meet Sophia Hoffmann
Holistic, seasonal, emotional, unpretentious, and creative - that's how HAPPA Restaurant in Kreuzberg describes its own cuisine. Founded by two inspiring individuals, this vegan place with a focus on sustainability established itself as a go-to spot in Berlin quickly. Today, we take a deeper insight into what it's like to be the culinary chef of HAPPA.
"pushing out high quality under time and space pressure doesn't need rude behavior and rigid hierarchies in the kitchen, other ways are possible."
Who are you?
I am Sophia Hoffmann, chef, author of four cookbooks, restaurateur, and co-founder of HAPPA Restaurant in Berlin Kreuzberg.
When did you discover your passion for cooking, how did you know you wanted to take this path?
It has always been there. Cooking, and of course, eating was very important in my family and I was allowed to be in the kitchen from an early age. I played "restaurant" as a child and had my first kitchen job at age 17. Still, it took me until my early 30s to become a professional. Today I can clearly say that there was a lack of female role models in the late 90s/early 2000s and I just didn't see it as a career path back then because of that.
What does cooking mean to you?
It is such a great way of being creative and making others instantly happy with the outcome. I also like the fact that it combines intellectual and practical skills by creating new dishes. I love the intuitive part, I even wrote a book about it.
What has been the most transformative experience in your journey as a chef?
So many. For sure, opening my own restaurant was a special one though. Even 1 ½ years in, we learn so much on a daily basis. But also cooking with others. The humbleness of learning something every day. In 2018 I was invited to be part of cooking a dinner at New York's renowned James Beard House with 5 other female chefs. It was the first vegan dinner ever served there on International Women's Day. The support and the power we shared in that kitchen hosting a six-course menu to 85 guests was one of the most important experiences along the way. It taught me what I already knew: pushing out high quality under time and space pressure doesn't need rude behavior and rigid hierarchies in the kitchen, other ways are possible.
Which inspirations do you use for new dishes, does it happen naturally or do you have any specific activities that help you with getting creative?
It mostly happens naturally. Sometimes it is the seasonal produce, I occasionally revisit recipes from my 10+ years of cooking/food writing and I also LOVE to revisit childhood memories. Last winter, for example, we created a Bavarian menu, all plant-based. Of course my team is also very important in the process, recipe development is always a team effort. This summer all my chefs host individual dinner nights to showcase their influences and cuisine.
How would you describe your cuisine?
The base is 100% plant-based, which in my eyes is not exclusive but the most inclusive cooking as everybody can eat it! My values are leaf-to-root and mostly regional-seasonal, you might call it zero waste. And I am influenced by my own upbringing/life experience with Alpine/Mediterranean flavors and all the great stuff you find in my hometown Berlin: Arabic, Middle Eastern, southern European influences and ingredients. I like simple high-quality ingredients prepared in simplistic yet effective ways. Taste over look!
Apart from cooking and creating dishes, what does this job mean to you?
As an owner, I, of course, do so much more than cooking: from Social Media to Public Relations/Marketing. I am a person who likes to get sh*t done, or create things, same as my business partner Nina Petersen. For me, the most rewarding part is to create the actual space that is our restaurant: welcoming, inclusive, queer-friendly, family-friendly – a safe space and an extension of our values. To see people come together and enjoy it is why we do this.
How do you incorporate sustainable practices into your work and vision for the future?
There is a long list: Through our suppliers, we get 80% of our vegetables through Querfeld, a company that distributes so-called culinary misfits, all certified organic: the flaws are often so minimal and the quality is great, this is all produce that would not go into trade otherwise. We also order access produce from a local vegan organic community-supported agriculture and leftover bread from a local organic bakery. We make sustainable and fair choices when it comes to our energy supplier, web hosting, cleaning company, coffee supplier, etc. And of course, offering an all plant-based menu is already more sustainable when it comes to climate impact as it saves a lot of water and resources. We are certified organic which is still rare in German hospitality. For the future we would wish that we get more support/founding from the government for all the extra work we are doing. At the moment we go the extra mile because we want to.
How do you see the food scene evolving, and what exciting developments are you noticing?
First of all: The struggle is real, even though some things work very well, we and most of the businesses we know face economic challenges at the moment. What keeps us alive is the power of community, networking, and returning customers that believe in us. We also need to take care of social sustainability connected to our own needs and those of our team and luckily we see this more and more happening. Compatibility with family, and a better work climate, all these things play into a better work-life balance for hospitality workers.
What challenges and opportunities do you face, and how do you envision the future for women in gastronomy?
As mentioned earlier we are facing the impacts of an economic crisis which makes our sales very unpredictable/unsteady. But at the same time, we see a lot of demand for what we do and make great connections. Still being open less than 2 years we need the stamina to work through these obstacles and believe in what we do. As a female-led business, we currently have an all-female team which is an alternative draft in a world that is still dominated by a lot of male ego. We never chose not not hire men, we just get so many amazing applications from women! There is still a long way to gender equality and inclusion in hospitality, especially when it comes to visibility, but to be part of this and to provide role models that I wished my 17-year-old self had, is the best we can do.
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