3 dishes, delicious composition

Isabelle Pering, top chef and owner of the BellasLOKAL restaurant in Altenhain 

I constantly seek inspiration from seasonal produce. Other things that I gain new impulses from include visits to restaurants, strolling through markets and visits to museums. Paintings, colours and images can be just as inspiring as a special flavour.  

If I ever get stuck, I talk to my team members or to other colleagues from the industry. I also love to find out about my apprentices’ ideas. Young chefs tend to have a very different mindset and to approach new creations very freely and without inhibitions. 

David Rink, starred chef and owner of the OX restaurant in Darmstadt 

Our dishes are often inspired by seasonal influences and personal taste preferences. These tend to change from year to year, ranging mostly between European and Asian flavours.  

We often find new ideas through our regular exchange with our producers and suppliers. Nature is another source of inspiration for us – going for walks across fields or through the forest or visiting our farmer’s own shop, where we can see the fresh produce directly on site.  

René Frank, top patissier and co-owner of the Coda restaurant in Berlin 

I think of Berlin as a place that is characterised by freedom, and this freedom is the most important ingredient in my kitchen. The city’s energy, diversity and creativity inspire me on a daily basis. A single flavour, a product or a memory are often all it takes to trigger a process in which emotion and skill are ultimately combined.  

If I ever struggle to come up with new ideas, it can help to take a step back and go travelling, scuba diving or boxing. I often have my best ideas in moments like this when I am not actively looking for inspiration.