"Every occasion is celebrated here". This is the motto of the team at Wolkenburg, an extraordinary event location in the centre of Cologne. What looks like a French castle was once a monastery. It is thanks to a venerable Cologne men's choral society that the historic building has been preserved - and can now be used for weddings, corporate events, birthdays or even murder mystery dinners.
Anyone entering the Wolkenburg's inner courtyard through the small round arch will be pleasantly surprised right from the start: time has somehow stood still here and you feel like you're in a small oasis in the middle of Cologne's bustling city centre. The buildings of the former monastery, in which the fantastic event rooms are located, extend all around in a U-shape: The Alexiana room in Art Deco style with the friendly charm of a French city restaurant. Or Amadeus in a cosy lounge ambience with leather armchairs and black wall panelling. But the Wolkenburg also has a stately style, for example in the Margaux room or the large ballroom, the former dining room of the monastery with its high ceilings and large chandeliers as well as a movable stage.
Further inside is the realm of Peter Golla, head chef at the Wolkenburg since 2011 and already associated with the business before that. Love goes through the stomach, that is his credo when it comes to catering for small or large parties. Classic, modern, flexible, seasonal, regional - the Wolkenburg is prepared for anything. The kitchen area was renovated in 2017. Today, it is packed with kitchen technology from MKN: a FlexiChef, four combi-steamers and a kitchen block with a kettle, induction plates and deep fryers.
"Our favourite thing is the FlexiChef - for sauces, jus and preparations," says Goller happily. "It's super quick." He also loves the cleaning function: "It saves an incredible amount of time!" If you use the FlexiChef eight to ten times a day for different dishes, that wouldn't be possible with a long cleaning time, says the chef. Regenerating in large quantities while maintaining the same quality also plays a major role for him. The Wolkenburg can serve up to 960 guests so quickly with the help of the appliances. And there's another feature that appeals to him: the tray of the combi-steamer, which is utilised across its full width. Goller: "This means you always have a complete view of the food." Thanks to the display, the appliances are also very easy to use and new staff can be quickly trained.
Another point in favour of the professional cooking technology from Wolfenbüttel is that other associated locations, such as the romantic baroque Arff Castle between Cologne and Düsseldorf, also use high-tech from MKN. But that's another story, which we will certainly be telling one day....
