Atlantic Flavours at OBSESSION 2015

DIETER KOSCHINA’s contemporary cooking style centres on taste, colour, presentation and precise processing. Innovation is also key. His guiding culinary philosophy is: ‘first the flavour, then the presentation.’ Not that his culinary creations don’t look the part, it is simply that freshness and quality of ingredients take precedence. Wherever possible, he sources his produce locally, in particular focusing on fresh fish and seafood, given his location on the coast of the Algarve. ‘The products from the ocean, their quality is just wow,’ he says.

Born in Vorarlberg, western Austria, just 5km from Switzerland, 10km from Germany and 34km from Lichtenstein, Koschina grew up surrounded by tourism industries: ‘In winter there was skiing, and in summer there was the lake [Lake Constance].’ He still feels like he ‘needs’ the mountains, but, having been in the Algarve for nearly 24 years now, he also ‘needs’ the Atlantic. ‘I can change my clothes after work and be in the sea in just two minutes,’ he says. ‘One hour on the beach and you forget everything. You’re fresh again to start back in the kitchen. We have 300 days of sun in the Algarve. It’s a paradise for me.’

Koschina’s passion for cooking comes from his mother. Prior to arriving in the Algarve, Koschina worked with Heinz Winkler at Tantris in Munich, Gerhard Schwaiger at Tristán in Puerto Portals on Majorca, and Eckart Witzigmann. He now encourages young Austrian chefs to join his team of 20 at Vila  Joya, thereby helping to nurture future generations from his homeland. 

Currently, however, he is working with Matteo Ferrantino to keep up the high quality in Vila Joya’s kitchen, where the menu changes on a daily basis. ‘Between us we have four hands and two heads,’ he laughs. ‘It’s important to have a lot of inspiration.’ And this is one reason why he enjoys participating in festivals such as OBSESSION. ‘This is the life of a cook. My life. I’m always learning. At big gastronomic events, we learn together. Every day, you see a new product or a new technique. We all come together as friends and create new ideas.’

Team spirit is something Koschina is keen to foster in his kitchen as well. And, although he works hard all day, he likes to party at the end of it. In fact, when asked what the essential ingredients for his type of work are, he lists four: the hands, the product, the presentation and the party. ‘This is not a family business,’ he admits. ‘It’s not so easy.’ 

Koschina is a fan of London. ‘You can eat the world in London! It’s a big city. People have pound signs in their eyes. Many great chefs from around the world have their second restaurants there.’ Nevertheless, he himself feels he’s had enough of big cities.

Lancashire, however, appeals. And OBSESSION, in particular, is a gastronomic event Koschina is keen to return to, having taken part twice before. ‘Nigel is a really clever and nice guy,’ Koschina says. But, for him, the real draw in 2015 will be the newly refurbished kitchen. ‘They have a completely new kitchen now and this, for me, is really important. I’ve been saying all the time “You should get this and this!” So I’m really interested to see this new kitchen.’

Perhaps Koschina’s most important statement is the one that sums up his philosophy of life: ‘If I don’t like my life, I change it. It’s not about the money, it’s about fun.’ And it is surely this spirit that imbues the flavours of his culinary creations. Koschina is an open book, always learning, raring to go. ‘For me,’ he chuckles, ‘one life just isn’t enough!’