Stephan, what makes Sans Souci so special?
Clearly, it’s the team. All the employees here form one big family, supporting each other, working together towards a common goal, which is to make our guests happy and provide them with a wonderful stay.
What is the greatest inspiration for you in creating new dishes, and how does your team work together in this process?
The greatest inspiration for me when it comes to creating dishes is simply the ingredients themselves. When I visit suppliers and maintain contact with them, they introduce me to new products and ingredients. I see how they come from the fields, get packed into crates, and are delivered to our doorstep, and knowing where they come from is a tremendous source of inspiration. When our team receives samples of new vegetables or rare items, we taste them together, and the brainstorming begins. We might quickly experiment with new dishes or try them with specific spices or sauces. That’s how new dishes gradually come to life.
How did you get into cooking, and what is fascinating about it?
How I got into cooking is not really that fascinating, but I’ve been in the kitchen with my grandparents since I was a child. My grandmother always cooked, and I was always there with her. It went so far that my sister and I had a cooking duel with our grandparents, where we bought each other ingredients that the other person didn’t know about in advance. Then we had to create a menu from those ingredients. That’s how my passion for cooking began. The menus we’re serving during the Christmas holidays this year were also inspired by my grandmother. I like to take a dish or two that my grandmother used to make for family dinners and add my own personal touch. This is also the case with this year’s Christmas menus, which include some classic Christmas dishes with a modern twist.
What makes a good chef?
The same things that make a good service employee: Creating an experience for the guest and being a good host, and above all, continually evolving. A connection to food is important, as well as a commitment to sustainability and locality.
© Sans Souci