“Titta”, says Matilda, pointing to a cat. That’s Swedish for “look!” She’s 19 months old, so she can only say a few words, but she’s learning them in both German and Swedish, because her mother Anna is from Sweden. “Titta,” she says again. At the playground, she’s the boss – in the kitchen that’s her dad’s role: it seems as though Matilda has definitely inherited her father’s assertiveness.
“Young Matilda is completely in charge of her world,” says Anton Schmaus, clearly very proud of his daughter, adding with a smile, “of course as her parents we always have the final say.” Anton, Anna and Matilda Schmaus are a well-rehearsed team, and with the help of their au pair Johanna, they navigate the daily challenges of both family life and gourmet cooking.
Anton Schmaus travels all over the world, cooks for Germany’s national football team and runs three gourmet restaurants. His wife Anna also works in the restaurant, so coordination and organization are the order of the day. “It’s complicated, but we manage it,” says Schmaus. Matilda is a bright young thing and usually spends the mornings with her mum, then when Anna needs to work in the restaurant at lunchtime and in the evenings, their au pair Johanna looks after her. This means that despite their work, the parents still get to spend lots of time with Matilda, and it makes daily life much easier for the restaurateur family.