QUEENSLAND'S GERMAN CONNECTIONS - PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

“Servus!”

Wolfgang Kaspar describes a different kind of personal and professional journey, which has brought a mouthwatering millenium of tradition to Brisbane – “mmmMahlzeit!” Austria has always had a close relationship with Germany. Despite regional differences, we share the same language and many of the same foods and customs. However, Austria has introduced some treasures to the world that stand alone in their glory. The Hapsburgs ruled Austria for 700 years and in that time Austria was at the heart of Europe. The waltz was invented in Vienna. The genius of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart flowered in Vienna. Chefs flocked to Vienna where they created Viennese Cuisine – the only cuisine named after a city and not a country. We also claim that wonderful pastry, the croissant, as our own. In 1683, Vienna was under siege from 100,000 Ottoman Turks. After months of trying to starve the population into submission, they tried to tunnel their way into the city. Legend has it that some bakers, working overnight, luckily heard the digging and the Turks were stopped. Several bakers celebrated this victory by making a pastry in the shape of the Turkish crescent and named it ‘Kipfel’, the German word for crescent. That way, every time an Austrian ate a kipfel he would be ‘eating’ the Turks. Austrian princess, Marie Antoinette. After she moved to France, she was said to miss her kipfels and some French bakers made some for her. However, they called them by the French word for crescent, which was ‘croissant’. No matter what the real story is, the cake and coffee culture remains strong in Vienna. I trained as a chef at Vienna’s Hotel Bristol, then worked in Switzerland, at Vienna’s Hotel Ambassador and at the Hotel Sacher, home of that famous delight, Sachertorte. The Hotel Sacher is decorated in red, with dark timber paneling. I have recreated this in my restaurant in Australia, although the bow ties, traditionally worn by waiters in Vienna’s coffee shops, would not be appropriate in Brisbane’s hot, humid and more informal climate! It is amazing that we have now been in Australia for 26 years. We chose Brisbane because of its warm weather, but when we arrived in 1986, Brisbane was really just a country town where there was no footpath dining (despite the climate) and, on a Sunday, hotels opened from just 1pm to 3pm. After that, the city appeared deserted. In 1770 King Louis XVI of France married the

Two years later, Expo’88 changed everything. Brisbane went from an ‘instant coffee’ service to developing a real coffee culture. It was a rapid and amazing transformation. I was involved with cooking at the old South Brisbane Library, which has been transformed to a Convention Centre for Expo. One of the perks was a free Expo pass, so I visited the Oktoberfest House almost daily after my shift. During my first 10 years in Australia, I cooked in various good hotels and restaurants, including the Park Royal and Travelodge, and I was on staff for the opening of the acclaimed Michael’s Then I decided to refine my skills by studying how to become a butler. Only studying under the world’s best teacher was good enough, so I returned to London to train for 2 months under Ivor Spencer. Then in his mid-60s, Ivor had trained gentlemen who took up positions with some of the world’s most recognisable names. The 2-month course was attended by 12 people from across the world. Ivor drilled us in all the duties of our new profession – from how to present a newspaper and selecting bespoke suits and shirts, to presenting a formal English afternoon tea and discreetly managing awkward situations. I have drawn on valuable skills learned in that time when serving leaders of state and industry, in employment at Government House and in the course of running my own business. K&K – a place of my own In 1996, I took a giant leap and poured my energies into the creation of our K&K Austrian Coffee House in the Brisbane suburb of Sinnamon Park. Although it remains the only Austrian restaurant in Brisbane, catering to a German-speaking community, GABA (German Australian Business Association) and the Australian Council for Europe (a mix of Germans, Austrians, Swiss and others), we of course also cater for the wider community. While the menu, the décor and the ambience are Austrian, the relaxed and open atmosphere of subtropical Brisbane makes its presence felt. Riverside Restaurant. A change in direction

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