Bon Bock (www.bonbock.com) is a Berlin based culinary residency program that host chefs and artists a like and helps them to create or present culinary arts projects. These projects range from performances, to group exhibitions, to theme based pop-up dinners. We also work to help visiting culinary artists, professionals and enthusiasts to explore and network in Berlin, by providing them with a personally curated program with peer to peer meetings, city wide tours, and private tastings.

Cuisines from all over the world have influenced each other for thousands of years. Yet recent winds are questioning and challenging that globality. What can crossing cultures teach us about the true nature of humanity and it’s explorative and naturally global ways. Most that grew up in multicultural environments know that learning about a new culture happens first through their cuisine, and that the maxim of ‘the route to ones heart is through there stomach’ is ever true.

So Bon Bock, in keeping with it's core concept of culinary exchange, and in collaboration with foodculture days have invited two chefs, from Berlin and Geneve, for a one-on-one personal exchange. Each chef will spend a week in the others respective home/city, where they will introduce each other to their community, their practice and their palate.

On the event of foodculture days 2018 this unique interaction and interchange will culminate in a collaborative menu, and small presentation in which the participating chefs will speak to their experience and address the notions of crossing cultures and working together.

LAURA IRIONDO

Originally from the countryside of southern Germany Laura Iriondo, has been living and cooking in Berlin for the last 8 years. As a child she would go to the farmer for milk, watch neighbours butcher their chickens, picked blueberries in the forest and pickled cucumbers with Grandma. All of which helped to inform her later passion. While studying she worked part-time in restaurants and after finishing a degree in occupational therapy, realised that the kitchen had become home to her.

When meeting her partner she was introduced to his world of the Basque country where she lived there with his family. And where because a lack of a common language they learned to communicate through cooking, with homemade croquettes becoming words and preparing fresh caught bonito like sentences.

In 2014, she launched her own catering company now known as Taube Grau. With which she creates intimate and artistically nuanced food and environments. Starting with various pop-ups and private caterings appetite for what she was making grew and grew. She now hosts events with upwards of 800 guests and for such clients as Harper’s Bazaar, König Gallerie, Adidas and more. As here company grew, so did her family, and is now mother of two.

With Taube Grau Laura places great importance on having a gender balanced group of chefs and staff, as well as respectful and democratic approaches work practices. Her and her team aim to produce everything in house from homemade bread to fermented vegetable and fruits. All the while helping to establish and promote the trend towards sustainability and regionality of products and producers, not only for restaurants, but also in catering

VISHNEN MALSAN

Vishnen Malsan is a Mauritian born, young and promising Chef from Geneva, who from the age of 6 became passionate about cooking. Being self-taught he learned the basics of his chosen profession as a matter of course.

At the age of 15, he enrolled at the Thonon-les-Bains hotel school and discovered the basics of the profession; both in the kitchen and front of house. Following this with various internships his passion was confirmed.

At the age of 18, Vishnen went to London where he apprenticed with renowned chefs acquainting himself with rigour and style of haute cuisine. When he returned to Geneva, he took up employment in several popular establishments as well as in major hotels in all sectors. Over which time he also became specialist in Natural Wine and Mixology.

Driven and adventurous he helped to create "Les Ateliers Grain de Sel". Offering courses in cooking and oenology, thereby affirming his own style and honing a more instinctive cuisine of his very own.

Being curious and eclectic by nature, he makes the point of approaching foreign chefs, in order to collaborate with them. And for the last 2 years, he has been developing the concept "Cuisine Confidentielle". An international high-end catering service, that harmonizes his convictions towards and love of beautiful products, seasonality and sharing. Always promoting local producers and respect for the environment and terroir through his creations. Advocating for biodynamics and intervention-free products.

He feels most at home expressing his passions for and promoting, the humble work of the artisans from his local area with whom he loves to work. And He hopes that through his various projects he can become an emissary for the idea of of eating well, drinking well and living well.