Meet the Residents: Publix Canteen

What is the core of your work?

We run the Publix canteen. Together with our head chef Albin Adolfsson and the canteen team, I take care of the culinary side of all events in the Publix building and our other location, the 21gramm diagonally opposite on Hermannstrasse.

What are you most concerned about at the moment?

The catering industry, like many other sectors, is having to justify rising prices in the face of falling purchasing power, economic recession, the minimum wage that will soon be rising again, etc. It's a real challenge. Striking a balance between our aspiration to find a solution for every enquiry and making ends meet is the real challenge.

What is your goal?

We would like to be synonymous with hospitality, openness and sustainability – in Publix and in the neighborhood. We cook fresh food every day and focus on zero waste. We also want to offer a platform for local products, e.g. with coffee from the Neukölln roastery “Vote”, bread from the bakery “Das Brot der frühen Jahre” from Rixdorf and cheese crackers from a local butcher.

What gives you a headache?

Food and drink are political. Unfortunately, this is hardly ever addressed in the discourse. It's crazy when you consider that everyone has to survive physically first. Political debates are often led by privileged people who completely disregard everyday struggles such as rising food prices. Of course, we also notice this in our work as restaurateurs.

What has been your greatest success in recent months?

The stable status quo in the canteen. Since it opened last year, it has not only become a permanent focal point in the building, but also – and we are particularly proud of this – in the neighbourhood. We are helping to make Publix accessible to a wider public and can grow with the building. In addition to our day-to-day business, we also organise over 120 events and weddings a year at 21gramm with the same core team as at Publix. We are extremely proud of this.

What does journalism urgently need?

A lot of stamina. More networking, more alliances, even more visionary projects like Publix, which ensure that independent journalism as we know it can survive in the long term. And a good, healthy lunch, of course!