Sven Schurig

Why did you become a grill master & meat sommelier?

"The magic of fire and the great pleasure one experiences during this event has been one of my strongest emotions since childhood. The profession of meat sommelier is a foundation for my creativity. You have to be knowledgeable to deliver exceptional results. Furthermore, people have been gathering around fire for thousands of years, enjoying themselves together. This creates a future in shared enjoyment and, for me, must also make qualitative, sustainable sense. So, it was a logical consequence to develop a passion from it, one that delves deeper into these topics and reflects my personal values."

What's the best thing about your job as a grill master?

"That people come together, all with one goal: to eat deliciously and get to know each other. It's incredibly exciting to quickly discover the human values of the person opposite me. If that's topped off with happiness in the eyes of my guests, who then become repeat offenders, I'm proud of my daily work."

What has been the biggest challenge so far?

"That was finding my own path among a multitude of grillers, a path that reflects my quality standards and is recognized by others. I think I managed that quite well."

What does respect for food mean to you?

"Food is the foundation of my work. If I use inferior products, I automatically desecrate my own work, because the end result simply cannot be as good as with optimal products. Therefore, I ask those searching the internet who only want to find the cheapest price to please surf on. I'm not available for that."

How important is sustainability for you as a meat sommelier in your grill workshop?

"This is a fundamental condition, because without this aspiration, you disappear into the masses of those who don't care at all, and then we're back to those who just want cheap and end up throwing away what was too much. I can't deal with that at all and it makes my pulse rise. Sustainability includes serious and goal-oriented preliminary planning right up to the finish. This includes resource conservation, seasonality, and the careful provenance of my ingredients."

How exactly do you bring sustainability into your BBQ academy?

"It begins for me with education during procurement. My students are not only focused on the moment of food preparation in the optimal cooking process through energy absorption on the fire, but also specifically deal with the ingredients and their individual properties. If vegetables or animals have been bred too quickly and carelessly, I usually notice that in the sensory evaluation during purchase. This automatically prevents them from entering my academy at this point. This knowledge is what I enjoy conveying, and by doing so, I shape mindful participants. That makes me very happy, because that's how it starts small and collectively ensures a respectful approach to our planet."

What distinguishes Nesmuk knives from other knives you've worked with before?

"I think it's the overall handling, because I come from Lusatia and there, a word is a word. No rambling, but a clear statement, just like Nesmuk knives. What I want to cut is cut, no ifs or buts. That feels great! In addition, working with these handcrafted masterpieces is a joy, because my mood immediately improves when I unroll my knife bag and my friends, turned to steel, smile at me. Then I know, the day is my friend.

A quick story about that: I was once booked for a BBQ catering event in a wonderful outdoor kitchen and was told not to bring anything but myself and my chef's jacket. Amazing setup with an outdoor pool and a top grill brand that I also represent. But the knives were a horror. That won't happen to me again! I only work with Nesmuk! So much for the difference."

How would you describe Nesmuk knives?

"German craftsmanship, made with joy of life for joy of life."

Which Nesmuk knife is your favorite and why?

I love them so much, that's why I have almost all of them.

Why is good craftsmanship so important in your profession?

"For me, it's about holism. If I have high standards for ingredients, everything has to be right, from the food to the grilling machine and the knife."

What personal connection do you have to your cutting tools?

"As I already described, they are personalities turned into metal. In my homeland, the East of the Republic, lies the cradle of German precision and intellectual finesse. There, a man's word is his bond, and there is no... sort of, no or similar to, and almost like...

With us, there are clear announcements. That's exactly what a NESMUK is. One cut, and the matter is not just scratched, but divided! That's how I am too."

What fascinates you about really good (Damascus) knives?

"As a former power plant mechanic, you had to be able to rely on your tools, otherwise you wouldn't last long in that profession. That was a long time ago, and I'm still alive. Sometimes, at night, I see knives on shopping TV that can saw off iron posts for the neighbor, and then with the same knife, cut tomatoes as if they were butter, and it scares me.

Then I go to my kitchen, look at my Nesmuk, can go to bed calmly, and know, 'Everything was done right'."

Where do you get your inspiration from?
"First, my wife inspires me, and of course our children. My wife is an incredibly creative and multifaceted personality who constantly surprises me. That motivates me, and she also gives me the necessary calm to develop new things. Furthermore, nature itself inspires me, and being able to do what I've wanted since I was little. If I can't be at a grill somewhere, I get nervous, but my wife always calms me down then."