Interview with Vidushi Binani - Co-Founder of Volonté

This week we caught up with Vidushi Binani the Co-Founder of Volonté to talk about her inspiration behind Volonté, why nutrition is important, her biggest achievement and much more.

Can you tell me how Volonte came about, what was your inspiration? We know how important nutrition is to you, can you tell us how you came about planning the dishes at Volonté?

I love food. But, to be brutally honest, I used to have a very unhealthy relationship with food. In my childhood, I ate too much and unhealthily and then ate too little or almost nothing on some days in my late teens. In early adulthood, after trying to navigate my strange relationship with food, I learned the basic principle of maximising without sacrificing too much and making balanced choices when it comes to eating and drinking.

During university, I would try and make better choices when eating at home and allow myself to indulge when out with friends. I trained smartly 4-5 times a week, walked whenever I could, and tried to break the cycle of eating very unhealthy food and then punishing myself by not eating anything at all. This cycle never works - it’s not sustainable. I also learned that portion sizes play a big role when it comes to indulgence.

Moderate indulgence does not do much harm, yet allows you to satisfy your mind and body. I became fascinated by the ways in which flavorful food could intersect with healthy eating habits which inspired me to study nutrition, and the practical gastronomic application of it at Le Cordon Bleu after university. My studies - frankly a lockdown obsession - in nutrition provided me with a deeper understanding of how our bodies work and helped me to formalize the theory behind some of my self-learnings.

While in university and at Cordon bleu, to help maintain my balanced lifestyle approach, I tried to look for “healthy” spots in London where I could grab a quick lunch or even a fun brunch with friends. Most places had very boring menus or food that was not freshly prepared. Being a vegetarian I also found it difficult to find places that had a variety of tasty options for me to choose from. After not having much luck, stemmed the idea of creating Volonté.

Today I am passionate about how people can fuel their love for food in a sustainable, balanced way, without having to remove what they love the most. At Volonte you will find familiar elements in dishes, inspired from trying to recreate my favourites from all over the world in a fresh and cleaner way. I used the Covid lockdown to experiment with recipes - having access to limited ingredients forced me to be creative and achieve flavours by not adding too many ingredients. Trying to use homemade sauces and bases to all dishes and balancing each plate with elements from all food groups is the ethos behind everything we create.

All food groups are allowed - in the right portion size. This is why high-quality chocolate, wine and prosecco can also be enjoyed as part of a healthy lifestyle at Volonté. I believe that balance and moderation allows you to enjoy everything you desire without causing harm while maintaining a moderately active lifestyle.

Translating as the French feminine noun for ‘willpower’, Volonté is a place built upon feminine strength and a core belief that optimum wellbeing is achieved through a life of abundance rather than restriction.

What has been your biggest achievement since starting Volonté?

I think being able to have 3 sites in two years has been an achievement that I am proud of. I still make mistakes but I think having the strength and confidence to battle each new challenge that comes with a new site has been an incredible journey - and most of the credit will go to the people who support me and allow me to focus so hard and take these risks. My family and fiancé have encouraged me from day one and Volonté would honestly not be standing 3 stores strong without them.

I also think I have now built a great core team that keeps all sites running smoothly. In a tough labour market, especially in the hospitality sector, I am thankful to have some great team members who have helped me through the journey too. I also believe building a good team has been an achievement of its own (this journey has had its own several ups and downs).

How do you prioritise your own wellbeing while running a business?

If I am completely honest it's difficult. My mind tends to be working non-stop so sometimes even when on holiday, I am only thinking about work and not switching off mentally even though I am not physically at work. Making work your life tends to not be sustainable. I’ve learned that my work is a large part of my life, but I cannot let it consume me fully.

I need to learn how to balance my life the same way that I balance my food. I try and exercise at least 3 to 4 times per week, I used to only like exercising in the mornings and during busy times I would not get time in the mornings so I would end up skipping exercise. Now I exercise at anytime I can, on days where I can’t carve out time early in the morning.

Having your own business means that you are in charge of your own time (mostly) - which is a boon and a bane. A boon as you can have a more flexible work schedule, but a bane as if not physically tired or forced to stop - you can spiral into working nonstop.

It’s important to remind yourself that every problem has a solution and that the solution can even be found tomorrow. On vacations - I try to focus on the more creative aspects of work as new places and people can inspire new ideas and can help get creative juices flowing, I try and finish any urgent admin beforehand so that I can work on “fun” elements which keep me inspired and excited.

Congratulations on your new studio, Volonté - Fitzrovia, how does this studio space differ from your other studios?

Fitzrovia is an intimate low impact studio, focussed more on classes such as reformer Pilates, Yoga, Dance, Barre and meditation - which has a wider audience across all age groups and fitness levels. The Chelsea studio has a more strength and functional training based set up - now used mainly for personal training and small group training.

You host amazing events at Volonté, do you have anything coming up you can share with our readers?

We recently updated our wine list and added some exciting new cocktails

too. We will be hosting some wine tastings and Pilates events in the next few months.

What would your ideal day in London be like?

Even after living in London for 8 years I am yet to see so many parts of it. An ideal day would be one where I have enough time to go and explore a new area and try out some hidden food gems.

I have a long list of places to try that are not in my immediate local areas and I would love to have a day to go try some of those and just walk around a new area as each locality of London is unique in its own way.

To find more about Volonté and to book a class visit https://www.volonte-energy.com/

Photography by Nyla Sammons