Fred living it up in Nicaragua Fred, the latest addition to our Curious Characters series, is a half-French, all German chef who for the last fifteen years has been sharing his talents all over the world. After receiving his training at a hotel in Germany, he spent a few years working around the South of Germany and near the French border. His passion for travel then led him to work in some of the most beautiful places in the world, including Panama, Australia, the Krabi region of Thailand, and the cities of Tulum, Mexico and Granada, Nicaragua. In addition to his chef training, his ability to speak to customers in German, French, English and Spanish make him an asset in restaurants worldwide.
sampling the local delicacies We met Fred while volunteering over Christmas at Sol y Mar, a hotel & restaurant in the surf and dive town of Santa Catalina, Panama. Part of our job there was to help in the restaurant, serving the customers and lending Fred the odd hand in the kitchen. Despite having a much smaller kitchen than he’d like, it was awesome to watch Fred work his magic, whipping up a variety of rich dishes of chicken, pork, or freshly caught corvina (sea bass) or red snapper, almost always with a side of potatoes (he is German, after all) and always presented delicately and artistically. As his servers Fred would summon us to duty, as he put the final touches on each plate, by announcing “BRING BRING!”, a habit that no doubt was carried from his work at a professional kitchen where there was an actual bell to serve the purpose.
Working and hanging out with Fred was one of the better parts about our time in Santa Catalina, and we’re excited to see where his cooking takes him next! Keep bein' chili, Fred!
~Mandrew
Working and hanging out with Fred was one of the better parts about our time in Santa Catalina, and we’re excited to see where his cooking takes him next! Keep bein' chili, Fred!
~Mandrew
Interview with Fred
on a permanent holiday? =) What's your favourite part about being a chef?
Always being surrounded by good food, being able to work & travel in beautiful places where others go for a holiday.
How would you describe your cooking style?
“Oma's Küche”, real cooking like our Grandmas did with influences from all over the world.
Always being surrounded by good food, being able to work & travel in beautiful places where others go for a holiday.
How would you describe your cooking style?
“Oma's Küche”, real cooking like our Grandmas did with influences from all over the world.
Where did you first receive your training?
Hotel „Oberschwäbischer Hof“ in Germany in 1995-8 and several other Restaurants and Hotels in south of Germany.
What's the best place you've worked?
I guess this is in Panama, so far.
Where in the world you like to work next?
Maybe some where in Southeast Asia.
What are some ways you've had to adapt your cooking to the various locations you've worked?
First of all the different languages spoken within work, and of course different cultures and work attitudes. Then especially in Panama where I live and work a bit far from civilization there are sometimes several issues with infrastructure like bad road conditions, heavy rains, power cuts, tropical heat, and of course lots of mosquitos and wildlife.
Hotel „Oberschwäbischer Hof“ in Germany in 1995-8 and several other Restaurants and Hotels in south of Germany.
What's the best place you've worked?
I guess this is in Panama, so far.
Where in the world you like to work next?
Maybe some where in Southeast Asia.
What are some ways you've had to adapt your cooking to the various locations you've worked?
First of all the different languages spoken within work, and of course different cultures and work attitudes. Then especially in Panama where I live and work a bit far from civilization there are sometimes several issues with infrastructure like bad road conditions, heavy rains, power cuts, tropical heat, and of course lots of mosquitos and wildlife.
cooking on the water What has been your most exciting cooking gig to date?
Cooking on a private sailing yacht crossing the Panama Canal from the Pacific to the Atlantic side and sailing up the Caribbean coast to Bocas del Toro.
Do you ever see yourself "settling down" somewhere? Where?
Yes, but I still haven’t decided yet. Most probably not in Germany, maybe in Panama!?
Cooking on a private sailing yacht crossing the Panama Canal from the Pacific to the Atlantic side and sailing up the Caribbean coast to Bocas del Toro.
Do you ever see yourself "settling down" somewhere? Where?
Yes, but I still haven’t decided yet. Most probably not in Germany, maybe in Panama!?
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