It is always said that many cooks spoil the broth. And if this is then also still hot, one talks as is known gladly around him. However, the Chef’s Talk on September 24 in Hamburg proved that it can also work exactly the other way around.
As befits a good conversation, six top German and Austrian chefs and around 50 journalists, food critics and food bloggers met in the kitchen – in this case of Thomas Imbusch’s grand new opening 100/200.kitchen in Hamburg – and ventured into the thick of things: Is our gastronomy fit for the future?
The protagonists
The select group that gathered around the “hearth” (Imbusch’s 1.1-ton Molteni stove) that Monday night brought as much experience to the table as they did a need to talk:
- Thomas Imbusch 100/200 Kitchen, Hamburg
- Thomas Kellermann Restaurant Dichterstub’n, Rottach-Egern
- Julia Komp * Loersfeld Castle, Kerpen
- Dirk Luther ** Restaurant Meierei, Glücksburg
- Billy Wagner * Nobelhart und Schmutzig, Berlin, No 88 World’s 50 Best Restaurants
- Paul Ivic * Tian Restaurant, Vienna
- Gabriela Heins, deputy editor-in-chief of the magazine “Der Feinschmecker” and moderator of the evening
The hot topics
No shows, staff shortages, system instead of top gastronomy, culinary education, credit card data, “ToGo” hype, food as a political statement and the widespread “stinginess is cool” – the thematic “trouble spots” of the evening were manifold.
Even during the round of introductions, it became clear that it is above all the lack of appreciation for good food culture that gives the six chefs food for thought. “Roast pork with a drink for €6.90,” “to go” meals with 7% instead of 19% VAT, and supermarket meat for just a few cents per gram give an idea of what the value of food intake is like these days.
All those involved see the origin of this at the family kitchen table: the apparent lack of time for home-cooked meals and at the same time the unwillingness to pay two or three euros more for a healthy, wholesome daycare meal clearly testifies to a wrong culinary upbringing – and this was clearly not only at odds with the parents in the group.
At this point, at the latest, the responsibility of the chefs begins for Paul Ivic (right picture). It’s her job, she says, to make food something that connects again, signifies appreciation to family and friends, and hides what the individual products and spices do to the body. However, this does not work if the cook also resorts to cheap food. Because these are seemingly cheap at first, but make you sick in the long run – and who can afford that?
“A chef is not a plate architect, but a chef has been handed the chef’s jacket by the medical profession. We have to show the guests what products, spices, etc. do. “Gastro” means “stomach, “nomie” means “knowledge” – so gastronomy is “The knowledge of the stomach”. And we have to pass that on.” (Paul Ivic)
Billy Wagner doesn’t just want to pass the buck to the end consumer either. He sees the problem already in the policy – a non-existent nutrition policy. After all, gastronomy and food culture have not been part of a single party program. In this context, the Berliner sees great potential in small-scale, regional farms, as he proves with the best-selling concept of Nobelhart & Schmutzig. However, promoting the small would mean jeopardizing the large system. Which brings us back to problematic politics.
This also occupied the panel in another context. But more about that later. Because there are other ways to make food an event again.
“Nowadays, what you are is more important than what you eat. That can’t be it” (Thomas Imbusch).
Thomas Imbusch showed how these can look in two ways. On the one hand, with its concept of holistic food processing: Animals are not just fillets, after all, and you can always surprise people with dishes they would otherwise tend to reject, such as offal. On the other hand, with its booking system, which is unusual by German standards: the freshly minted restaurant owner not only sees the possibility of paying for a restaurant visit in advance in the form of a ticket as (justifiably) giving a meal the same importance as a Bundesliga match again and minimizing non-binding mass reservations including no-shows. Suppliers can also finally be paid on time and goods and personnel deployments can be planned more efficiently.
This is an important point, because the latter in particular is becoming increasingly difficult everywhere in top gastronomy.
“We’re going from fishermen to hunters. We used to be able to choose from a pool of applicants, but now we’re desperately searching.”
The next generation is missing. The willingness to “enslave” oneself and forego a well-earned weekend is low. Justified accusations against the cooking profession? The chefs are divided on this.
While the Austrian Paul Ivic wants to challenge young people, awaken their joy in the value of craftsmanship and ignite their ambition to be able to achieve good results through good performance, Julia Komp (as the youngest participant in the round) can certainly understand the thought processes of the potential new generation. Her education wasn’t always rosy either and -yes- women in the profession often have to show bite. But she makes it clear that many businesses are made up of young, dynamic teams and that the work can be great fun – the best proof is her own kitchen in Kerpen.
Billy Wagner also stresses the need to create places where employees enjoy coming and bring freshness and ease.
Last but not least, Dirk Luther reminds us to think more positively again. Everything was better in the past? On the contrary, conditions in the kitchen have improved greatly, especially in recent years. Travel, develop almost infinitely and be able to create something together: The cooking profession offers more opportunities than almost any other. Even part-time models are possible and have recently been introduced in the 100/200. And in Thomas Kellermann’s eyes, a rethink of the hiring process could already make it attractive for older employees to work as a good post cook.
There was also lively discussion of interjections and ideas from the specialist audience. After all, why not look for new blood among the numerous migrants in Germany and Austria? At this point, politics again often throws a spanner in the works of the chefs. And not only one of the group could tell of examples where hard-working, dedicated hands did not return at some point due to a lack of work permits.
This topic, however, is a different matter, but it should once again make clear that top gastronomy still has to face many a challenge.
“Real food is disappearing. Most people from my generation will die without having eaten a proper sauerbraten.” (Julia Komp)
Finally, Thomas Imbusch demonstrated what “real food” can look like after the panel discussion. Freshly baked bread, home-made butter, fermented vegetables, oysters with kimchi and small desserts from the open kitchen as well as one or the other bottle from the wineries Dreissigacker (Rheinhessen) and Anette Closheim (Nahe) made it clear that many words can also be followed by tangible actions.
To be continued
It will certainly not have been the last time that 2-star chef Dirk Luther invites guests to the table for his “Chef’s Talk” event series initiated three years ago. Renowned colleagues such as Thomas Martin, Bobby Bräuer, Tim Raue and Fritz Fischer are always happy to accept Luther’s invitation to draw attention to the diversity, challenges, trends and developments of top German-Austrian cuisine. And the evening in Hamburg also proves: many cooks can cook a pretty exciting “porridge” together.
