The first QL Robbe&Berking four Silver Butter Knives have been awarded during the QL 10th anniversary dinner at QL Hotel Château St. Gerlach in Valkenburg/Geul. Ms Susanne Stolte (chairperson of QL’s Advisory Board) and former Lieutenant General Mr Tony van Diepenbrugge (moderator of the afternoon workshops and former commander of the 1st German-Dutch Army Battalion) awarded the Silver Butter Knives to four QL Chefs who were among the 120 guests.
The four award winning chefs are renowned for sourcing local, sustainable and eco-friendly produce, in which they take great interest and are delighted to share their knowledge with their guests. By doing so, they also support local suppliers and local economy.
Susanne Stolte and Harald Rüssel during the Ceremony
The Butter Knives were awarded to:
Harald Rüssel (46, Landhaus St. Urban, Naurath/Wald, Germany, 1 Michelin Star, 18 points Gault Millau, 4.5 F Feinschmecker)
Harald Rüssel is Germany’s finest example of the New German Cuisine. His cuisine is creative, modern and has unmistakably local roots. Harald Rüssel is always looking for top produce, following it from grower to table. Only the highest quality will make it into his kitchen. By way of his cook books, such as Die Neue Landküche (The New Country Kitchen), Harald Rüssel tries to get regional produce into the limelight. Harald Rüssel is a shining example for many new top chefs in Germany, not in the least by virtue of his role in Les Jeunes Restaurateurs, the German branch of which he helped found and was chairman.
Hans Poppelaars (51, Manoir Kasselslay, Roder, Luxemburg, 3 black Michelin fork&spoons, 14 points Gault Millau)
Hans Poppelaars has ties with two major nature reserves in the region, Naturpark Übersaur and Our, where he sources much of his produce, such as mustard, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, beer, spelt flour, spelt rice and wheat flour pasta. His cuisine is a fine example of always using fresh, authentic local produce from the Our region. It speaks for itself that Manoir Kasselslay offers the best Luxemburg wines to complement the meal. His motto is use the best regional produce available.
Edwin Vinke (44, De Kromme Watergang, Hoofdplaat, Nederland, 2 Michelin Stars, 18.5 points Gault Millau)
Chef Vinke only has to stick his nose out of his door to collect seaweed and other sea vegetables. His restaurant is near Breskens, in the Zeeuws-Vlaanderen region. Fish and other seafood comes straight in from the fishermen’s boats; local farmers supply cows, pigs and sheep. His own 2.5 acre vegetable garden provides fresh vegetables and herbs. Local mills provide him with fresh flour and a local cheese maker delivers cheese. Edwin Vinke also likes to cook with water from the Oosterschelde. Soon, he will publish a book of recipes on how to cook with this wonderfully pure water.
Eric (58) and Tristan (29) Martin (Lemonnier, Lavaux-St.-Anne, Belgium, 1 Michelin Star, 17 points Gault Millau)
Father and son Martin are always on the look-out for the best regional products. This very special team changed the old motto of ‘waste not, want not’ into a contemporary, ecological version. This means that they not only use the so-called best parts of the cow, pig, goat, lamb or fish, but the whole animal. They are able to create beautiful dishes of almost anything and everything. Their cuisine is classic with a contemporary twist. Even the materials used in the restaurant’s interior are sourced locally.
QL Hotels encompasses a delightful selection of more than 100 independent, small quality hotels in The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and The Dutch Antilles. Robbe&Berking is one of the finest German silver manufacturers, dating from 1874, with a long and distinguished history rich in traditions. QL and Robbe&Berking work in close cooperation.
