A collaboration between a Michelin-starred restaurant's head chef and a team of university researchers produced food for thought recently.

Restaurant Pine's Ian Waller and researchers at Newcastle University’s Translational and Clinical Research Institute including Chris Lamb, Greg Young, Hannah Watson, Lauren Beck, Jen Doyle and Jem Palmer discussed food, fermentation, microbiology and more.

The collaboration was born when Mr Waller and Mr Lamb discovered a shared interest in microbiological gut health.

A visit to Pine's fermentation rooms was arranged, where researchers could peruse the ferments involved in miso, kimchi, kombucha and kefir.

Much of the discussion between Mr Waller and the research team centred around global dietary changes, particularly the rise in consumption of ultra-processed foods and food additives.

These substances are thought to negatively impact gut health and may be linked to inflammatory conditions like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis – the main research priority of Mr Lamb's lab.

Open-IBD and IBD-RESPONSE are two nationwide, multi-million pound studies conducted by the lab.

The studies aim to shed light on the effect of diet on gut health.

The data collected from the studies will go towards devising personalised medicine solutions for inflammatory bowel diseases.

Mr Lamb said: "We thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Ian learning about the blend of art and science in his kitchen.

"There were so many interesting similarities between Ian’s creation of innovative recipes and how we design new experiments in the laboratory.

"The concept of food fermentation for preservation dates back thousands of years and is now used by Ian to create the finest-tasting foods!

"Bringing this all together to debate the relationship of diet, microbes, and the immune system in shaping our gut health was fascinating.”

Mr Lamb said: "We thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Ian learning about the blend of art and science in his kitchen."

Restaurant Pine, which considers itself to have a particular focus on sustainability, received a Michelin star in February 2022.

In June 2024, it was ranked 12th in the National Restaurant Awards and received a Michelin Green Star for its commitment to sustainable practices.