Friederike Gaedke

29 / Berlin, Germany

In a world where community is more important than ever, Friederike Gaedke is turning it into a tangible concept that permeates the entire food world. As executive director of Die Gemeinschaft, which means ‘the community’ in German, she is helping to unite culinary actors from across the country to establish a new, independent gastronomic culture that celebrates real food and honours craftspeople of every kind. Through its annual symposium, Die Gemeinschaft brings together producers, restaurateurs, food artisans, chefs, students and beyond to join the conversation and examine critical issues of the food system.

Die Gemeinschaft – which Friederike founded with the restaurateurs behind Nobelhart & Schmutzig and Horvath – hosts farm visits and meetings to share knowledge about cultivation methods and spark exchanges about product quality, as well as a conversation series on Instagram called Comfort Food during the initial coronavirus lockdowns. In fostering information exchange and thought leadership, the organisation aims to create a better food system for the future, as well as creating sustainable, desirable career paths for the young. “We want jobs such as cheese-making, farming and butchery to become more attractive for young people and show up prospective career paths that contribute to a resilient food system in the long term,” says Friederike, a Gastronomic Sciences graduate.

“The topic of education in the food world, for people entering the industry and career changers, is the key for a better food system in the future.” – Friederike Gaedke

Images: Birte Filmer