The Little Tea Room

From “Startup-Heini” in Berlin to breakfast restaurateur on Sylt

A chat with islander Cedric Horstmann from the Kleine Teestube Keitum

Cedric Horstmann stands on the terrace of the Little Tea Room. — © The Little Tea Room

After school, Cedric from Sylt was initially drawn to the wide world. Far from his usual island life, out of his parents' tearoom, into adventure and the business world. He traveled to 45 countries, calling several places like Lisbon, Berlin, and Tel Aviv home along the way. The loss of two family members led Cedric into estate administration and prompted him to found a tech company. He is now firmly anchored on the island again. Last year, in addition to his personal passion, death, another was added: the tearoom. With creative ideas and a cosmopolitan outlook, he is bringing a breath of fresh air to the traditional Sylt business and the gastronomy scene.

Hey! Who are you and what exactly do you do?

My name is Cedric, I'm 31 years old, and I run "Die Kleine Teestube" (The Little Tea Room) in Keitum. I grew up on Sylt; my childhood bedroom was directly above the tea room, so it's always been a part of my life. After school on Sylt, I was drawn to travel and study around the world and, as is usually the case, away from the island. I earned a bachelor's degree in business administration and business law, as well as a master's degree in management strategy and entrepreneurship. This gave me a foothold in the Berlin and Hamburg startup scene, and I eventually founded my own tech company focused on digital pension planning and estate management. A topic that's close to my heart.

In summer, when the weather is good, there is music, sundowners and after-work drinks and small snacks at the ice cream truck in the parking lot!

The table is set with a hearty breakfast — © The Little Tea Room

What drew you back to Sylt as a globetrotter?

After 10 years in Berlin and around the world, I took over Die Kleine Teestube from my mother, Christina, on June 1, 2024. The decision coincided with my career change and her desire to retire. I sold my tech company that same year and was looking forward to switching to an analog business model. After five years at a software company, this was a calling that had basically always been lurking in the back of my mind and never really let go.

So it was always somehow in the room?

I could already imagine taking over the tea room one day; I thought it would be sad if someone else did it. The timing was perfect, and I returned to Sylt. I wanted to help my mother get the shop ready to hand over and work together to figure out what needed to be done. Of course, there's a long list of tasks involved, and it took over a year to hand it over. I actually just wanted to support her, but the connection I felt made me decide to do it.

How do your parents feel about the generational change?

The road to this point was rocky and involved a lot of discussion. But it was also important that we talked about everything and built a clear framework. Now, of course, they're incredibly happy and proud, and they're here for a few days as temporary employees. My father is the caretaker.

A woman bakes a cake — © The Little Tea Room

And how is the transition from the tech to the hospitality industry for you?

Entrepreneurially, it's a completely different challenge. Now I have 15 employees. From the outside, you can't necessarily see that it's a big machine. We don't just push three cakes across the counter and squeeze an orange juice. But I don't really think about it too much. When there's so much work, I work until it's gone. And it's important to build a very good team that you can rely on, with whom everything goes hand in hand, where everyone has clear areas of responsibility and goals in mind. Then you're well positioned, and it opens up more opportunities. Our "Nati," the heart of our bakery, for example, has been with us for 28 years.

What does The Little Tea Room stand for?

This year, the tea room turns 40. It was founded in 1985 by the Ingwersen family from Keitum. My mother took over as the third owner in 2002 and ran it for 23 years. Therefore, the tea room embodies a lot of history and tradition, which we want to preserve and combine with modern touches. Our menu has been given a fresh lease of life and now boasts new favorites like the avocado salmon bread. We stand for consistently good quality in product and service. This begins with our cake and breakfast creations, some of whose recipes even come from my grandfather, and continues through to our shop with a wide range of teas (over 80!).

What are Little Tea Room highlights?

Our cakes and tarts, waffles, and blueberry pancakes! We've recently added cocktails like the Espresso & Pornstar Martini and Margarita.

Cocktails are on a table — © The Little Tea Room

Where are you headed? What are your plans for the future?

There are plenty of ideas. For now, the focus is on the business and the team. But the encouragement from outside and beyond Social Media is positive and that is of course motivating.

Are there any tea seminars or events?

In summer, when the weather is good, there is music, sundowners and after-work drinks and small snacks at the ice cream truck in the parking lot!

Apart from Keitum, what are your favorite spots on Sylt?

Keitum is the most beautiful. I also like the route to Munkmarsch to the Liar Bridge. At the Königshafen and Elbow I like it very much.

What do you like to do when you are not at the Little Tea Room?

I really like Hamburg. That's where I record my podcast: Here Today. Death TomorrowI run the podcast with my good friend, undertaker Dustin. It's a special project with which we want to give a voice and an ear to people who are grieving. And I like to go surfing when time permits. Last year, that wasn't the case. I've now bought a Vito that fits the longboard. This year, everything will be different!

Text: Julia Petersen

The Little Tea Room