Friedemann Heinrich new head chef at the Hotel Berlin Mitte: daily ticket
That Hotel Berlin Mitte has a new Executive Chef: With Friedemann Heinrich (35), an internationally experienced restaurateur is coming to the Spree, who will be responsible for the entire culinary orientation in the hotel, which will become the first hotel of the luxury brand JW Marriott in Berlin in the course of the year. He will manage the gastronomic offer of the restaurants, bars and lounges as well as the entire event area. Born in Ribnitz-Damgarten, Heinrich comes from The Ritz-Carlton, Doha.
After completing his final cooking exam in Austria in 2012, Heinrich traveled through Europe – his interest in local ingredients, exotic spices, sauces, pastes and tinctures was awakened. From 2012 he worked in the Middle East: in Lebanon, Jordan and Qatar. From 2015 to 2018 he introduced at the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts in Amman before opening The St. Regis Amman as Culinary Director.
Most recently, he worked at The Ritz-Carlton, Doha, where he built up a kitchen team of over 100 chefs, including seven chefs, from 2020 to 2022, covering a wide range of gastronomic directions in seven restaurants – from Arabic to French to Steakhouse and Pan-Asian.
For Friedemann Heinrich, the appreciation of the products used in the kitchen has a very special meaning. In his team, he will sharpen the understanding of the products and the work that goes into their production. Joint visits to the producers to understand work processes are therefore of great importance to him. “You have to understand how the products are made, how they are rooted in their environment and how much work goes into getting them on the plate. This is the only way to learn not only to pay attention to their appearance, but also to train haptic and olfactory perception. This helps with the sensible use and processing of the products in the kitchen, ultimately minimizing food waste as much as possible,” says Friedemann Heinrich.
Another important component of his work is the close relationship with producers and suppliers. The regional origin of the products, their sustainable production and seasonality play a historical role for Friedemann Heinrich in their selection. “I prefer to use a locally produced, old grain variety than, for example, quinoa, which has to be flown halfway around the world,” says the 35-year-old. Building up an intensive partnership with fruit and vegetable producers as well as meat suppliers as quickly as possible in order to create fresh, seasonal dishes is particularly important to him.
Aramis Gianella-Borradori, General Manager of the Hotel Berlin Central District says: “We are very happy to embark on the transformation journey to the JW Marriott Berlin together with Friedemann Heinrich. Friedemann therefore understands that it is important in the luxury hotel industry and will enrich us and the city of Berlin with his international know-how. Friedemann will play a key role in the further development of our culinary concept, contribute his creative ideas and build up the team accordingly.”
And Friedemann Heinrich is also looking forward to returning to Germany after ten years in the Middle East. For the half-Berliner, coming to Berlin is like coming home: “Being part of this exciting hotel project with its extensive and individual offer is a great honor and challenge for me. I’m also really looking forward to finally immersing myself in the city’s diverse gastronomy scene, which I’ve been constantly observing from abroad,” says Friedemann Heinrich.