Create real connections

Enjoy – Open – Informal

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For connoisseurs and border crossers

Building cultural bridges together – not with long speeches, but with good food, fine wine and a pinch of self-irony!

The first step towards pairing is not a job interview. It’s not about building the perfect bridge – but simply throwing the first stone. With a question. With a joke. With an invitation to misunderstand each other.

Cultural differences between Germany and England? A seemingly endless source of minor disasters – and even greater opportunities. You could try to bridge these cultural differences with rules, training courses and intercultural skills training. Or you could simply do what really works: Bring people together and create connections. Pair people, not problems.

Instead of pitting German punctuality and efficiency against British flexibility and understatement, we put a German Riesling next to a British Stilton. The trick is not to find the perfect combination – but simply to let go. Really nice and charming.

“I’ll bring German Riesling – will you bring the best English cheese?”

Nothing connects as quickly as food.  We let people sit next to each other, not prejudices. We serve potato salad with the sausage roll and enjoy the shared perplexity of the question: “Is this supposed to be warm or cold?”

And enjoy the shared perplexity at the question: “Is this supposed to be warm or cold?”

The first stone doesn’t have to be big or shiny. A pebble is enough. It just has to be real. Open. Informal. A shared laugh over a pretzel that is too hard or a cheddar that is too soft often creates more of a connection than perfect mastery of intercultural etiquette. It just takes a bit of courage to throw the first stone – and the patience to watch the waves.

The trick is that the first step isn’t a perfect, elegant leap – it’s more of a “crap, that was a mistake, but hey, at least now we have something to talk about.” And that’s what connects us. Not perfection. Not that American “fake-it-till-you-make-it” crap. No, it’s about the genuine moment, the awkward stammer or the smile at a failed attempt to understand the other person.

The rest is just good gossip over a glass of wine and a cup of tea.

Beans, buns and the breakfast question

• Unlimited possibilities
• One egg, two cultures
• Black pudding & liver sausage
• Beans & rolls

Anyone who has ever tried to combine a German breakfast with an English breakfast will know the dilemma: on the one hand, the meticulously sorted bread roll buffet with jam, honey, sausage and cheese. On the other side, a steaming plate of beans, bacon, sausages and black pudding – a culinary battlefield in which butter and baked beans are suddenly fighting for the same place.

While the German artfully tops his bread roll, the Brit stacks everything on top of each other without restraint: egg on bacon on toast on mushroom on tomato – a Tower of Babel in which each layer quietly whispers ‘I don’t care’. The German does not stack. The German occupies. In layers. Organised. Clearly organised. The English, on the other hand, heap everything onto one plate, regardless of whether the beans are soaking the butter or the egg is balanced on the bacon.

The German breakfast wants parts that can exist side by side: sweet, savoury, soft, crispy – everything separate, everything respected. The English breakfast wants a whole, a unity of fat, egg and carbohydrates, which together form a protective, satiating bulwark against the day.

Tea is an elegant companion and silent star

It’s amazing how accustomed we have become to looking for the right wine for everything and everyone: Cheese? Red wine? Fish? White wine? Chocolate? Some fancy dessert wine. But what about tea?
Tea is the most underrated pairing drink in the world. Why? Because tea never shows off. Tea is the reserved guy in the room who inwardly thinks, ‘I could do anything, but I don’t have to prove it to anyone.’

Scones with clotted cream & strawberry jam + black tea (e.g. Darjeeling or Assam)
A classic of British tea time. The tea provides the necessary tartness to balance out the sweet, buttery flavour of the scones. Important: don’t let it steep too much – we want a flirting duo, not a power struggle.

Courgette carpaccio with lemon and mint + jasmine tea
Roughly sliced courgette, lemon zest, mint leaves, good olive oil, perhaps a touch of Parmesan. The floral jasmine tea complements the freshness of the lemon and mint without overpowering the delicate flavour. The combination with light salads is like a refreshing dance. Ingredients such as asparagus, fennel, spinach, strawberries, oranges as well as bacon and shrimps are particularly suitable. The gentle sweetness of jasmine tea balances out the acidity of such salads and provides a well-rounded flavour.

Lemon chicken with herbs & white tea
Tender chicken breast or chicken thighs with a light marinade of lemon juice, lemon zest, fresh thyme or rosemary and a little garlic.Baked in the oven or gently cooked in a pan so that the meat remains succulent.The white tea enhances the delicate citrus flavours without overpowering the tender meat and adds a fragrant elegance.

Salmon fillet with green vegetables & Darjeeling tea
Salmon, briefly fried or steamed, with a light lemon or dill dressing, served with green asparagus or mangetout. The floral, fresh notes of Darjeeling play elegantly around the fat content of the fish.

Lamb chops with herb crust & Earl Grey tea
An elegant, aromatic combination in which the ethereal bergamot notes of the tea play with the herbal flavour of the meat.Lamb has a slightly wild, earthy flavour that harmonises wonderfully with herbs (rosemary, thyme, parsley).Earl Grey brings subtle citrus and bitter flavours that add freshness to the herbs and lighten up the somewhat rich lamb.It’s like a little citrus kick without any extra lemon on the plate.

Cheese & Oolong tea
Yes, you read that right.
Oolong has these wonderfully roasted, sometimes almost nutty notes that go with a mature cheese like – watch out – a gentleman with a gaudy evening dress.A bit of opposites attract, a bit of ‘we understand each other without words’.

Tea is the chameleon partner at the table. It doesn’t impose itself, but it makes everything better. Tea is a rather quiet but attentive companion and shows that pairing can also be done quietly, elegantly and calmly. Very British!

If tea is the elegance, coffee is the go-getter

There are those moments when tea sits at the table with a fine porcelain smile and nods at you. And then there’s coffee. Coffee slams the door open, wears a leather jacket, hasn’t slept enough and shouts: ‘Who needs a kick here?’

Welcome to coffee-food pairing. This is less about restraint and more about passion. Coffee is the drink that drags you onto the dance floor before you’ve even taken off your jacket.

Donuts & coffee (preferably filter coffee, black)
Yes, it’s clichéd. But have you ever seen a better duo? Sweet, greasy, fluffy meets black, strong, direct. It’s like ‘good cop – bad cop’ in your mouth, and you love it.

Dark chocolate & espresso
This is the espresso that says: ‘I’m small but mighty.’ And the chocolate that nods and murmurs: ‘Me too.’ Together they are an explosion of flavour, intense, dark, a little wicked. Caution: don’t serve on a first date, it’s almost too intimate.

Croissant & café au lait
The buttery croissant with a smooth latte – that’s a Sunday morning in bed, with tousled hair and a smile that says: ‘Today we’re taking it slow.’

BBQ or spicy meat & cold brew
Cold brew has that slightly sweet, caramel flavour that plays perfectly with smoke and spice. This is the food pairing for people who say: ‘Why wine when I can have coffee – even in the evening?’ Coffee likes to rebel against the rules.

Cheesecake & cappuccino
The creamy, sweet cheesecake wants someone to hug it, not someone to shout at it. Cappuccino with its milk foam crown is exactly that soft arm. Sweetness, mildness, a little foam action: a dream team.

Tea is the elegant dancer, coffee is the one that pulls you straight onto the stage. Coffee pairing is not about subtle restraint – here it’s allowed to crack, here it’s allowed to foam, here it’s allowed to taste like ‘life’.

And the best thing? Coffee forgives you everything. Too much sugar? Never mind. Too little sleep? He knew it anyway. Coffee is the wild sister who calls you at six in the morning and says: ‘Get up, I’ll pick you up.’

So what are you waiting for? Make yourself a coffee – and ask him what he wants to eat.

Sexy, dry, German: How Germany is cracking England’s wine scene

Sometimes it’s really not easy for German wines. You’re standing in the London wine aisle – dry, elegant, perfectly balanced – and what does the Brit say? ‘Oh, isn’t that that sweet stuff from before? Liebfraumilch or something?’ Ouch! No elegant label with a castle drawing, no gold medal from the Rheingau and no ‘Großes Gewächs’ sticker will help.

In England, as a German wine, you have long been the nerdy exchange student who talks too much about soil types and doesn’t party enough.

The wine culture in England is international, open, curious – French classics alongside Australian blockbuster wines, Chilean everyday bottles alongside hip English sparkling wines. You could say that England is a wine country without its own great tradition – and that is precisely what makes it so exciting.

Germany has fantastic wines. Great Rieslings, delicate Pinot Noirs, sparkling wines from traditional bottle fermentation. German wine actually has everything that England loves: quality, freshness, individuality. Artisan sparkling wines are often world class, but hardly anyone in England knows that!

Young winemakers and modern wine bars in particular are struggling to break down the old image. It’s time for a makeover. A sexy rebranding. The only thing missing is the moment when Riesling, Pinot Noir & Co. appear on the island, casually run their hands through their hair and say: ‘Hey, England. Ready to have some fun?’

The Sunday roast is an institution: roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, vegetables, gravy – hearty, meaty, full of umami. And it all cries out for a German red wine that is not too heavy, not too massive.

• Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) brings freshness, fine red fruit, elegant acidity – perfect with pink roast beef.
• Lemberger, with its spiciness, is a great match for the roasted flavours of meat and vegetables.
• Dornfelder, which is somewhat darker and fruitier, can be used if the roast is more intensely flavoured or comes with plenty of gravy.

The pairing works so well because the German red wine emphasises elegance rather than power. Where a powerful Shiraz would overwhelm the roast, a Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) dances charmingly around it.

Steak & ale pie & Lemberger. Why not? A hearty meat pie with ale-soaked sauce literally cries out for a wine that can keep up. Lemberger from Württemberg brings dark berries, peppery spice and a beautiful structure – exactly what this savoury pie loves.

Pork Pie & Riesling Brut sparkling wine. The pork pie is fatty, flavoursome, with a layer of jelly – sparkling freshness helps. A Riesling Brut sparkling wine adds sparkle, acidity and freshness – and turns the pork pie into a real feast.

Whether German Riesling with Shepherd’s Pie or German Pinot Noir with Sunday Roast: in the end, it becomes clear that food and drink are always an invitation to dialogue. And sometimes all it takes is a good glass of wine for two cultures to suddenly speak the same language.

In vino veritas: What your favourite German wine reveals about you

Some people read horoscopes, others go to therapy. Me? I just look into my wine glass. My favourite wine knows me better than my diary – a slightly tipsy self-analysis. So here we go: Your favourite German wine and what it really reveals about you:

Riesling
The control freak with style.
Everything in your life has structure: the colour palette of your wardrobe, your Excel spreadsheets, even your leisure activities. Inside, you are sometimes tired of your own perfectionism, but a glassy-fresh Riesling gives you the feeling of having everything firmly under control again. Your soul mantra: ‘When life gets complicated, all you need is good acidity.’

Müller-Thurgau
The gentle optimist.
You have a sunny lightness about you. You’re not one for drama, you prefer to make things nice. Müller-Thurgau is like your state of mind: uncomplicated, friendly, with a dash of self-irony. And if someone tells you the wine is too simple, you just shrug your shoulders: ‘Then you just don’t get it.’

Silvaner
The underrated soul at every party.
You listen more than you talk, but often have the wisest thoughts. Your state of mind fluctuates between ‘I’m not that important anyway’ and ‘Why doesn’t anyone realise that I’m brilliant?’. With a glass of Silvaner in your hand, you have long since realised that understatement is the true coolness.

Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris)
The hedonist in search of lightness.
Your soul longs for holidays, aperitivo moments and ‘just enjoying yourself’. When you drink Pinot Gris, you escape from the serious questions of life. You say to yourself: ‘Oh come on, that’s fine!’ – even though you know full well that there’s still that tax return waiting for you.

Weißburgunder (Pinot Blanc)
The fine spirit in need of harmony.
Conflicts? No thanks. Your soul wants a world in which everyone is nice to each other and the weather is always mild. Pinot Blanc is your soul comforter because it is gentle, friendly and uncomplicated – just the way you like it best. And secretly hope so.

Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir)
The elegant bon vivant.
Fine, stylish, almost aristocratic. Pinot Noir knows that it is good – and has been for a very long time. It doesn’t need to show off, its sophistication speaks for itself. He loves life, good food and good conversation, but he also has a vulnerable core that he doesn’t show to everyone.
If he were a book: a leather-bound copy of Marcel Proust, with gilt edges.
Vulnerable like you.

Regent
The passionate daredevil.
Regent is like a dark lover from a romance novel: intense, physical, sensual. He has a temperament, wants a lot – sometimes too much. Motto: ‘All or nothing!’
He spices things up, flirts aggressively, but sometimes has trouble restraining himself. If you let him get too close, things can get dramatic – but boring? Never.

Saint Laurent
The melancholic romantic.
Dressed in black, profound, a little enigmatic. He doesn’t want to please – he wants to touch. He wears cashmere and listens to old chansons. Someone who watches old French films and listens to Leonard Cohen. When he smiles, he smiles in such a way that it tears at your heart for a moment.

Trollinger
The cheerful village clown.
Always on the go with a smile, he knows everyone at the wine festival, everyone loves him and he loves everyone (at least after the third glass). Motto: ‘Why be serious when you can be funny?’
He’s not afraid to be silly. If someone knocks on the table and shouts ‘Cheers!’, then it’s definitely the Trollinger.

Black Riesling
The relaxed connoisseur.
Elegant, but not conceited. Schwarzriesling leans back, enjoys the little things, loves to talk about good food and fine flavours. Motto: ‘Just don’t stress.’
He’s the friend who says: ‘Oh, let’s just open another bottle.’
Sometimes slightly playful, a little underestimated because he’s not as loud as the others. But when it comes down to it, it has depth and style.

In the end, the wine not only shows what we drink – but who we are when nobody is looking: The connoisseur with depth? The sociable fun-maker? The fiery daredevil? Or the elegant classic?

 
Gin: an aromatic powerhouse flirts with modern German cuisine

Gin has also undergone an image change in recent years: From an old-fashioned juniper schnapps to a hipster drink with botanicals, rose petals, cucumber slices and fancy tonic waters.

If tea is the elegant dancer and coffee the wild daredevil, then gin is the eccentric cousin who always laughs a little too loudly, wears bright red lipstick and glitter on her eyelashes – and still (or perhaps because of this) wins everyone’s hearts.

And modern German cuisine? It’s experimental, fresh, regional – and ready for drinks pairing that isn’t just wine and beer. Gin shouts: ‘I’m in the mood for gimmicks. Get out your apron!’

Gin and tonic & oysters
This is sophisticated meets salty. The gin with its herbal and citrus flavour brings freshness to the iodine sea breeze of the oyster. Caution: Only works if you’re prepared to feel like a character from an expensive novel for a moment.

Trout with apple horseradish & gin with apple or citrus flavours
A modern twist on ‘fish with a kick’: the sharpness of horseradish meets the fruitiness of gin. A gin with apple, pear or citrus in the botanicals enhances the freshness, while the juniper holds everything together like an anchor.

Roasted pointed cabbage with nut butter & gin with herbal botanicals
Pointed cabbage sounds inconspicuous, but in modern cuisine it is a star. Roasted flavours, nuttiness, a hint of sweetness. It goes well with a gin with herbal botanicals (e.g. rosemary, thyme) – this enhances the flavours and makes the dish lighter and airier.

Porcini mushrooms & earthy gin (perhaps with forest botanicals)
Yes, there are gins that play with mushrooms or forest herbs! Together with a mushroom dish, this is an umami-heavy pairing that will catapult you straight into a damp autumn forest. Close your eyes: Moss, mist, gin in a glass. Perfect.

Gin is not a simple accompaniment – it is an aromatic powerhouse that not only complements modern German cuisine, but also flirts, dances and sometimes overdoes it a little. And that’s exactly what makes it exciting. So next time, don’t just think about the gin and tonic glass: Which dish can I dress up for you, dear gin?

Whisky: When Highland fire meets German cuisine

Whisky is usually the hero of fireside evenings, cigar lounges and Scottish castle ruins. But what happens when you pair this smoky, honey-coloured rebel with German cuisine? I’m telling you: a culinary crossover that pops.

Goat’s cheese with beetroot carpaccio & light Lowland whisky
Earthy, sweet and sour notes of beetroot meet creamy cheese. A floral, light Lowland whisky with hints of grass and lemon adds a fresh and subtle finish. No drama, just fine harmony – like a good indie concert in the backyard.

Fried pike-perch with parsley root puree & Speyside whisky
Pike-perch is fine fish, parsley root adds a gentle sweetness. And a fruity, honey-like Speyside whisky? That’s a dream pairing. Just imagine: A walk by the lake, golden evening sun, a glass in your hand. Ahhh.

Fermented vegetables & smoky Islay whisky
Modern German cuisine loves fermentation. Sauerkraut was just the beginning! A strong Islay whisky with smoke and peat goes well with the spicy, hot, sour vegetables. Cultures collide here – and grin at each other.

Mushroom risotto & sherry-aged Highland whisky
Mushrooms, umami… This calls for a whisky with depth. A Highlander that has been allowed to mature in a sherry cask brings dark fruit, chocolate, perhaps even a hint of nut. This is not a quick date, this is a candlelight dinner.

Grilled ribeye steak & Laphroaig
Smoke meets roasted flavours, the fat of the beef carries the peatiness of the whisky perfectly. Laphroaig, Ardbeg, Lagavulin go brilliantly with grilled or braised beef. Tip: Drizzle a few drops of the whisky into the BBQ sauce finish or directly over the sliced meat!

Whisky, the noble, mature drink that you sip slowly from heavy glasses … and German street food… Does it go together? Oh yes, and better than you think. Whisky loves salt, fat, smoke, sweetness – everything that makes up street food.

Currywurst (sausage in curry sauce) & smoky Islay whisky
Currywurst is spicy, fatty, slightly sweet, a little hot – exactly the kind of terrain in which a strong, peaty Islay whisky (e.g. Laphroaig or Ardbeg) shines. The smoke of the whisky flirts with the spiciness of the sauce, while the fat of the sausage absorbs the alcoholic strength. The result: a pairing that really rocks.

Leberkässemmel (finely textured meat loaf, sliced, in a bread roll) & sherry-aged whisky
Meaty, savoury, slightly sweet: the Leberkässemmel is a Bavarian classic that cries out for depth. A whisky matured in sherry casks brings dark fruit, nuttiness and chocolate into play – and raises the Leberkäse to gourmet level.

The whisky looks out of its glass, winks and says: ‘I’m old, but I can be young. Let’s play.’

Signature Pairs Fusion Style: Urban British-German Remix

Aperitif

• Drink: Craft cider spritz (British apple cider with German Riesling sparkling wine, rosemary sprig, grapefruit zest)
• Amuse-bouche: Thin slice of home-marinated char (German) with gin jelly (British gin), tiny dill blossom, served on black slate

Starter

• Vegetarian:
  • Dish: Green asparagus tartare (German) with mint and pea puree (British accent), served with a crunch of toasted pumpernickel
    • -Wine: Dry German Silvaner, puristic, mineral, clear line
• Beef:
  • Dish: Beef tartare with pickled mustard seeds, chives, toasted sourdough bread (Germany) and a hint of HP sauce (England)
  • Wine: Natural wine, e.g. German Orange Wine or English Bacchus – funky, fresh, slightly experimental

Main course

• Fish
  • Dish: ‘Fish & Chips’ Reimagined: Cod tempura (British) on crispy fried potato cubes (German), served with pea and wasabi cream and a homemade mayo
  • Wine: An Alte Reben Riesling, which delights with its melting texture and an elegant dry flavour, or a British Pale Ale from the bottle
• Poultry
  • Dish: Sous-vide cooked pigeon breast (English-inspired) on creamed savoy cabbage (German), served with blackberry reduction and confit mini beetroot
  • Wine: Slender German Pinot Noir with a fine spiciness, not a wood monster, but filigree

Pre-dessert

• Dish: Stilton foam (British) with apple vinaigrette and crispy potato net (German twist) – served as a small spoon course
• Wine: A splash of German Riesling Auslese as a mini shot

Dessert

• Dish: Sticky toffee pudding (classic British) with apple-calvados ice cream (North German twist) and caramelised hazelnuts
• Spirit pairing: German apple brandy from orchards or British sloe gin on the rocks

Finale

• Coffee/Tea: Espresso or flat white (British hipster) or a Yogi tea
• Petit Treat: Shortbread with salted almond crunch or mini speculoos praline