Theresa was born in Hamburg and grew up south of the Elbe with two brothers in the countryside. In her parents' garden, an apple tree was planted for each child. Trees about which there was much to tell. The fruit they planted in wooden boxes during the harvest seemed precious and fairytale to the children. How can an apple smell like a pineapple or remind us of the taste of nuts? Why does the shell feel like it is covered with a thin layer of wax? On a cold autumn day, they were allowed to drink the sweet juice that had just dripped from the press in a small cider tavern. And in the evening, when dusk set in early, it smelled deliciously like stuffed baked apples from the oven. Such moments in the country were pure happiness. 

Their father, a biologist, took them on short excursions into the  countryside. He explained the connections to his children, made them aware of the smallest beetles and the birdsong. Today Theresa is aware that this early contact with nature in the changing seasons was an important formative experience. Even the development of a very fine sense of taste is only possible through constant getting to know, trying out and comparing.

Foto: Marina Jerkovic

Theresa's family is a horde of gourmets. Already her Baden grandparents were passionate hosts and always gathered many people around their table. Her grandfather's roast lamb was the best and her grandmother's potato dumplings still awaken the most beautiful memories. Pesto with bear's garlic from the nearby floodplain forests was also served.

When Theresa's family gets together, things suddenly get cramped in the kitchen. Everyone wants to be there and dedicates himself to a dish. Cooking together is the greatest joy for everyone! They stir, chop, talk extensively and try out new things. Always on the lookout for the best taste. Fine ingredients, preferably from organic agriculture, are the basis for success. Whether vegetables, fruit, meat or fish, in excellent quality, the ingredients ensure that the food tastes to everyone exactly as they imagine it.

Theresa's mother, also a passionate cook, hostess and gardener, works as an author and journalist for radio. Since she was a small child, Theresa has accompanied her mother on her travels. Whether the meeting with an Irish salmon fisherman or in Burgenland with an Austrian tomato farmer, the passion of these people fascinated Theresa from the beginning and laid the foundation for her career. Today, both work closely together as authors and stylists on the set. 

Fotos: Marina Jerkovic

Theresa completed a Master's degree in Culture and Economics in Mannheim. After spending time abroad in Normandy and at the Université de Perpignan in the South of France, her Bachelor's thesis focused on French culinary studies and received a prize for outstanding research work at the University of Mannheim. Theresa is a Deutschland- and Bronnbach scholarship holder. Under the motto "Cultural Competence for Future Managers", she intensively studied contemporary art during her studies at the Kulturkreis der deutschen Wirtschaft. In her encounters with artists and on the Way of St. James, Theresa courageously learned to go new ways and today connects people from all over Europe with her own culinary art. On her travels she constantly collects new inspirations for her work and her recipes. 

Theresa Baumgärtner is a true master of life and lives with her husband and three children in Luxembourg. Until today she is a great nature lover and finds the balance to her work in the garden and on wanderings with her family through nature. For her, true happiness lies in the small things. And Theresa is convinced that things only become good from the bottom of the heart. Whether to develop and photograph new recipes, to write books and films, or to stand live in front of the camera, it is always full of passion and joie de vivre. 

Since summer 2018 the Theresas Küche editorial office is located in Hazelnut House. The genuine taste of old apple and pear varieties, mirabelle plums, yellow cherry plums and late plums: Theresa found it in the picturesque Müllertal, on the orchards of Hazelnut House. In the middle of nature and in the middle of the source of good things from the kitchen. Because the Müllertal with its farmers and producers is full of culinary treasures. In the Food & Nature Retreats Theresa brings together passionate amateur chefs in her kitchen in Luxembourg and shares her lifestyle and philosophy of a simple, loving and natural cuisine.