Today we are on our way to Engelsgrube in the Old Town for a new blogpost for Lübeck ZWISCHENZEILEN where we’ll meet up with Hamo Sadiq, the manager of Café Marae . But before entering the café, we take a closer look at this “pit”, which was inhabited by salt packers, workers and crate and beam carriers, but also by shipowners and skippers. It is one of many exciting Old Town streets where every house can tell a story. The Engelsgrube has always been one of the lifelines of the Hanseatic city, leading to the bustling port, where cogs were loaded and unloaded, cargo piled up, sailors stumbled back on board after a long night in the arms of a beautiful woman, and successful shipowners and merchants in suits and with walking sticks in their hands looked after their affairs.
The “English pit”
No, this Old Town street is not named after the angels – although that would be really nice. The name goes back to the English trade and the close – not always peaceful – relations with England during the Hanseatic period. In London on the north bank of the Thames, the Hanseatic League then operated the Stalhof, which lasted until 1598. Within the walls of this branch office of the Hanse named “Kontor” trade people also lived and represented their home country, which is why things sometimes led to “hair-raising and other noise”, as it is described in detail in contemporary documents. German merchants offered the finest Russian fur, wax and honey, iron from Sweden, steel, copper and special woods. The most important export product, on the other hand, was the best English sheep’s wool. If you want to know more about the Hanseatic League: You can delve into their history at the nearby European Hansemuseum.
Almost every house in Engelsgrube is a listed building. Houses 11-17 belong to the Schifferhof, which was founded by theSeafarers’ Guild, offering free apartments for widows of seamen. The entire complex has been a listed building since 1982. Several alleyways are located at Engelsgrube, including Bäcker Gang with several Renaissance style houses, Qualmannsgang with some Renaissance buildings with eaves, and Sievers Torweg. Feel free to come in: you can enter the alleyways and have a look around. If you’re lucky, you’ll also strike up a conversation with someone who’s there tending the hollyhocks or enjoying a coffee. The house in Engelsgrube 64 with its impressive stepped gable is the home of the Salvation Army. And directly opposite is number 59. There – at Café Marae – we are already expected.
Café Marae: The place where you belong
Café Marae was opened almost six years ago. The initiators Jay and Laura, who are currently on a long trip with their children, brought the idea and the name with them from New Zealand. Marae are meeting places of the Māori communities. In the broadest sense, places where community is lived and experienced, where everyone can get involved and feel at home. Inside Café Marae you’ll find a casual and warm atmosphere. Inviting pillows on the window sills, cozy sitting areas. Turquoise details reminiscent of lagoons, radiant sky and the sea.
However, turquoise also stands for harmony and security and thus for two values that are also very close to Hamo Sadiq’s heart. He has been manager of the Marae for six months. A young man who explains the concept of the house to me with shining eyes. The focus is clearly on organic and seasonal. The ingredients for the vegan dishes are sourced as far as possible from the region. Plastic is dispensed with. Hamo and his team see themselves as“vegetable savers” because nothing is wasted in the kitchen.
Magic is done at Marae with love, passion and creativity. All dishes are based on own recipes. Hamo says that the crew loves to try new things and works on a recipe until everyone is completely convinced of the taste. The menu changes weekly and offers three dishes prepared fresh daily from 12:00. Before that, the popular Marae breakfast is served from Wednesday to Saturday. The Marae is also open on Sundays, from 10 am to 5 pm. Breakfast is offered until 15:30.
Be yourself – everyone else is already taken
Hamo Sadiq is pleased that many of his guests keep coming back because they are delighted by the excellent taste of the food. The vegan dishes are very popular. Like the Köfte made of soy “mince” and mushrooms with tomatoe bulgur. “I’ve never eaten such delicious meat,” a guest told Hamo recently. Everybody is welcome to ask about ingredients and make requests. Because at Marae, it is just normal that people practice different diets or have to look for alternatives due to intolerances. All dishes are gluten-free and sweetened exclusively with date sweetener.
By the way, the absolute highlight for all those with a sweet tooth are the raw cakes: Currant Cheesecake, Lemon Poppy Seed or Chocolate Cherry Cake, to name just a few. Also for the cake buffet, depending on the season, a lot of new things are tried out. As a farewell, I enjoy some turmeric magic made with ginger turmeric, date sweetener, pepper and hot oat milk. Ka kite ano! Goodbye! I’ll be back soon for sure. If only for the buckwheat pancakes. I’ll have to try those. Maybe you too would like to take a little trip to Café Marae?
