Things I Thought About x Prince.s Des Villes: Sabato Amsterdam.
In this week's installment of the collaboration with Prince.s Des Villes, we meet Jesse and Stefanie - the creative minds behind Sabato Amsterdam.
Sabato is an Amsterdam-based supper and catering service offering recipe development, styling and food photography founded by friend-duo Jesse and Stefanie.
Hailing from a Greek island and a rural town in The Netherlands, Sabato was the organic evolution of the friends' love for hosting and conviviality.
Amsterdam provided them with the right space to build their niche and the right markets to shop the ingredients for their tasty Mediterranean dishes.
Who are you, where are you from and what made you pick Amsterdam as your home?
We are Jesse and Stefanie, together we are Sabato. We offer private dinners, catering, recipe development, food styling and food photography.
Stefanie was raised on a small island in Greece and moved to Holland as a child. Jesse was born in a small town in the south of The Netherlands.
After high school we both moved to Amsterdam to study and never left.
We both enjoy the same things in life and in Amsterdam; good food, finding the best supermarkets, clothing and aesthetics.
What made you stay?
We enjoy living in Amsterdam because of the mix of cultures and people. We feel like there is a place for everyone and every subculture in this town. It is kind of a small and cozy city too. Cycling from one neighborhood to the other is easy and that makes you feel at home in the whole city.
Sabato is a food experience, it combines the exploration of Mediterranean cuisine with the beautiful art of plating. What pushed you to go in this direction?
We started Sabato because, as friends, we used to go to markets and cook for our peers so often that we wanted to share this with more people.
Funnily, we have the same aesthetics in food design and fashion and we continuously share the inspiration we encounter on the streets or online.
We want to make food that is classic and comfortable and create an aesthetic that fits that idea.
How has living in Amsterdam influenced this project?
The abundance of international supermarkets and markets in Amsterdam really influenced our aesthetic and the ingredients we use – Turkish, Moroccan, Chinese, Indonesian, Indian and Bulgarian to name a few.
Why do you think there is so much creative energy in the city?
On the one hand, we think that the history of this city has a lot to do with this.
Amsterdam has always been a sanctuary for free minds. Especially in the 80s and 90s with creative pioneers such as the Roxy club.
After the 90s Amsterdam got a little less bustling but we can sense a big comeback on the way.
How easy/hard is it to create a project and be successful in Amsterdam?
It is actually quite easy to start successful projects when you find the right niche.
Because Amsterdam is quite small, once you know certain people and deliver a good product, word of mouth goes around pretty fast.
Do you think it would have been harder to start this project elsewhere?
Definitely, our project definitely requires a place with a lot of creative energy. When a city is too big it's easy to get overshadowed and when a city is too small the demand for projects like ours could be too limited. The size and energy of Amsterdam hits the spot.
What does Prince.s De Villes mean to you?
We see Prince.s De Villes as a platform for a very eclectic group of creatives from different backgrounds and work fields.
It very well reflects the vibes of cities and it looks like something mysterious but also approachable you want to be part of.