Horst the Chef

Horst Berger

After my completion of trade school and apprenticeship in Germany, I worked in a healthy mix of hotel kitchens, restaurants, patisseries and luxury resorts. French cooking techniques and the elements of the 'nouvelle cuisine' influenced my life as a young chef. I travelled and travailed several years between luxury resorts with modern cooking styles and classical 'hardliner' restaurants with strong French orientated kitchen principles.

After 10 years in hospitality, I could finally apply, and was accepted ,for the entry to a German Master School. This traditional culinary school helped me to separate culinary fiction from traditional facts. I opened up to accept influences of different ethnic and cultural kitchens, and learned to integrate human habits and taste expectation in my food design. The fundamental kitchen skills and management studies at this Master School have ever since been part of my life as a Chef. After graduating from this Master School, I worked as a head chef for a few years, with challenging and rewarding jobs. The biggest was a central kitchen management position with 40 staff in 2 restaurants and a large fine patisserie.

A few years later, I had the opportunity to start my own restaurant with just a little money, lots of youthful energy and highflying ideas. Lucky me, thanks to my wife's professional support and her essential gift to keep me grounded; this was a successful and rewarding undertaking. The food concept in our restaurant changed over the years, however, the focus on healthy, tasty and flavour-balanced food was always the foundation in my menu designs. 

Over the next 20 years, we developed our business with three very different branches – an a la carte cafe, fine dining and solid functions venue. We operated all places at the same time before we migrated to Australia. We left each of these outlets in a healthy and wealthy condition and passed the businesses on to colleague-friends, which I had trained. After we handed them over, all businesses continued to be successful for many years.

In 1998, our family surrendered to the people and lifestyle of Australia. Here we started from scratch again. We spent almost a whole year looking for a start into self-employment. Our business migration visa pushed us in the right direction. We started safely, with a two-year lease at the German Club, before buying our restaurant in Happy Valley.

After more than 20 years of self-employment, I grabbed the opportunity to chef around here in Australia in order to study other people’s kitchens. I had the most pleasureful time exploring the diversity between the large function and festival venues, and some casual cafes and nice restaurants in the Adelaide Hills. However, soon my interest was drawn to the Fleurieu region, because my wife started working in a winery restaurant. I intentionally chose to temporarily put my nose into as many kitchens as possible; just to get a feel for the taste of the Fleurieu and McLaren Vale.

Then a little hiccup in a very positive way; destiny created an interesting opportunity. I went to school again. I had to learn not how to cook but to understand the Australian Quality Training Framework. 

The AQTF is the national set of standards which assures nationally consistent training and assessment for hospitality in Australia. As a freshly qualified Australian chef-trainer and assessor, I had the pleasure to work for a hospitality college in Adelaide. Here I set up a training kitchen, which won the award for best training facility under the professional development section in 2010.

The work at school was joyful and rewarding. However, McLaren Vale never left my mind. And my chef soul was crying for real food for real customers. And the only place to do that is in a functional professional kitchen. Restaurant Au Pear gave me the opportunity to reactivate and implement my cooking principles. I really enjoyed my time in Au Pear's well equipped kitchen, working with people who really care about food and service. Early in 2016, I decided to take my 'long service leave' to recharge and refocus on a food concept which I have had in mind for quite some time.

This idea is now trading as WineFood McLaren Vale.

Food and wine matching inspires me to systematically look for cooking techniques and seasoning tools to appreciate taste and flavour in food; at the same time, extra care is needed to respect the finer taste profile of wine in general. Food and wine are made for each other, 'if made for each other', was born.

In order to bring food and wine together in the closest possible way, I needed a kitchen setup next to a winery. A winery with a representative range of local wine; balanced, food-friendly and expressive of their terroir and variety. SHINGLEBACK.

Shingleback has exactly all of the above; and the most suitable kitchen for WineFood. One more positive opportunity is given by Shingleback: we are able to prepare and present WineFood directly in the modified tasting kitchen next to the cellar door.

The WineFood  philosophy I have formed by combining lessons from my 'old school' teachers and respected modern chefs with my own experience. My food concept is a result of successfully working in a la carte and function kitchens for an unspeakable 40 years!

...here I wish to quote an old teacher's saying: 'You don’t have to be mad to work in a kitchen, however, it will help you a lot!'

Here I am, looking forward to delivering more flavour of the season in refreshing and appealing food; well presented and professionally produced. And creating a taste which is almost visible, in which you can hear the sound of fresh and crusty bread combined with a morning breeze of sea, lemon and ginger air, finished with a hint of fine wine and a splash of olive oil.

Horst the Chef 

Mastermind of WineFood ;-)

              www.winefood.com.au

And here my kitchen guidelines for the WineFood menu planning:

Professional kitchen knowledge sewn together with practical skills.

Evidence of this statement will be seen in each dish. I don't present mash, bland rice or plain polenta because I believe these can be cooked easily at home. 'Professional skills' means you can expect well-crafted menu items on your plate.

Product experience knitted together with local produce.

Sometimes I think the local shops and markets write my menus. Just driving from Victor Harbor to McLaren Vale easily creates a full size dinner menu: yabbies, trout, venison, cheeses, veal, lamb, berries, veggies, salad, goat curd, herbs and spices. All picked up on one pleasant drive along Victor Harbor Road.

Seasonal freshness woven into classical and traditional recipes.

Quiche Lorraine, the traditional French onion cake, is happy to be "frogged" up with spring onions and goat curd, or Paris Creek creme fraiche. The method is still traditional, alongside seasonal freshness, tastefully combined to form new dishes.

Modern Australian presentation braided with native herbs and spices.

All the rules above will be enough to create solid and fresh dishes, however, one more good thing from Terra Australis will be seen and tasted on your plate. Bush food is not rough if dressed nicely. River mint on lamb and mountain pepper on squid or scallops. That is history of local fine food in the making.

Nutritional values and health aspects fashionably designed with taste and flavour in our tartellos.

The definition of staple food can be ordinary but staples are essential for a balanced modern diet. Potatoes, pasta, rice, polenta and grains go well alongside fine food. Knowing consistency and texture and finding the right flavour combination are the keys to our tartello slices. Fresh vegetables are equally important; therefore we have no hesitation in bringing this goodness together in each square and sometimes strengthen the construction with Australian native plants.

Here we go, and you are invited to come and enjoy WineFood McLaren Vale

Horst on YouTube