Dear customers, très chers clients,
the last few days of December always provide a wonderful opportunity to look back on the past year. So too for us - especially when the year has brought about so much new and exciting, as 2014 has.
First, some news about our range: for example, the Portuguese tinned fish products that are now well established with us. Whether it is the original collections from Miss Can or the tuna products from the Azores-based manufacturer Santa Catarina... Both contribute to making the back area of the shop, our "tinned fish paradise", more colourful and diverse.
These products, which are not only beautiful but also excellent in every way, are the result of a research trip to Lisbon undertaken by Philippe, Anaïs and Noémie in January.
In October, then, at the famous food trade fair SIAL in Paris, the three were able to make further contacts with long-established tinned fish manufacturers.
We are particularly delighted with the collaboration that has resulted from this with Conserveira Pinhais - a traditional family business that fries the freshly caught fish before canning it and preserves it in high-quality olive oil from its own mill. This is therefore remarkable, as most other Portuguese tinned fish companies buy ready-made cans and are only responsible for packaging and marketing.
Conserveria Pinhais, on the other hand, "accompanies" the fish from the sea to the can and thus has considerably more influence over the freshness of the raw material and the care taken during processing.
We stock the company's highest-quality brand: Rios; by the way, thanks to its wonderful historical colours and design, it is my personal favourite can!
And we stock these not only in our Berlin shop, but naturally also in our online shop.
Noémie took over this one in March and is now managing and designing it with great commitment and attention to detail.
So, fittingly, 'Maître Philippe' became 'Maître Philippe & filles' this year!
The online shop has now received a new, fresh look and offers plenty of background information about manufacturers and products, do take a look.
And since June, I have joined the team as additional support and am very happy to now put my hitherto theoretical knowledge into practice. The team, the customers and the wonderful products have made it easy for me from the very beginning to feel completely at home at Maître Philippe et filles!
For me, the special thing about the shop lies in the successful combination of time-tested traditions and openness to new things.
Philippe founded the shop at Emserstraße 42 back in 1994. So this year really was the 20th anniversary, which we naturally wanted to celebrate.
And we duly toasted the continued existence and further development of Maître Philippe et filles with you!
Whether it was the charming duo of Chaource & Crémant, the tinned fish tastings, the aged mountain cheeses with fresh Grenoble walnuts, or our lavish Saturday breakfast - as a team, we had great fun serving you and celebrating together with you!
On this occasion, thank you once again for your numerous appearances and your diverse contributions (flowers, brioche, apple strudel, drawings and poems..) - it was a real treat!
A highlight of the anniversary programme for us in early November was the Cheese in the Markthalle IX:
a colourful cheese market, actually more of a cheese festival with a wide variety of participants and an even wider variety of artisanal cheeses!
In the wonderful setting of the historic market hall in Kreuzberg 36, we were able to operate a nice, large stand and had plenty to do.
(Group photo from the Cheese: © Magazin Garçon)
To our delight, we were supported by Marc Birkett from Paccard, our affineur and specialist for cheeses from the Savoy region.
In addition to Reblochon, Manigodine, Abondance and Beaufort, we had other specialities at the stand: the now almost legendary aged mountain cheeses from our friends Thomas Breckle and Martin Rößle, who run an unique mountain cheese selection and ageing business under the name 'Jamei'.
Fortunately, we will now be able to offer these delicacies regularly:
in December we started a most enjoyable cheese exchange programme with the two of them (Beaufort for Mängisch & Co.).
And because we still feel like celebrating even after the anniversary programme, and because there are always reasons to toast to life beyond the year and the holidays, we have also come up with something for the new year. Of course, you will find out more about this shortly..
Now I wish you a delightful and sparkling New Year's Eve celebration, may you enter the new year in high spirits and hopefully with good cheese!
warm regards and see you soon,
Theresa Malec and the entire team of Maître Philippe et filles!
