Weren’t we just wearing our thick winter jackets? It felt like the blink of an eye, and suddenly April catapulted us straight into spring with a sudden change. Here on the dune, it all happened in a flash: the sun came out, the buds shot up, and our tulip-lined avenue burst into color just in time for the opening.
Easter was kind of “early-late” this year—but definitely just right for filling the house to the brim. In the restaurant, we’ve kicked things into high gear to match the occasion: The new spring menu at the gourmet restaurant is now available, and we’re also serving up pure freshness on your plate right here in our dining room. Boredom? We don’t know the meaning of that up here anyway.
An absolute highlight for the entire team was the Jeunes Restaurateurs (JRE) European Conference at the end of April. Just imagine: Seven of our chefs headed off to Cologne overnight to cook for 450 guests alongside top-tier colleagues—including Tobias Bätz and Sebastian Obendorfer. It was the culinary Champions League!
Under Bärbel’s leadership, we pulled off a banquet that was truly something else. Whether it’s 450 guests at Cologne’s Flora or 30 here at the Söl’ring Hof: our standards remain the same. For the team, it was like a mini-field trip—intense team-building and an amazing exchange of ideas. And then there was that evening at Cologne Cathedral: booked exclusively for us, with a spine-tingling atmosphere featuring choral singing and organ music. A moment you won’t forget anytime soon.
As you read this newsletter, we have a very special guest here with us: Jan Hartwig. The fact that this “rising star” of the German culinary scene is taking the time to stop by with his team is, for me personally, a tremendous gift. It’s evenings like these that are so unique—not only for you as guests, but also for our team, which benefits immensely from this exchange.
Speaking of awards: Our friend Frederic Morel was named “Chef of the Year Europe” at the conference! We’re so happy for him and his wife. If you’d like to see him in action, he’ll be at our Food Festival—a great chance to experience his culinary art up close.
May is all about the joys of handicrafts and the island in bloom:
- A Love of Sauces: Our sauce-making classes filled up so quickly that we immediately organized additional sessions. We’ve still managed to find a few spots left!
- Holiday Fever: With Ascension Day and Pentecost, May offers the perfect opportunity for long weekends. Whether it’s a Mother’s Day brunch or our holiday lunch menu—we’re ready.
- Men in the Kitchen: The guys can once again show off their cooking skills at the men’s cooking class.
- Sylt in Pink: My personal insider tip is the rose cooking class on May 29. Forget about the cherry blossoms in Japan—Sylt will be blooming in the most beautiful shades of pink by then. A natural spectacle that’s worth the trip in and of itself. On May 29, we’ll show you how to turn this into a culinary delight.
By the way, we’re wrapping up April on a very intimate note with an exclusive booking for a milestone birthday—we’ll be closing our doors briefly for a special private event. But I’ll tell you more about that next time.
I’m looking forward to a fantastic May with you!
Warm regards from the dune,
Yours,
Jan-Philipp Berner