"There's always a reason to celebrate." This sums up the motivation of the team at the Wolkenburg, an outstanding event location in the centre of Cologne. What might appear to be a French castle is actually a former monastery. A respected Cologne male choral society has been responsible for the preservation of this historical building and it is now a premium venue hosting weddings, corporate events, birthdays and murder mystery dinners.
Anyone entering the Wolkenburg's inner courtyard through the small round arch immediately gets a pleasant surprise. Time stands still here and it feels as if you have discovered a small hidden oasis in the heart of Cologne's bustling city centre. The former monastery buildings accommodating the fantastic event rooms extend around the courtyard in a U-shape. The Alexiana room in art deco style has the unique charm of a French city restaurant and Amadeus offers a cosy lounge atmosphere with leather armchairs and black wall panelling. The Wolkenburg, however, also has a stately style, displayed in the Margaux room or large ballroom, the monastery's former dining room with its high ceilings, large chandeliers as well as a mobile stage.
Peter Golla, head chef at the Wolkenburg since 2011 and associated with the establishment even longer, holds the reigns in the kitchen. "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach," so his credo when catering small or larger parties. Classic, modern, flexible, seasonal and regional dishes – the Wolkenburg is ready for any occasion. The kitchen area was renovated in 2017 and is now fully equipped with MKN cooking equipment - FlexiChef®, four combi steamers as well as a cooking suite with kettle, induction hobs and deep fat fryers.
"The FlexiChef is our favourite for sauces, jus and bases," says Goller enthusiastically. "It's so fast." And, he loves the cleaning function. "It saves us so much time!" If you use the FlexiChef eight to ten times a day for different dishes, a long cleaning cycle just isn't possible, says the chef. Regenerating large quantities while maintaining consistent quality is also important to him. MKN's equipment allows the Wolkenburg to cater for up to 960 guests within a short time. Goller is also taken with another feature: the combi steamer's FlexiRack tray, which is utilised across its entire width. He says, "You have your products in full view at all times." Thanks to the large touchscreen display, the appliances are also easy to use and new staff trained quickly. The fact that other associated locations like the romantic Baroque Arrf Castle between Cologne and Düsseldorf also use MKN's high-tech equipment, speaks volumes for the professional cooking technology from Wolfenbüttel. However, that's a story for another time…
