Weimarer Land presents itself to British media

APOLDA. The big showdown between England and Germany at EURO 2024 is still to come. But in culinary terms, there was already an exciting international match last Monday: English media representatives met a high-calibre line-up from the Weimar region's culinary scene at "Hans am See" on the Hohenfelden reservoir. "Food Masters" was the name of the event organised by the district administration office in an idyllic location right on the water. The occasion was the stay of the English national football team at the Spa & Golf Resort Weimarer Land and its media entourage.

The guests from the BBC, The Sun, The Mirror and other media enjoyed the relaxing holiday atmosphere for which the region is known. They were welcomed with mini Thuringian sausages and a quince and apple cider. The guests were satisfied right from the start. With the appreciative words "Very good!" and "Tastes great!", the journalists were already enthusiastic at this point.

"What a fantastic place!"

"The Food Masters impressively conveyed the diversity of the Weimar region's cuisine," confirms Franziska Thomas, head of the EURO team in the Weimar region. "We were able to give the English press a special feeling of well-being with the combination of hospitality, quality and regionality." At the end of the evening, the journalists were unanimous in their praise of the event: "Thanks for this night - we all loved it and really appreciated the hospitality. What a fantastic place".

The stars of the evening were the chefs from the Weimarer Land region. They impressively demonstrated that regional cuisine can easily keep up with the international top class. Danny Schwabe, head chef at the fine dining restaurant Masters at the Spa & Golf Resort Blankenhain and Michelin star holder since 2023, spoilt the journalists with smoked salmon trout, apple, onion and sour cream. Michael Nagel, who runs Gasthaus Nagel in Bad Berka with his wife in the second generation, presented crispy veal schnitzel with lukewarm potato salad. Dennis König, owner of the Waldgasthaus und Hotel Stiefelburg in Nauendorf, served ox cheeks in red wine with Thuringian dumplings and root vegetables. Host and "food entertainer" Hans C. Marcher also cooked for the guests: pasta with chanterelles and mini Thuringian bratwurst or potato sausage in a brioche bun.

The beverage team was also high-calibre: Franziska Zobel, Cider-Manufaktur Freyburg, served the quince-apple cider Brut 2023 as a welcome drink, while Matthias Wiegand, Master Distiller & Fine Spirits Sommelier from Weimar, served organic distillates, liqueurs and gin as a digestif.

The wines for the menu were served by the Thuringian Wine Princess 2023/24, Emma Meinhardt from Bad Sulza, herself. She poured the journalist's 2022 Pinot Blanc "Excellence" from Bad Sulzaer Sonnenberg to accompany the veal, and a Werkstück Weimar Festtag 2020 from the Freyburg winegrowers' cooperative made from barrique-aged Frühburgunder to accompany the ox cheeks. Danny Schwabe's fish creation was accompanied by "Prinzessinnenwein von Emma", an estate wine made from Johanniter from the Zahn winery in Kaatschen.

The evening was hosted by English-born radio presenter Warren Green, who lives in Germany.