UBS Monocle
Pushing the boundaries of flavour
Basil Willi, Flurin Willi, Tim Gebhardt and Timon Wolf
Founders, Kollektiv Eulenspiegel
Despite diverse day jobs, the former school friends who make up Kollektiv Eulenspiegel really shine when they cook together in their “Food Lab”, a former bakery in Basel’s Gundeldingen district.
“We craft culinary experiences,” says Flurin Willi (pictured on left). “We’re not just serving food; we want to tell stories with what we serve, through presentation, preparation methods and flavours. Our favourite events happen in intimate settings.”
The young culinary group plan collaborations with local restaurants, concoct workshops and cater to private events. Building such experiences, says Willi, means adopting different roles.
“We forage for produce in the nearby forests with our truffle dog, Vayra; become handymen if we’re hosting guests somewhere without a kitchen; and, of course, there’s the culinary stuff.”
Describing themselves as detail-driven artists, the collective focuses on local ingredients and experimenting with specialist processes. “We’re nerdy about fermentation and preservation,” says Willi. “We always play with the unknown: go to the market, buy an interesting-looking vegetable and throw it in a jar with water and salt to see what happens. Maybe it explodes but perhaps it will give you the subtle tangy flavour that you’ve been missing on your cheese sandwich.”
That experimental approach is appreciated by the guests. “Isn’t it the very best feeling,” adds Willi, “to see people smile and enjoy your food?”
Photographer: Philip Frowein. Images: Lukas Wassmann, Annette Fischer
