Good dishes speak for themselves

The team at Kantine Wannsee serves 120 guests a day. In this interview, chef Denise Ziegler reveals which dishes are the most popular and how the team adapts to its guests' wishes. Together with her colleague Rainer Siegl, she aims to impress guests with good food. Every day.

How would you describe your culinary philosophy?

My aim is to offer freshly prepared food that is healthy and delicious. That's what our guests expect, too. For example, we have significantly reduced the proportion of convenience products we use. I trained in a hotel restaurant. When I became a mother, regular working hours were very important to me. After parental leave, I started working in the canteen of the Potsdam State Chancellery, where we served up to 750 guests. That's how I grew into the canteen world and learned that high standards are important here too! The most important thing for me is that the guests are satisfied and enjoy coming to us.

What are the guests' favorite dishes at Kantine Wannsee?

Classic dishes include schnitzel and meatballs, and potato pancakes are also very popular. Red cabbage with baked pears is a popular vegetarian dish. People love the vegetarian moussaka. Lasagna and spaghetti Bolognese are also big hits. Some teams even only come when these dishes are on the menu.

How do you cater to the different needs of your guests, e.g., vegetarian or vegan diets?

We have three dishes on the menu, one of which is vegan. This doesn't appeal to everyone, but we've noticed that everyone enjoys delicious vegetarian dishes, even guests who usually prefer meat on their plate. Good food speaks for itself! We currently cook 60 vegetarian or vegan dishes and 60 meat dishes every day. This ratio used to be different, which shows that our guests also enjoy meat-free meals.

How many dishes do you include in your weekly meal plans?

We have a repertoire of 200 dishes at the Wannsee canteen. Our menu repeats every eight weeks with a few variations. We also include seasonal dishes: pumpkin and cabbage dishes are often served in the fall and winter months.

Can employees submit suggestions for dishes?

Yes, absolutely! We welcome all suggestions and always try to respond to them as quickly as possible.

What inspires you?

I like to eat out, sometimes at good restaurants. I often find inspiration that I try out. With pasta dishes, we like to work with toppings, for example with arugula, antipasti, or caramelized pears with risotto. It's healthy and looks great!

What role do regional ingredients play?

One of our main suppliers is currently introducing a pilot project in which regional products are labeled. This makes it easier for us to consciously purchase regional ingredients. We definitely want to increase this proportion—also for sustainability reasons. Of course, we also have to keep an eye on costs.

How are you dealing with rising food prices?

Since January 2024, 19 percent sales tax has been added to all canteen meals, up from 7 percent previously. We tried to keep prices stable at first. But that wasn't possible, so unfortunately we had to raise prices in May. Otherwise, we try to calculate tightly.

Many international guests eat at the Wannsee canteen. How do you take this into account when planning meals?

Our menu always includes international dishes, such as various curries. These are very popular and we enjoy cooking them. However, we don't prepare dishes specifically for employees from a particular region. Everyone's preferences are too different for that. When someone from Iraq comes to us, for example, I'm interested in what kind of cuisine they have there and what dishes could be recreated in a canteen setting.

What do you mean by “canteen setting”?

Many dishes have to be served immediately after preparation, as we know from restaurants. That's not possible for us. We prepare the dishes and then cool them directly to a few degrees Celsius. We only heat them up shortly before serving. This principle is called “cook and chill.” It has the advantage that we don't have to keep food warm. This preserves more vitamins and allows us to sell it the next day. That's good for sustainability. However, this method of preparation doesn't work with all dishes.

What else do you do to minimize food waste?

We calculate carefully. This means that sometimes a meal can be quickly gone and you have to switch to another dish. It is also important to let us know in advance if, for example, someone has an event and 20 more guests are coming. On Fridays, we serve leftover soups and stews. We bake rolls the next day or make croutons. So we have hardly any waste, almost only potato or onion peels.

The canteen in Adlershof has a vending machine. Will the range of products on offer be expanded?

At the moment, the vending machine stocks preserved meals that have a long shelf life. Unfortunately, we don't have the logistical capacity to expand our range. In theory, we could also offer meals that we cook fresh in Wannsee in the vending machine in Adlershof. To do this, the jars in the vending machine would have to be replaced every two days. But that would only be possible with reliable logistics. 

How important is guest feedback to you?

Very important! We always take it seriously and work to improve. The right seasoning, for example, is one such issue:  it can be too strong for some and too bland for others. We respond to this criticism and now have salt shakers on the tables, for example, so that everyone can season their food to their liking.

What challenges do you often encounter in your daily work?

Rainer Siegl and I have been working together as chefs since October 2023. We are really on the same wavelength. One challenge is that we sometimes take on too much. We have lots of ideas and then realize later that they are beyond our capabilities. We do a lot of manual work in food preparation. If someone from the canteen team is suddenly unavailable, it becomes difficult. It's also important to guide our trainees through their training and take the time to do so. It's great to see how they develop during their training and how passionate they are about what they do.

Is it even possible to do this job without passion?

Of course, you could just open a bag and use ready-made meals. But for me, passion is simply part of cooking.

Sustainability at HZB

The Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin is committed to sustainability in all areas. This includes, for example, designing a largely natural campus that promotes biodiversity. You can find out more about this here.