“For me, a tavern cries out for something permanent with a regulars' table where you can hang out regularly and spontaneously with friends,” says Amelie from the culinary duo Studio Schmaus. In her city, the Berliner lacks tavern culture — it's an Austrian thing after all, her partner Alan, who comes from Vorarlberg: “If you have a rustic tavern where you can go, you should consider yourself lucky and keep it,” he says. Or build on it and continue it in a contemporary way: casual, with simple and affordable but good products and enough space to get together.

However, the two do not have a fixed location of this kind for their own formats. They rely on pop-ups, are asked for catering, and temporarily play private dinner events at the VRB Gallery in Berlin. “For me, the appeal lies in the freedom of not having to commit myself for years and not having the burden of taking out a loan and having to work through it,” says Amelie. Whether regulations or economic factors such as rent — the mobile kitchen removes many hurdles when opening a tavern.

“I think that a pop-up is a playground where you can try things out, more relaxed than in a restaurant with its structures,” says Alan. Like a tavern, their mobile offering also brings people together and provides the framework for networking. Both agree that catering is currently in demand. You want to bring a breath of fresh air to the industry with high-quality products and individually tailored concepts. Despite having fun improvising, there is also a lot of effort behind it, as Amelie knows by now.

It would be nice if such concepts were also brought more to rural areas, she adds. But that's not exactly easy either: “Then a lot of people come from the city, but how do you get people from the village there too? “Alan describes one possible way: Involve the population by picking up the vegetables from the farmer around the corner.

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Studio Schmaus, culinary duo from Berlin that focuses on regional vegetables, creative catering, events related to art and pop-ups — Amelie cooks and Alan serves