Spice pope Ingo Holland died unexpectedly

Dhe chef and spice expert Ingo Holland died unexpectedly at the age of 64. This was reported by several media, including the Bavarian radio (BR) and the “main echo“, agreed. The mayor of the Lower Franconian home town of Klingenberg am Main gave a confirmation. According to BR, Holland’s employees were informed of the death on Friday. The mayor was shocked by the early death of his fellow citizen. “Ingo Holland was one of the most famous men in the city,” quoted the “Main-Echo” Ralf Reichwein.

In one of his last encounters with journalists Ingo Holland spoke to the FAZ in February of that year. At that time he told about the painful experiences of the corona pandemic. “People like Ingo Holland need people around them,” said the portrait of Holland. The star chef himself said: “I refused to give my seminars with a mask and acrylic walls.”

Born in Klingenberg, he is not only known in Germany for his books, but also for his green tins labeled “Altes Gewürzamt”, thousands of which are stored on the ground floor and three to six pallets are shipped every day. Because Holland was dissatisfied with the spices supplied, he founded the company “Altes Gewürzamt” in 2001. The tin cans contain spices and mixtures that are known and loved by ambitious hobby cooks and those with a star. Corona has ensured that they became even more popular and sales went up as people left the house less and rediscovered their kitchen.

Tough transition from apprentice to star chef

Holland had developed 350 varieties. Where he bought the spices, how he processed them, the proportions of the mixtures remained his secret. His company had grown to 50 employees over the years.

Originally, Holland learned the profession of a chef: he went the long and hard way through the kitchen, which in the end earned him a star in the GuideMichelin had brought. At the age of fifteen, the native of Lower Franconia commuted from Klingenberg to Frankfurt up to six times a week to learn the art of cooking at the Hotel Frankfurter Hof. He then left the house at six in the morning and returned at half past eleven in the night. The first break after nine hours of work was not uncommon. “My apprenticeship years were rock hard,” he told the FAZ in February

During his further training he worked with Dieter Müller in Schweizer Stuben and with Harald Wohlfahrt in Traube Tonbach. Finally, in 1989, he founded the “Winzerstübchen” restaurant. Holland was 31 years young at the time. His restaurant was where he was born: in Klingenberg am Main. Just two years later, the Michelin Guide awarded him a star. In 1997 he took the staff and concept with him and from then on he cooked for his guests in the “Zum Alten Rentamt”, which was also in Klingenberg. Holland’s career as a spice specialist also began at that time.