About Me

Essreif is German for ready-to-eat. And it carries these two connotations of readiness: namely, being fully grown or seasoned as well as being keen or all-set. For me, Essreif is a place and a mode of being in which I am inclined and ready for food. Cooking is all about love for me. I love food, the preparation of meals and what meals can do for people – the ones we love or are not sure about or are desperate to meet. Life & the many relationships that emerge from it can be messy and beautiful at the same time. Yet, people always come together around meals. For me, these meals are not about etiquette or manners, but about the atmosphere that emerges: the tactility of plates, the softness of linen napkins, the smiles, the seeing of each other, which may take place, the conversations – hard or joyful –  both are always welcome, the comfort of a chair that hugs your body, the warmth of the light. Everything comes together when we gather to eat. That’s when we are Essreif.

More specifically, Essreif’s world is situated in the beautiful University town of Tübingen, in the South-West of Germany, where we, my wife Kim and I, work & live. Because I moved a lot when I was little, Tübingen is not only the place where I lived the longest, but it is also the place that I call home. Hugged by forests & mountains and close to Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, and France, Tübingen with its markets & lushness is a foodie’s heaven. Essreif is the story of food, love, Tübingen, my family with my wife Kim, our friends, and travels. Always simple, always delicious, always mindful. It is our honour that you join us.

X Katharina