I actually studied music and dance in Vienna, but soon realized that I was drawn to faraway places, so I started traveling early and lived in New York for about 7 years (on & off) to dance (and also in the kitchen to work).  This is how the love for food, different cultures and their dishes, holistic health and gastronomy came about. In 2016 I founded the LAB kitchen in Runbase Berlin in cooperation with Adidas - an “active food” concept / restaurant / catering / cafe.  4 years ago I sold the restaurant and moved to south-west France to live closer to the sea. There I continued my work as a “private chef”, founded my matcha brand “LM Matcha” but also catered larger events with Nike, Reebok, Zalando, Spotify etc. and gave workshops on the topic of “active food” and organized a matcha ceremony. 

For me, the best recipes arise either from a state of deficiency or from a very clear, intense craving

I almost always have other women / people in mind or situations that are REALISTIC in everyday life, where you like to cook something good and HEALTHY, but only have minimal ingredients, space, equipment, time etc. Especially when traveling you often get into this situation and I have made it my goal to always try to prepare food that is really good for me and of course tastes good, but mainly nourishes me and gives me energy. This is also where my SEN concept came from - simple efficient nutrition.  From time to time, however, recipes are also created with a very clear vision - taste, smell, texture are already in my head. I then have to create the dish with as many test runs until I am satisfied with the result.

When I lived in London about 13 years ago and worked as a waitress at Divertimenti, I applied for my first official kitchen job in the same cafe. I had a trial day and was left with a recipe book and a list of chores and foods to cook/bake on my own. I can still remember the feeling very clearly, it was 7 a.m., I was alone in the kitchen and “was allowed” (had) to cook - and was paid for it! That's when it clicked for me and I knew that this is exactly the kind of work, environment and task that I need to feel free, creative, productive and motivated.

I'm very lucky to live in a region where it's very easy and transparent to understand where the ingredients come from - especially meat / fish, vegetables, fruit, eggs and cheese - the French are really strict and proud of that the great products from the surrounding area. Of course, not everything is certified organic, but I now have my contact points and farmers where I buy directly. With dry ingredients like nuts, chocolate, coffee, flour etc… this is often a bit more difficult but having worked in this industry for so long I can often find fairly quickly where I can source ethical ingredients (locally or online). All my catering and products therefore have a sustainable and as good as possible organic origin - I don't really make many exceptions.

I ate a bar of chocolate from Original Beans for the first time in Berlin about 10 years ago and can still remember the taste and the experience. After that I dealt very intensively with the topic of chocolate, especially when I worked in the (vegan) patisserie and tried an incredible number of different (including raw and non-organic) chocolate. Until recently I was working with a Basque bean to bar producer but the taste of Original Beans especially the 100% chocolate definitely won for me. 

Learn the science! How does chocolate behave with liquid, different oils, temperature fluctuations, different sweeteners, combination with other spices / ingredients ... I've learned a lot through learning by doing, but there are so many great books that explain the complexities of chocolate in a detailed and scientific way, and I think it's important for anyone who enjoys working with it (and not just eating it) to understand how "she" works.

I am particularly looking forward to 2 retreats (the only ones this year), which I can help organize or cook for. The “Magic Retreat” 2nd edition with Lisa Burzin - a week for women in beautiful Comporta, Portugal - in the middle of nowhere. Yoga, Pilates, Morning Matcha, Nutrition & Women's Health, Skin care & Gua Sha, digital detox and therapeutic massages.. there are still a few spots left . “Women on waves” with professional surfer Johanne Defay. Our 3rd edition here in SW France in collaboration with O'Neill. Surfing, training, yoga, "active food", power & relaxation for female athletes and active women! Projects for this year: new products in the web shop, “Female Balance” workshops, coaching & events, matcha ceremonies as part of retreats, seminars, festivals and sporting events…some still secret events in Amsterdam and Paris.