Why did you become a chef?
"I simply followed what I enjoyed 150%, and that was cooking, even though it involved a lot of sweat, nerves, and hard work. Meaning, from deepest passion and conviction."
What's the best thing about your profession?
"The creative process from the raw product to the finished result, as well as the sparkle in our guests' eyes that shows how happy people are with our final product.
Also, seeing how a team, consisting of many different people, becomes a coherent whole in restaurant operations and functions harmoniously."
What has been the biggest challenge so far?
"Taking the step into self-employment, which in hindsight was quite daring and courageous.
Furthermore, the effort required to consistently run a restaurant for years should not be underestimated.
And, very important for us, to properly guide our little 6-year-old son on his path in life so that he grows into a decent person."
What does respect for food mean to you?
"In my opinion, respect for food is an absolute prerequisite for practicing the profession of chef at all.
Getting the maximum out of food is one of the absolute duties in this responsible profession.
The increasingly falling prices in the industry for staple foods naturally make it even more difficult to develop respect for them.
There's the old saying "What costs nothing is nothing" - unfortunately true and reflects the fundamental idea of value.
If you value your means of living, you treat them differently!"
How important is sustainability in upscale cuisine?
"In the often stressful daily routine, it is difficult for unskilled people to focus on the topic of sustainability.
Certain behaviors creep in and solidify over the years if you're not careful.
Yet it's often small things that help us work and live healthier and more consciously.
In this respect, it is essential to constantly re-engage with this topic."
How exactly do you bring sustainability into your restaurant?
"Avoiding plastic wrappings and packaging and processing seasonal products without long transport routes.
The revival of leftover cuisine is also a topic that is actually learned during vocational training.
Thus, we try to be creative with alleged food scraps, such as broccoli or cauliflower stalks or trimmings from root vegetables.
Collecting old bread and making breadcrumbs from it for new dishes, like dumplings or delicious breading for our Wiener Schnitzel.
In addition, the value of food has shifted enormously compared to the value of working time.
In the past, food was very valuable and hourly wages were low.
Today, labor is very expensive and food costs relatively nothing. Food quickly falls by the wayside, and that's exactly what we do differently.
Also very important: avoid waste, because with buffets, it's better to replenish fresh food than to serve everything for every guest from the start and have to throw away a large portion at the end.
We also celebrate "Nose to Tail," which means using other parts of the meat or fish besides the fillets. The animal also consists of other interesting parts that deserve to be appreciated.
Even if it requires more time and know-how, it's worth dealing with it. Perhaps also eat less meat (privately and professionally), but be more conscious about where my meat comes from and what has happened to it on its way to me.
Seasonality also plays a very important role here. You have to make people aware of that. Supermarkets and all markets in general don't make it any easier for us, because everything always seems available. This makes it difficult for consumers to even understand seasonal fluctuations anymore. It sometimes takes many conversations, because for us professionals, it's nonsense to buy strawberries at Christmas or asparagus in winter."
What distinguishes Nesmuk knives from other knives you've worked with before?
"The design, the feel, the sharpness, how it fits in the hand, the quality."
How would you describe Nesmuk knives?
"Awesome."
