Andreas Krolik is the chef de cuisine at Restaurant Lafleur at the Palmengarten in Frankfurt, Germany.
His understanding of food production and the quality of ingredients began when he was a child, as his parents grew their own fruit and vegetables and even reared pigs, rabbits, geese and ducks.
He said: "My parents and grandparents were all working full-time, and we as kids had to support them a lot. We help with feeding the animals, sowing the gardens. That really impacted and shaped me."
The chef also learned to fish from a young age, a passion which led him away from rivers and into the salted waters of the Baltic and North seas, and, his favourite of all, the North Atlantic waters of Norway.
"I love fishing, I have a high affinity to everything that comes from the sea. Fish, seafood, shellfish. It’s a hobby that, unfortunately, I cannot practice as much as I would like to."
As well as allowing him to live out his passion for fishing, Andreas is a fervent admirer of the country's mountains and forests.
Far from Germany's accoladed restaurants, Andreas learned to cook for a private employer, meaning the approach was less formal and more hands-on.
"It was very craft-oriented, we made everything ourselves," he explained.
"My chef during my training was a trained master butcher, a master baker, and also a kitchen chef.
"That was a very good foundation for me."
His only experience of a Michelin star restaurant was at Tigerpalast - also in Frankfurt - in 1998.
However, not having worked at multiple accoladed restaurants didn't stop the chef from earning two for his work at the Relais & Chatêaux restaurant, nor did it hinder him from honing his skills in French classical cuisine.
Straying from the more traditional aspects of French food - namely, the abundance of cream and butter - the food at Lafleur focuses on regional, seasonal, increasingly vegetable-based food.
"Regardless of how high-quality [the dish] is and how beautifully it gets presented on the plates,
you can always find a bit of earthiness in my cuisine.
"Calling my cuisine an aroma cuisine makes sense since I very much enjoy playing with spices and
aromas from all around the world, but never to the degree that the main product is drowned. The main product is always clearly in focus."
Respect for produce and for one another - from the 10 chefs in the kitchen to the front of house team, led by his wife, and the sommeliers - as well the desire to satisfy and please customers drive everything at Lafleur.
The chef stresses that every glimmer of success is their own, and every cent that enters the business is private - something he takes pride in.
"Besides the high culinary expectations that we have and the high-quality cuisine and the perfect service that we celebrate, it is important that the entire thing works economically.
"We’re not a business that receives subsidies - the entire business is run privately. Thus it is natural to me – basically like the way I grew up during my childhood – it matters to me to process the products in a wholesome, positive way,and when that is coupled with highly content guests and top awards. That is success to me."
In these challenging times…
The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.
Over the last 16 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 560,000 followers across Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.
A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.
Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.
