FREA in Berlin Mitte, a restaurant that is one green step ahead. Everything that is served here is seasonal, regional and homemade. More importantly, everything that goes back into the kitchen isn’t rubbish, it’s compost. This is exactly where the FREA differs from all the other restaurants: There is no rubbish. Founders David and Jasmin Suchy have managed to develop a sustainable restaurant concept that takes the kitchen to a new level. Because everyone can do vegan, but reducing the ecological footprint to a minimum is a new challenge.
“We produce everything we need to cook ourselves.”
The sustainable corporate philosophy begins in the field, in the ground and extends from the harvest to the use of the entire product in the kitchen to the smile of the guest. FREA gets its products from organic farmers in the immediate vicinity, so the food arrives fresh and unpacked in the kitchen. The menu, which is based on the season, ensures that the required ingredients are used in full from the shell to the core. For example, you can find beetroot as a turnip in the starter and in the form of juice in the dessert. The vegan dishes remain innovative and healthy. Because the FREA works on a purely vegetable basis, the waste can be composted. Therefore, the most valuable device in the kitchen is a composting machine, which converts the residues into a soil substitute within 24 hours, which in turn returns to the cycle by returning to the fields via the suppliers. Also in use every day: the high-performance mixer from bianco di puro. With these devices, among other things, a “FREA fame” is conjured up, the popular hazelnut milk.
“Hazelnut milk has been one of our USPs from the very beginning. When people started talking about FREA they said: “Go there and have a coffee with the hazelnut milk” – that’s how we got it. ”
When the idea came up in 2017 and the renovation of the shop began a little later, the question arose: Will the concept be accepted? After the first days of the opening in March 2019, it was clear that people wanted first-class quality and wanted to do something good for themselves and the environment! From zero to one hundred – after only two years, the founders are talking about another zero waste restaurant with a vegan star kitchen and a so-called foodlab, a production facility that will also be used for workshops and as a private dining space. These projects and future visions are already being planned. In addition, a book will soon be published that tells the FREA story down to the smallest detail. Like all other restaurateurs, the worldwide Covid-19 situation hit the FREA, but not the unshakable entrepreneurial spirit, which attaches great importance to sustainability and solidarity.
“We continue and try to involve everyone and help out where there are currently bottlenecks, because we see ourselves as a second home for our employees.”
Staying positive and looking to the future with confidence – we are looking forward to it and are already looking forward to FREA opening its doors again. Because one thing is certain, in the FREA you will find an inviting and relaxed atmosphere that will enchant you with its outstanding service and delicious dishes. Up to seven chefs stand in the open kitchen and create magical moments on the plate full of vigor. If the stomach is full and the heart is happy, then so is the FREA with all its makers and carriers. We say: full taste, zero waste – thank you for letting us be part of your brilliant concept.
