Experimental Gastronomy Events by Steinbeisser

Steinbeisser’s Experimental Gastronomy with Edwin Vinke & De Kromme Watergang at the Lloyd Hotel and Cultural Embassy in Amsterdam.

Botanical Gastronomy with Emile van der Staak & De Nieuwe Winkel at the Lloyd Hotel and Cultural Embassy in Amsterdam.

As the saying (kind of) goes, “the way to a woman’s heart is through her stomach.” For anyone who knows me knows that I like to eat. Overwhelmingly, thoughts of food pervade my mind…along with design and architecture, of course! I may know my way around a degustation menu but every dining experience can be evocative and sensorial whether you’re indulging in a street-side dirty kebab (don’t lie we’ve all been there) or a fancy foam-filled dessert. We tend to have strong memories that are tied to food and dining and it’s fun when we can shake up these associations. That’s where Steinbeisser comes in because they’re about to rock your culinary world.

Steinbeisser was created in 2013 as an experimental gastronomy initiative that aims to bring together renowned chefs and international artists in a creative-gastronomic collaboration. Founders Jouw Wijnsma and Martin Kullik have spent the last four years organising avant-garde culinary evenings in Amsterdam, Berlin, and Frankfurt as well as Basel and San Francisco later this year. For these events artists create bespoke and experimental cutlery and dishware. Food and beverages are entirely plant-based (vegan) and all ingredients are sourced from biodynamic and organic agriculture in the direct surroundings – respect!

Steinbeisser’s Experimental Gastronomy with Emile van der Staak & De Nieuwe Winkel at the Lloyd Hotel and Cultural Embassy in Amsterdam.

In the middle of this year Steinbeisser launched the online store Jouw that showcases the collection of cutlery and tableware created by more than 35 international artists in the 4 years of “Experimental Gastronomy” events. Driven by a desire to explore new ways to enjoy food, these pieces don’t follow the normal rules of usability. Instead, they challenge diners to reconsider preconceptions about the relationship between tableware and the user. They can be loved for their thought-provoking function but also for their beauty.

There’s something sensual and alluring about seeing food propped delicately on intricately crafted plates, platters and bowls and eaten with Ewdward Scissorhand-like contraptions. Artist Maki Okamoto has created a range that transforms antique cutlery found in Stockholm and inherited by her husband’s family into a kind of mutation that contains the cutlery’s ingredients, but the function is no longer obvious.

Gabi Veit for Steinbeisser.

Joo Hyung Park for Steinbeisser.

Felicia Muelbaier for Steinbeisser.

Emily Gardiner for Steinbeisser.

Tanja Grandits – Stucki Restaurant. Steinbeisser’s Experimental Gastronomy with Tanja Grandits in the Merian Gärten in Basel.

Tanja Grandits Kraeuter. Steinbeisser’s Experimental Gastronomy with Tanja Grandits in the Merian Gärten in Basel. Photo © Michael Wissing AT Verlag.

Part of the cutlery series from Nils Hint aims to upcycle and reshape old cutlery and tools from the era of the Soviet Union. All the pieces are hand forged out of tool steel and play with the ideals of seize, weight, shape and volume. The cutlery side is stainless, leaving the other side of the object with its original function. Users have the choice to use the cutlery or the tool, either way it will be fun and yes, perhaps slightly confusing.

I know that this saucery is not for everyone, but you can admire the craftsmanship, detail and ingenious thought behind every piece. The objects are unique, sculptural and totally left of field. They’re bizarre but in a good way, in a challenging way and that’s always a positive ingredient in my books. So sit back, relax and immerse yourself in this whacky world!

Steinbeisser’s Experimental Gastronomy with Billy Wagner and Micha Schafer at Nobelhart and Schmutzig in Berlin.