From Apprentice to Award Winner

In a joint interview, she talks about the idea behind her concept, the significance of her win, her vision for the future of the restaurant industry, and how her training at the Platzl Hotel has influenced her success.

What does winning the 2025 Genuss-Kultur Prize mean to you personally?

I was surprised that I won, since I entered mainly to give myself an opportunity to articulate my vision for the future. At first, I wasn’t even sure if I should submit my concept at all. I’m, of course, extremely pleased that what I see as my ideal future has generated such a positive response.

What is your award-winning dining concept all about?

My concept describes my dream of a restaurant with a courtyard that is planted using permaculture principles and produces just about all of its own ingredients. The vision behind it rests on three main pillars: Roots, Dignity, Wohletz Nature, Respect/Attitude, Identity, and the courage to follow one’s own intuition. It’s about plant diversity, identity, and above all listening to nature and our surroundings and working with them, using what is given to us.

You're pursuing the vision of a restaurant that's as self-sufficient as possible. What does that vision look like in concrete terms?

In this vision, the restaurant has a courtyard planted using permaculture principles. This also means knowing which plants thrive in which environments and incorporating that knowledge. To ensure there are enough ingredients for cooking, a lot must - or rather, may (I see this more as an opportunity) - be preserved through fermentation, pickling, drying, etc. Products for which this isn’t possible are harvested during their own “micro-season.” This doesn’t mean whenever I need them, but precisely when the product reaches its peak. In practice, this requires a great deal of intuition and flexibility on the part of the kitchen.

Why are sustainability, regionality, and seasonality so important to you? 

In short, the key word is environmental protection. But I believe environmental protection means more than just not working against nature - it means listening to nature and following its lead. You take only what nature is willing to give. Plus, food is of better quality when it’s harvested fresh and locally.
 

What role did your training at the Platzl Hotel play in your development?

On the one hand, my training provided me with professional skills - in a very broad and personalized way - but the training at the Platzl did so much more for me. The Platzl and my many wonderful colleagues helped me gain more confidence in myself and follow my vision. I certainly wouldn’t have had the courage to give my dreams room to grow in my mind without this training, especially the training at the Platzl. It’s incomparable.

What can guests expect at the gourmet evening at the Dillmann Winery? 

Pauline and I both have concepts that harmonize beautifully with one another. Bringing these concepts to life - both on the plate and for the guests - will be what makes the evening so special. I think it’s going to be a very emotional evening!

How do you envision the future of the restaurant industry? 

I don’t think there’s just one vision of the future of gastronomy. What I’m already seeing - and think will experience a resurgence - is simplicity: fewer ingredients on the plate and less elaborate combinations, but rather old classics reinterpreted. Overall, though, I see a very diverse, vibrant, and individualistic gastronomy in the future, and that’s something to look forward to.

Hannah’s success at the 2025 Culinary Culture Award highlights just how much innovative spirit, creativity, and responsibility the younger generation in the restaurant industry possesses. We are proud to support her on her journey and look forward to seeing how she will help shape the future of the restaurant industry.

On August 25, guests can experience firsthand how Hannah’s ideas about regionality, seasonality, and sustainable dining are reflected on the plate during a special evening of culinary delights at the Dillmann Winery in Geisenheim.