ANIMA UNCHAINED x KRUG

Anima Unchained 2.0: Nature, Fire, and Krug

This year, Anima Unchained unfolded not in a restaurant but in the wild embrace of the woods. It was a dinner that blurred the lines between fine dining and primal nature — and I was delighted to join, crowned by the timeless elegance of Krug Champagne.

It wasn’t about chandeliers or white tablecloths. It was about fire, hay, smoke — and the gentle moo of cows instead of light jazz. A journey through contrasts, where simple ingredients paired with elevated pairings, and each Krug vintage found its moment among flames and wood.

The evening began with an aperitif by the fire: fermented strawberry, pine, and mushroom — a taste of the forest before the night fully unfolded.

From there, we entered a rustic barn. Beneath our feet, hay crackled softly, reminding us of our ties to the earth. Inside, we paused at the Lab, where the team invited us into their creative world. This felt like the backstage of a theatrical performance — raw materials transformed by curiosity and technique into culinary art.

Then came the courses: simple yet evocative, served at long wooden tables. Later, we gathered outside by a roaring fireplace for another phase of dishes, smoke curling around glasses of Krug. Unexpectedly, our path led us to an izakaya-style loft, where flavors slipped into eastern notes. We eventually returned to the barn for a peaceful dessert.

It was all about simple ingredients and bold contrasts — rustic surroundings paired with fine glassware, humble carrot adornments elevated by Krug. Fire and ice, hay and crystal — the push and pull made every bite feel alive.

The Minds Behind the Magic

This wild yet refined experience was crafted by the creative force of the Future Lab ANIMA, the experimental heart of AURA by Alexander Herrmann & Tobias Bätz — a two-Michelin-starred beacon of Franconian gastronomy.

• Alexander Herrmann and Tobias Bätz steer this vision with precision and playfulness. Rooted in regional tradition, their cuisine is guided by the philosophy of #limitlessHOME, bridging origin, craft, and emotional fine dining.

• Joshi Osswald, the dedicated food scout, travels hundreds of kilometers across Franconia and beyond in search of compelling local producers. His finds fuel the creative engine of ANIMA.

• Alongside him, Christoph Vejdovsky, the fermentation specialist, crafts flavors through ancient techniques like fermenting, smoking, pickling, and curing — yielding creations such as carrot “ham”, apricot miso, and fish sauce made with local ingredients.

Together, this team transforms simple, often overlooked elements from regional farms into culinary stories — leveraging their two-Michelin-star mastery to create something raw, imperfect, yet innately refined.

Anima Unchained 2.0 is more than a dinner. It’s a statement: fine dining doesn’t always live under a roof — sometimes it thrives in the woods, where fire, earth, and sky converge. The experience is raw and hands-on by choice, yet deeply polished thanks to the team’s Michelin-star expertise.

It’s about reconnecting with nature, returning to fundamentals, and letting ingredients and technique shine. Here, simplicity isn’t an afterthought — it’s the stage for creativity. It’s where humble origins meet craftsmanship, and the wilderness becomes exquisite.

Anima Unchained proves that fine dining doesn’t need to be perfect — it needs to be alive. It has to go under your skin.