Although Frank Buchholz is not reckoned among the group of young and innovative German chefs “Junge Wilde” anymore, the gourmet chef and cookbook author still comes up with unusual ideas in order to serve his guests his personal interpretation of local cuisine. As exceptional as his ideas might be, his cuisine and personality are nonetheless down to earth. In the rural environment of Mainz-Gonsenheim he found his place to be.

Mainz, June 2009. Bringing up his own cattle on a pasture close to his family home to serve his guests the highest beef quality, or having his apprentices sow tomato seeds to make them understand what they are working with – when it comes to food Frank Buchholz is inspired and develops exceptional ideas. “The products are the most important part of a well composed meal, since only top quality ingredients develop an excellent taste” says the 42-year old gourmet chef. In his Restaurant Buchholz in Mainz-Gonsenheim he creates and prepares local dishes with a Mediterranean touch because it is a timeless style that will never be outdated. His cooking style is classical and he does not believe in extravagant creations on the plate. “To achieve a lot with little effort – that is what my cuisine stands for. Also, this is the reason why I prefer to observe myself how the products I use in the kitchen are grown.” This does not sound crazy but rather reasonable and consistent.

Actually, becoming a chef was not Frank Buchholz’s original intention. Instead, he planned to become a down-to-earth salesman. At the age of 16, he applies for several trainee positions as a salesman at several hotels in order to support his family financially. But there are no positions available at that time. As a temporary solution he decides to apply as chef and sets the foundation of his career: He starts out as apprentice in the most famous German kitchens, such as the Käfer-Stuben and the Restaurant Tantris in Munich. The well known German chefs Heinz Winkler, Gerd Käfer and Hans Haas soon become his mentors. Frank Buchholz starts to discover his passion for good taste, gentle preparation and the communication with his guests. “When I started to realize how satisfying it is to make guests happy with good food and how much you can change influence this by your wok in the kitchen, I knew that I would never want to do anything else again” says the Westphalian.

Considering that he did not intend to become a chef at first, he developed an amazing and fast diligence in his field: In 1997, at the age of 30, he attains popularity amongst an audience of millions, when the TV station VOX broadcasts the show “Kochduell” and Buchholz manages to enthuse the audience for cooking and culinary matters. From the most absurd ingredients he creates innovative dishes – always competing with other gourmet chefs in the studio. Subsequently, he appears in other culinary TV shows, such as „Die Männerkochschule” on RTL and „Promi-Kocharena” on VOX. In 1999/2000, he is one of the founders of the club „Junge Wilde“, an association of young German gourmet chefs, whose goal it is to inspire others to cook and renew the image of being a chef. Frank Buchholz then is the creative young chef per se and stands for extraordinary compositions and new preparation methods.

Frank Buchholz travels a lot. He participates in cooking shows on TV, publishes a new cookery book almost every year and barely finds time to take a deep breath. In 2000, he is one of the first top chefs in Germany to found a culinary school, the Geschmackswerkstatt („workshop of taste”) in Unna and his charisma and open-mindedness let a fresh breeze sweep through the culinary scene. In 2004 he celebrates the opening of his second culinary school in Mainz-Gonsenheim. One year later Buchholz became the head chef of his first restaurant. Shortly afterwards, the renowned Michelin Guide awards him with one star. Nevertheless, Frank Buchholz remains true to his style. He keeps the prices of his restaurant stable and stays in close relation with his guests. He says about himself that he carved out his own place in the city near the Rhine and has settled down: “I like rural areas because they let me be myself”. He feels solidly grounded and likes the people for being more honest and open-minded. In the city trendiness is everything, while in Mainz-Gonsenheim there is less competitiveness. “Communicating with my guests is more important to me than good reviews by the critics. I cook only for my guests and need their direct feedback.”

Frank Buchholz never runs out of ideas. He is planning new cookery books and has just redesigned and reopened his culinary school Kochwerkstatt. When the all-rounder is not busy at the stove, he likes spending time with his wife, two sons and his dog, preferably in the garden. This is where he reloads his batteries for his next projects.