"First of all everything to zero": Here he reveals how Johann Lafer is coping with the crisis and whether he regrets leaving the Stromburg.
Almost all business areas of Johann Lafer (62, "Essen gegen Arthrose") came to a standstill with the lockdown, as he says in an interview with the news agency spot on news: "So first of all everything was zero for me." The 62-year-old, who is glad that he already parted from his star restaurant on the Stromburg in 2019, has become "creative", he continues.
Gastronomy is suffering from the effects of the corona crisis. How have you been doing?
Johann Lafer: I suffer with all my colleagues who have to run a restaurant and can hardly work economically under the corona-related restrictions – even if they make sense for health. Personally, I can be glad to have separated from my Stromburg last year. Then I designed my business model even more for TV, events, cooking classes, pleasure trips and a culinary stage program – but almost all of these areas came to a standstill with the shutdown. So for me, everything was initially zero.
Tim Mälzer's tearful appearance at Markus Lanz caused a lot of excitement: How close did your colleague's words go to you?
Lafer: It was a very emotional performance and I suffered a lot with it. Many of my colleagues are rightly desperate because even with all the government help, the shutdown was difficult to bridge. Like me, Tim Mälzer is a restaurateur with absolute passion and the lack of prospects at the time simply killed him and others. Only gradually did the creative come back into us – in the form of online cooking courses, cooking for social projects and much more. But hardly anyone can make a living from it. And we are also responsible for our employees, who were all sent on short-time work. I can understand every tear from every entrepreneur in the catering or travel industry, it hit us hardest.
Have you ever regretted saying goodbye to your star restaurant on the Stromburg?
Lafer: From today's perspective, definitely not at all. But it was a long way to get there, it is not so easy to part with your life's work. My wife Silvia and I built the Stromburg and managed it together for 25 years. Because of my many appearances abroad, my wife had been hit harder than me because she had the strings on the Stromburg in hand. But we decided that together, also on the basis that our children take other professional paths, and so we made sure that the succession was arranged properly. We had to get used to not being present for our guests on public holidays. In the meantime we both enjoy it, have set new goals and regret almost nothing.
You are currently running an outdoor cooking school where you can conduct cooking courses with the necessary safety distance with 14 people. How did you come up with this idea and how do you imagine such an outdoor cooking class?
Lafer: Well, I also had to get creative during this time – when all of your business areas were suddenly on ice. In my previous cooking school I was only allowed to cook with six guests according to Corona requirements, it just doesn't pay off. Then I came up with the idea of an outdoor cooking school, especially since I had the property in Guldental. So we set up a kitchenette and created a cozy lounge under umbrellas with ample space and space – here I can get started with 14 guests. And one thing I have to say, cooking and enjoying the open air together is the most fun.
How are your other business areas doing? Do you sell products such as pot sets, spices, gin, etc.?
Lafer: You have to say that I am a self-confessed product junkie – regardless of whether it is food or appliances and utensils for the kitchen. Out of sheer enthusiasm and conviction, I then brought a lot with various partners onto the market, which sometimes turned out to be a flop. But the current products, especially the pot sets, funds, barbecue sauces and Roman pot are doing quite well.
With the Corona outbreak at Tönnies, the discussion about the conditions in the meat industry has flared up again. What do you advise consumers who are used to buying cheap meat from the supermarket?
Lafer: Above all, the conditions for the employees in the accommodations are catastrophic, not to mention dealing with the animals. Good products and also meat have to have their price, but this is not accepted as much in Germany as in other countries. And I also understand that the cheap prices can unfortunately seduce you, especially on a tight budget. A very stupid mistake when buying minced meat happened to me recently, but there was a lot of (legitimate) scolding on the net. I can only guess – less is more. Rarely buy a good piece of meat locally from a butcher. On the one hand, this is healthier and on the other hand it protects the animals and the environment. For health reasons, I increasingly do without meat myself and, because of my osteoarthritis, eat a plant-based diet as much as possible. And with enjoyable recipes, I don't have to do without anything.