Almost 40,000 Germans are living in London. More than Winston Churchill would ever have envisaged...

In contrast to other nationalities, Germans living in London keep a low profile; they do not dominate the high street with schnitzel restaurants or sausage shops. Instead, finances permitting, many of the young professionals opt to live in Wimbledon, Chelsea, Kensington, Highgate and Richmond.

What is the reason for the influx from Germany? If you want to make it big in the financial markets, you will most likely end up in London, the financial capital of Europe. In fact, an estimated 600,000 people work in the City's banking sector. Frankfurt’s financial centre has only 500,000 inhabitants. For people working in finance, myriad career prospects are better in London than anywhere else in Europe.

Western Europeans make up half of all foreign workers in the UK, and as a result, many want to feel surrounded by their compatriots in London. Although nationalities tend to stick together when abroad, Germans in London do not form a tight-knit community.

However, you can see Germans socialise across London. There is, for example, the pub Zeitgeist in Lambeth, which not only serves the largest variety of Germany’s most famous drink, but also excellent German food and you can watch Bundesliga football.

To satisfy a basic appetite of the expatriate community, there is even a mobile German baker in London who stops over at the German Embassy, the German British Chamber of Commerce and other German ‘hubs’ in London.

With February approaching, you might even see more Germans out celebrating Karneval in London, as it is a big day in the Festive Calendar for all Germans. German Carnival you may ask? More about that in our next blog.

So you have been taking private German lessons for a while? Or even an intensive German course? And now you would like to go a little further and experience German outside your lessons? Because sometimes it is not just all about grammar or vocabulary, sometimes it just helps to get a taste of Germany to achieve fluency and proficiency in the German language…or….well… any excuse is good to try out one of the most clichéd, yet most authentic German experiences: a sausage feast. And you don’t have to go all the way to Frankfurt for it.

1.)    Kurz und Lang. Small deli-like sausage shop in Farringdon. Serves all sorts of varieties of German sausage, starting with the classic Bratwurst (grilled pork sausage), but also serving regional specialities such as the Berliner Currywurst (pork sausage with ketch-up and curry powder – looks odd but tastes yummy) but also selling Frankfurter and Krakauer (more spicy). Plus a selection of beers from various regions in Germany (Kölisch, Paulaner, Tannenzäpfle, Becks).

2.)    Herman ze German. Ironic name for unironically tasty German grub. A small deli just off the Strand serving sausages of all kinds such as the previously mentioned Bratwurst, Currywurst and Frankfurter plus also home baked bread and Bretzel variations. Eat in or take away.

3.)    Kipferl. Technically speaking not a German but an Austrian deli, with already 3 branches in Angel, Coram’s Field and Gordon Square. The mouth-watering menu offers besides such precious rarities like Käsekrainer (a cheese filled sausage), also the classic Wiener and of course Sauerkraut. Kipferl also caters for the sweet tooth and offers an authentic coffee and cake experience with various home baked Austrian delicacies. The Linzer Torte is a must!