Maître Philippe et Filles is turning 20! But how did it all begin?
In his early twenties, Philippe travels around a lot. In Africa, he meets a few Berliners who invite him to their hometown, where he is to work as a cook in the newly founded Zehlendorf Waldhaus ("You're not a cook? No matter, all French people can cook!").
The first Berlin winter is long, cold, and grey, and Philippe would love to pack his bags and leave immediately. But then love strikes – Philippe meets the cheeky Berlin girl Evelyne and falls in love – and from then on, he stays in Berlin.
In 1979, he founds Vin & Soleil, a pure wine shop, where Anaïs, the first Causse daughter, spends the first year and a half of her life crawling around on wine crates and taking her first steps. The early days as a trader are exciting: with an old delivery van, Philippe brings pallets of wine all the way to Berlin from France. Whether it was the location or the lack of accounting knowledge? This first attempt is not crowned with success, and so Vin & Soleil closes its doors pretty quickly.
Together with his friend Christoph Schüremberg, Philippe opens the still-existing Viniculture near Savignyplatz in 1984. Viniculture quickly becomes one of Berlin's best-known wine shops. The focus is not only on French wines, but also on Italian wines, as Christoph Schüremberg is an Italian lover and connoisseur.
A wine shop is a great adventure playground for children: the now two Causse daughters, Noémie and Anaïs, push around with wheelbarrows, crawl over wine boxes, fill the house wine from the tap, and play Pacman on the then still very rare personal computers.
In 1994, Philippe wants to reorient himself once again, sells his shares in Viniculture, and opens Maître Philippe (at that time still without "et Filles"). Philippe had discovered his passion for cheese in recent years, so for the first time, the focus is no longer on wines, but on French cheese specialties. As a cheese supplier, Philippe manages to win over Maurice Janier, one of France's best cheese connoisseurs. That was not easy, because Maurice Janier has clear ideas about how and where his cheese may be sold. For example, he required Philippe to complete several courses with him in Lyon to ensure that his cheese would also be properly handled in Berlin.
Janier Senior's strict conditions and requirements mainly concern cooling and humidity: the cheese may not be sold in refrigerated display cases, but in an uncooled display case made of natural materials, which guarantees that the cheese can continue to ripen. In addition, the entire shop must be adapted to the climatic conditions of a ripening cellar and kept at a constant 60% humidity.
And so, for 20 years now, the cheese at Maître Philippe has been sold in this at least at the time unique way in Germany!
Philippe quickly expands the range to include selected wines, ham and sausage specialties, oils, vinegar, honey, confitures... basically everything that the gourmet heart and especially the gourmet palate desires! He receives energetic support from Ursula Heinzelmann (here in the picture with us), who was an important part of Maître Philippe for five years and made a decisive contribution to the establishment of the business with great enthusiasm and expertise.
At the end of 2009, Anaïs joins Maître Philippe, in the spring of 2012 her daughter Rosalie is born, who, like her mother and aunt before her, can already handle the wheelbarrow before she can properly walk! The natural yogurts from Janier and the Picholine olives from the Coopérative l'Oulibo in Bize-Minervois are among her staples.
About two years ago, on a trip through Brittany and Normandy, Philippe discovered his love for canned fish (again). As the son of a fishmonger from Marseille, it was immediately clear to him: Maître Philippe can also do the sea! We now have the largest selection of canned fish in Germany. In addition to sardines, you can also find mackerel, anchovies, and tuna from France, Spain, Portugal, and England.
In March 2014, Noémie takes over the online shop: Maître Philippe becomes Maître Philippe & Filles!
Click on the following image to access the invitation and the complete program of the anniversary tastings from October 23 to November 21:
