BRAND CAMPAGNE
Olaf Deharde is The Culinary Explorer
More than just a chef, Olaf is an explorer, a hunter of authentic flavors, and a storyteller.
His mission: to decode the culinary DNA of a destination not only through sterile restaurant visits, but by getting
hands-on, exploring, and experimenting in nature and with the people who make each place unique.
No border too far, no story too small. I am producing worldwide from Asia to South America and from Africa to Australia
I focus on the corners of Europe most travelers pass by — including my own backyard.
Swiss is next! Come and join me on my Roadtrip through this beautiful country on the Grand Tour of Switzerland
MERIAN GOURMET GUIDE
Since 2023, Olaf has been scouring the world's top culinary hotspots for Hamburg's Jahreszeiten Verlag — cities, regions, producers, the works. Fine dining for the luxury set, plus the growers, makers, and hidden gems behind it. Five double-page spreads. Five times a year. Every issue: fresh intel on where to eat, drink, and crash in style.
COOKBOOK "GEFUNDENES FRESSEN"
The cookbook is a collaboration with Fabio Haebel and Jan Hrdlicka, built around natural ingredients — wild plants, mushrooms, fish, and game. Olaf developed the recipes, cooked them, and shot every photo himself. In 2022, the book took home GAD Silver and landed a nomination for the German Cookbook Award.
From Tim Mälzer's foreword: he credits Olaf, Fabio, and Jan with capturing the full range and character of nature — and turning it into recipes with real flavor — all packed between two covers.
PODCAST "TOPFKINO"
Each episode, Olaf dives into an international food classic and tells its story — from kimchi to Wiener Schnitzel, hotdogs to döner kebab, pad thai to carbonara. In partnership with Axel Springer Audio and Bauer Verlag, the podcast also gets a print extension in magazines like Lecker, plus an online presence. Olaf writes the recipes, shoots the food photography, and breaks down exactly how to cook each dish as close to the original as possible
TUI BLUE "THE TASTE OF..."
I developed and produced a culinary travel series spanning Zanzibar, Thailand, and Vietnam
Handling concept, travel, filming, editing, and hosting myself. Each episode traces the roots of local cuisine through the people who keep it alive: street vendors, home cooks, and chefs preserving generations of tradition.
More than a food series, it's a journey into culture captured with the same authenticity I bring to every story I tell.