Alexander Thiel

The Path

Training at Französischer Hof, Berlin grounded Alexander Thiel in the fundamentals that would later carry into larger kitchens. The line to German Gymnasium in London, where he became Executive Chef in 2023, is direct: formal craft first, then a senior role built on that base.

The Work Today

At German Gymnasium, the work since 2023 has been led from the pass with a clear brief attached to the kitchen: “My concept – or instead, my dream – is to prepare London for the fact that German food is more than just pork knuckle.” The dishes named from that year show the range of the program: Gefüllte Paprikaschote mit Letscho, a roast stuffed red bell pepper with courgetti rice, shallots, herbs, and red pepper, tomato, and paprika sauce; Forelle mit Mandlebutter, a pan-fried whole river trout with caper, parsley, and almond butter; and Krabben Cocktail. The service tone is set just as plainly: “Very approachable and I love to cook for everyone.”

Signature

Krabben Cocktail and Wiener schnitzel sit in Alexander Thiel’s signature register, pointing to a menu built from recognisable German forms rather than novelty.

In Their Words “My concept – or instead, my dream – is to prepare London for the fact that German food is more than just pork knuckle.” “There’s not one chef who I admire the most, there’s many sous and head chefs that have helped form my way of working.”

Acclaim

The craft lineage here is spoken of in plural rather than singular. Alexander Thiel credits his way of working to sous and head chefs encountered across working kitchens, not to one defining idol: “There’s not one chef who I admire the most, there’s many sous and head chefs that have helped form my way of working.”