6 questions to The Poutine Kitchen
1. Please tell us a bit about the development of The Poutine Kitchen. How did it come about that you wanted to bring poutine to Germany?
My job in the film industry at the time took me to Canada for the first time in 2007 on the occasion of the Ottawa International Animation Film Festival. After the festival, a part of the team went to Montréal, where I was promptly invited to try a poutine — “the tastiest Québec dish that definitely doesn't exist in Germany.” And indeed: After the first bite, it happened to me.
One evening in 2013, the idea was born to bring the Canadian National Court to Germany. Back then, I wanted to prepare a poutine together with my Canadian neighbor. But there was neither the right poutine cheese, the cheese curds, nor poutine gravy, the right sauce. I wanted to change that!
In 2016, the time had come. I left the movie industry and set to work. I had already acquired the necessary know-how on my regular trips to Canada. With the information I collected, I looked for the right producers in Germany and a short time later, we actually had them too Cheese curds and Poutine Gravy!
For the first time, we were able to offer our products at a Canada Day event. The response was fantastic! In 2018, I opened The Poutine Kitchen restaurant in Berlin's Arminiusmarkthalle, visited countless street food events and brought poutine to Berlin's biggest Christmas market. Since last year, I have been focusing more and more on retail. Our The Poutine Kitchen products are now available in Taste of Canada Store upon myENSO, in Berliner KaDeWe and from now on also in our own The Poutine Kitchen online shop available. Thanks to the support of our Canadian partner Canadian Food Wholesaler, we have recently also been offering genuine Poutine cheese curds from the Fromagerie Saint-Guillaume from Québec to.
With our online shop, I have come full circle to finally be able to offer authentic products for homemade poutine — something I was looking for in vain back then — to people all over Germany. Mission Accomplished!
2. What does Taste of Canada mean to you?
I think it's the culinary diversity in particular. Whether in Toronto or Montréal, when you travel in the major cities of Canada, you are at home all over the world — and particularly with culinary delights. This is fantastic and shaped by the immigrant culture and the open society, which is interested in new things.
3. Who would you like to have with you as a dinner guest? And which Canadian-inspired dish would you serve?
If we stick here in Canada texts, it's astronaut Chris Hadfield. I would be very interested to know what it feels like to look down at the earth from above. There's poutine to eat, of course! The beer is a craft beer from Burdock Brewery in Toronto or a craft cider from Bulwark in Nova Scotia.
4. What are your most important memories of Canada?
There are countless: Whether it's my trip through Canada by train and Greyhound bus, the incredible nature or the experiences at film festivals. But the most important memories are certainly the encounters with all the wonderful people I was able to get to know.
5. What does the future of The Poutine Kitchen look like? What are the next goals for you?
For our products, it is certainly the entry into wholesale and retail markets. We want to get our first major listings over the course of the year and are currently preparing to build up our sales structure here. In addition, online business is to be expanded to Austria. For the restaurant, we are currently looking for partners for other locations in Germany. If you are interested, feel free to contact us.
6. Do you have any other projects related to Canada that you would like to realize? You said you came from the movie industry. Are there any ideas here?
Yes, there is actually something there. I started filming a documentary about poutine a few years ago. Back then, I was traveling to Québec and Ontario and there is already very good footage. I'd like to finish the project and bring poutine to the cinema! Who knows, it might be time for the premiere at the Berlinale at some point.
If we've sparked your interest in poutine products, visit The Poutine Kitchen in berlin Or order Quebec's favorite dish thepoutinekitchen.de. Here you can find cheese curds, gravy and much more!
