"Anyone who says it's not about the money is lying"
OSKAR KLANERT
NA HUMPOLCE, TIŠNOV
Chef Oskar Klanert says he is a typical example of someone who makes decisions at the wrong time. He became co-owner of the Na Humpolce restaurant in 2019, and had to start over twice because of the COVID pandemic. He commissioned the design of his own food truck just as the prices of materials and labour were skyrocketing. “Finances and decisions about what to invest in and what not to invest in are always the biggest challenges.”
Oskar Klanert grew up in Náchod and began his career as a chef in the kitchen of one of the best restaurants in the Czech Republic, in Trutnov. Because the owner of the restaurant sells kitchen equipment for a German company, Klanert worked as a novice chef with the best of the best. “We had the latest technology from Germany: a combi steam oven and a lava grill, for example. I learned to work with equipment that was hardly available in the Czech Republic at the time.”
Collaborating with top chefs
Wanting to gain more experience, Klanert spread his wings after a few years and worked in several other restaurants in the Czech Republic. He also decided to try his luck in Germany. “My intention was to work there for a year, but I ended up staying for ten years. I had a fantastic and very educational time in Germany; I learned what discipline is.”
On his return to the Czech Republic, Klanert met his current wife. She is from Slovakia, and they decided to settle halfway in Brno. “When we arrived here, I bought a newspaper full of ads at a petrol station. With one phone call, I got us a place to live, and with the next, I got a job. I started working in a restaurant called Española and three years later in La Strada. I worked at the latter for 11 years, but unfortunately, both businesses have since closed. I was given great opportunities at La Strada. I tried my hand at high-end gastronomy because I was allowed to provide training for the Makro Academy. We gave courses for professional chefs in Makro shops throughout Moravia. Within the Makro Academy, I ran workshops with the best chefs in the world.”
Entrepreneurship
Then Klanert was asked to become co-owner of the Na Humpolce restaurant in Tišnov. “It was an offer I couldn’t refuse,” says Klanert. He started cooking classic dishes in the restaurant and hosted gourmet evenings five times a year with friends from all over the Czech Republic. It was a huge success. But success did not just fall into Klanert’s lap. “Running a restaurant is not easy. I was thrown in at the deep end and am still trying not to drown. We had to close twice because of COVID, and with the current energy prices, it sometimes feels like we have to reinvent ourselves all over again. But the adrenaline keeps me going. Every day is different. And money plays a role too. Anyone who says they don’t do it for the money is lying. I like the fact that we get great results here.”
"Debic Roast & Fry never burns: that’s great and saves us time."NA HUMPOLCE, TIŠNOV
Smart choices
In his restaurant, too, there is a lot of pressure these days: costs, time, and labour.
"You can't save much time in this business. Everything takes time! I want to make as much as I can myself, from scratch if possible. But if there is something very tasty and of high quality, why not use it? In summer, for example, I use Debic's unsweetened whipped cream. You can't tell the difference from homemade whipped cream. The cream also keeps well, and you can use every last drop. I also recently discovered Debic Cream Plus Mascarpone, mascarpone with cream, and it looks very good."
Klanert also likes to use Debic Roast & Fry in his kitchen. "A mixture of butter and oil in the optimum ratio. The oil doesn't burn at all and gives our meat a delicious buttery flavour. When we grill something, it gets a nice colour. If we use ordinary butter, it turns black immediately. Debic Roast & Fry never burns: that's great and saves us time."
- Try to collaborate with famous or renowned chefs: You can learn so much from them and get the chance to try new things.
- Only use ingredients in your kitchen that you know you will use up completely: This is both sustainable and economical, as it helps reduce food waste and save money.
- If you create less storage space in your kitchen, you need to shop regularly: This ensures that you work with fresh ingredients that do not have a long shelf life, resulting in higher quality dishes.
