With Garden Affairs by Hackmann, our event series Gabelhelden live took a focus on vegetarian cuisine for the first time. It was a bold concept that impressively demonstrated that evening just how versatile, surprising, and delightful a menu can be—even without any meat at all.

Together with our guests, we embarked on a culinary journey through the diversity of seasonal produce, delicate flavors, and creative craftsmanship. The focus was on high-quality ingredients, carefully selected components, and our kitchen team’s passion for reinterpreting familiar dishes.

The evening began with a goat cheese crème brûlée, accompanied by Nashi pear sorbet and honey-thyme almonds. The very first course set the tone for the evening: contrasting flavors, surprising textures, and a delicate balance between sweetness, acidity, and spice.

This was followed by stuffed zucchini rolls with ricotta and stracciatella on an aromatic zucchini-miso jus. A dish that combined lightness and depth in equal measure and impressively demonstrated the diversity of vegetarian cuisine.

The menu reached its first highlight with homemade ravioli filled with mushroom liver and served with an intensely reduced vegetable jus, cranberries, Parmesan foam, and pickled egg yolk. The course impressed with its bold flavors and demonstrated just how much character plant-based ingredients can offer.

Special attention was paid to regional asparagus. The trio of Meppen asparagus—blanched, sautéed, and baked—brought the different facets of this popular spring vegetable to the plate. Complemented by hollandaise, lime cream, soy cream, potato straws, and toasted nuts, the result was a dish that harmoniously combined regionality and creativity.

The main course surprised guests with a homemade “Wellington-style” tofu. Combined with spinach crêpes, duxelles, celery mousseline, and a robust vegetable stock, it resulted in a vegetarian interpretation of a classic dish that left many guests thoroughly impressed.

For the sweet finale, our kitchen team served a raspberry-beet sorbet with chocolate cream, malt beer gel, raspberry powder, and butterfly wafers. The evening concluded with delicate petits fours featuring tonka bean cannelés, lemon macarons, yuzu espuma, and caramelized white chocolate.

But Garden Affairs was more than the sum of its courses. It was an evening filled with conversations, encounters, and shared moments of enjoyment. The special atmosphere, the enthusiasm of our guests, and the passion of our team made this evening yet another unforgettable chapter of Gabelhelden live by Hackmann.

We would like to thank all the guests who shared this evening with us, and we are already looking forward to the upcoming evenings of culinary delight at VIA PLAZA Meppen.

Sometimes it’s the familiar dishes that bring back the fondest memories. That’s exactly what the event on February 7, 2026, at Craft & Comfort by Hackmann was all about. At the VIA PLAZA Meppen restaurant, our guests enjoyed an evening that reimagined classic comfort foods and presented them in surprising new ways with creative beer pairings.

Right from the start, it was clear what the evening was all about: familiar flavors, high-quality ingredients, and the joy of rediscovering the familiar. From veal Königsberger Klops with fried caper berries and mashed potatoes to sous-vide-cooked wild boar currywurst with tomato-curry espuma, the kitchen team demonstrated how modern cuisine can reimagine traditional dishes.

The following courses were also all about craftsmanship and creativity. Maultaschen filled with ground veal, spinach, and dried strawberries were paired with sautéed mushrooms and a pea-mint purée, before an aromatic beef goulash was served with caramelized root vegetables and spätzle sautéed in butter. The culinary highlight was the classically stuffed rump steak roulade with port wine and shallot jus and delicate side dishes, which impressively demonstrated just how much sophistication a traditional dish can offer.

Each course was paired with a carefully selected beer recommendation from the Borchert Brewery. From the hoppy Anselm Mandarina to the spicy and fresh Helle Pilsener, the malty Braunbier, and the full-bodied Bonaventura Brown Ale, an exciting interplay between cuisine and the art of brewing unfolded. Guests not only enjoyed perfectly paired beverages but also gained interesting insights into the various beer styles and how they influence the perception of the dishes.

For a sweet finale, a classic Kaiserschmarrn served with Herrencreme ice cream, plum gel, and almond brittle brought smiles to everyone’s faces. The evening was rounded off with a fine beer liqueur made from Borchert Braunbier, enhanced with Jamaican rum—a perfect ending to an enjoyable winter evening.

But as with all events in the Gabelhelden live by Hackmann series, it wasn’t just about the food and drinks. It was the conversations at the table, the shared curiosity about new flavor combinations, and the relaxed atmosphere that made the evening special. Craft & Comfort impressively demonstrated that authentic comfort food and craft-brewed beers are a perfect match—and that enjoyment often arises where tradition meets creativity.

We’d like to thank all our guests for an unforgettable evening, and we look forward to many more delightful moments with the Gabelhelden live by Hackmann.