Schneider: On the contrary: front cooking in combination with side dishes from the buffet also works really well when many guests have to be catered for in a short space of time. For us, quality takes centre stage. A steak is only succulent when it is freshly cooked, i.e. when it doesn't get cold. This works just as well for 100 guests as it does for 2,500 - the important thing is the right preparation. Our experience shows that professional planning is a key success factor for front cooking. Front cooking can only really play to its strengths if the food on offer is suitable or intelligently designed and combined.

Schneider: I can offer the guest individuality and transparency. Customers really appreciate that. Thanks to individualised preparation, we can also take into account special requests due to allergies, intolerances and culturally specific diets. Especially in the conference business, it is almost impossible to enquire about this in advance. With front cooking, we bring the chef to the guest and create transparency. The great unknown: ‘Who is cooking, how and with what?’ is simply resolved. In the 1:1 encounter, the guest can ask questions directly. This strengthens trust and increases appreciation.

Schneider: I think the reduction in food waste is a wonderful advantage. Expensive ingredients can be prepared selectively and as required. This reduces our costing risk and at the same time we can offer our guests variety, transparency and freshness. Let's take a pasta dish as an example - a dish that we can offer in four variations in combination with a topping of poultry, seafood, broccoli or tofu without much effort. This allows us to cater for different eating habits - from vegetarians to vegans and flexitarians.

Schneider: Front cooking is an internal seal of quality for us. It's comparable to a car manufacturer who has its mechanics sign a sticker as a guarantee of quality, thereby demonstrating their personal responsibility. Chefs who are motivated and have fun simply cook even better in front of guests. It is a matter of honour that they go the extra mile.

Schneider: Yes, of course. That's quite different from when everything happens in the background and someone sends the food from off-screen. This personal contact with the guests often doesn't happen just once, but several times. Of course, there's also feedback like: ‘That tasted great’ or ‘The tip was good, I'd like another plate of that’ or ‘My neighbour recommended this to me’. The interpersonal dialogue creates sympathy and creates a feeling of well-being that is just as important as the quality of the food. This applies to both the chef and the guest.

Schneider: We have always been lucky enough to have chefs who not only love cooking in front of guests, but who are really into it. They are the best role models for our apprentices, who love to learn from them. So there is always a professional at the cookery station leading the team. Of course, we also organise training courses such as verbal training. We also look at what needs to be taken into account visually and how we teach hygiene.

Schneider: That really is extremely important. We attach great importance to defining standards in order to optimise processes. This includes customer flows as well as hiring behaviour. That's why we favour fixed front cooking stations at in-house events where we regularly cook for 2,500 guests. Because if we know from experience that people always queue from the left, we can take this into account from the outset. If, on the other hand, the station is always set up in a new location, we are constantly creating new facts and losing valuable time. If you position yourself incorrectly from the guests' route, you suddenly have a small mistake with a huge impact.

Schneider: Front cooking has an experiential character, which is extremely important today: food is part of the event and front cooking can be perfectly integrated. Guests are on the move, strolling through the rooms, being tempted by the various offerings. Music plays in parallel, there are demonstrations and a bar. The classic buffet without front cooking is no longer up to date. That's why at least two front cooking stations are part of our event programme. And don't forget one thing: We recommend ourselves with every event. It is the perfect opportunity to present our range of services. We want to inspire our guests, and front cooking is an excellent way to do this.