” says Fernando. "Every partnership begins with a standard contract covering all our suppliers' social and environmental responsibilities toward their employees and across the entire production and distribution chain.” This visibility into supplier operations gives the hotel control over the impact of their procurement choices. “Beyond that, they need to share the same purpose and have a story that adds human value,” Fernando continues. This story might be supporting a community or cooperative, or even using an ancestral practice, fishing or growing using traditional methods. 

One persistent challenge lies in maintaining a provenance-driven offering in the centre of a bustling urban environment. “Many of our producers struggle to get their product to us,” shares Fernando. “We look for partners who develop solutions specifically for that supply challenge, through partnerships and cooperatives that bring exceptional producers closer to the São Paulo market and other major cities.” In addition, the small-scale producers in their network often have limited production and infrequent deliveries. “This makes closeness and frequent dialogue even more important for a strong relationship,” says Fernando. “It takes building out a specific range of suppliers, each responsible for one part of the supply. That way, we honour each one's production and area of expertise.” 
 

Fernando says that Rosewood São Paulo’s approach to sourcing has become a virtuous circle. “We're always looking for new partners, in a chain that keeps feeding itself. Our suppliers introduce us to others — people who seek us out because of our visibility, and also our access to interesting products. We position ourselves as a restaurant that uses local ingredients, and we'll keep following that path, valuing our products and the people who produce them.” 

Putting provenance on the plate 

With the hotel acting as the only link between customer and producer, these short, strong supply chains have a significant impact on the guest experience, providing a sense of place that is tangible and genuine. “Producers gain exposure with our audience, with their work shared and given context,” says Fernando. "Our dishes become stories, where each ingredient is a character with its own narrative. The richness of detail we share with our guests is part of the delight in the interaction during service.” 

Blaise restaurant at Rosewood São Paulo is renowned for its celebration of Brazilian ingredients through a traditional French lens, using native and heritage ingredients to bring local ingredients, traditions and stories to life for guests in ways that feel exciting. 

“Several ingredients make up that repertoire,” explains Fernando. "One good example is the licuri almond, native to Brazil's semi-arid region, which appears as a component of our beet salad. Just as French cuisine pairs beets with hazelnuts and walnuts, here they're matched with this Brazilian almond, which resembles a hazelnut, with a flavour reminiscent of coconut.”  

Showcasing ingredients like these requires eloquent storytelling from front-of-house staff. “Beyond knowing about each ingredient and its origin, we also have to train our team to pass these stories on to guests naturally, through a genuine interaction,” says Fernando. Communication is paramount. “During the rollout of the menu, we hold daily meetings to walk through each dish and ingredient, its origin and its story. We make cards about the dishes and their ingredients for a team quiz, along with presentation files everyone can access from their own phone.” Whenever possible, the restaurant invites suppliers to come to the hotel and present their products, allowing team members to forge a stronger connection with each ingredient. 

“Often, it's the guests themselves who grow curious and ask questions, especially about an ingredient they don't recognise," Fernando continues. “But we always try to share it in a very natural way, over the course of the interaction. Beyond that, we also offer postcards featuring our suppliers at the end of the meal, inspired by the travel postcards Blaise Cendrars used to send.” The restaurant’s namesake was a Swiss-born poet and novelist, and an ardent admirer of Brazil. 

In wrapping up, Fernando says that celebrating provenance takes attention and care. “Always work honestly with guests and suppliers, weaving their stories into the dishes and the service," he advises. “The rest will happen naturally.” 

Food Made Good at Rosewood São Paulo 

Rosewood São Paulo completed their first Food Made Good Standard in 2025 with an impressive three-star result – no easy feat in a first-time evaluation. 

“Taking part in the Food Made Good Standard was a natural step in Rosewood São Paulo’s sustainability journey,” says Fernando. "The process brought a more structured view of existing practices and helped identify new opportunities for progress. One of the most valuable learnings was understanding how small operational decisions can create meaningful long-term impact.”  

“The Standard brought greater clarity and direction to the hotel's sustainability strategy, helping transform initiatives into more concrete and measurable goals,” Fernando continues. “In practice, it strengthened actions related to waste reduction, operational efficiency and team engagement, while supporting decisions more closely aligned with the operation’s long-term commitments."

Learn more about Rosewood São Paulo on their website.  

Our goal in sharing case studies from our Food Made Good network is to help you discover new actions you can take in your own business. If you’re looking for further inspiration, don’t miss our 2026-27 global sustainability insights report, “Hospitality Rising: Global Challenges, Local Solutions”. Exploring the latest trends and influences shaping the sector, it’s packed with examples of smart sustainability initiatives from businesses of all shapes and sizes across the world. Download your copy here!  

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All images courtesy of Rosewood São Paulo.