Landgasthof Backers

The story

Landgasthof Backers in Twist: Seasonal Country Cooking Near the Dutch Border

Landgasthof Backers stands at Kirchstraße 25 in Twist, Germany, where the family-run inn serves country cooking built on regional and seasonal produce. The Schlemmer Atlas awarded it 2,5 Kochlöffel for 2026, and the house has been in family hands since 1842.

Chef Helmut Backers and his approach

Helmut Backers was born in Dortmund and trained as a cook there before working in Paris, Switzerland and the Münsterland. He and his wife Irene took over the family business in Twist after two years of working together. For about 20 years he has cooked seasonally, and he has been a member of the Slow Food Chef Alliance since 2019. His cookbooks Gaumenglück (2010) and Backers & Backers (2017) collect his cooking.

What the menu has offered

The kitchen rewrites its menu with the seasons, so dishes change at short notice. A recent card listed curry spinach soup with fried prawns, caramelised goat's cheese with two kinds of beetroot, and beef fillet with summer truffle and Madeira sauce. Cod, poached egg on creamed spinach and a Grand Marnier parfait with praline sauce also appeared. Vegetarian dishes sit on the same card.

The setting and house products

Twist lies within the Bourtanger Moor-Veenland nature park, about a kilometre from the Dutch border. The inn also makes its own range, including Brotretter noodles, spruce-tip syrup and Veenland gin, which are sold in its shop. The property offers outdoor seating, parking and wheelchair access.