At the age of 15, I was able to gain my first experience in an area that would stay with me for a long time and ultimately became my professional passion: gastronomy and later tourism. I still remember our first job, when we were supposed to deliver 1000 canapés to a company event at 12 noon. My parents were very keen from the start to deliver absolute quality in their products, so it was only logical that we had to prepare the canapés as fresh as possible. That meant getting up at 2 a.m. and using a baking tin to cut out round canapés from countless slices of white bread. It was my first job in the gastronomy industry, so to speak, and I thought it was pretty cool just because of the time - but not anymore after three hours of cutting out. 😂
Through recommendations and contacts we then got some exciting jobs, for example the only license for the sparkling wine and champagne tent at the equestrian competitions in Herrenkrug. Of course the job was accepted, even though we had nothing. My father sat down, built a tent out of Euro pallets, had strong PVC material cut and spent days constructing it using chrome pipes from the hardware store. Little by little the tent was built, which we used for almost 25 years. It had space for 30 people, and with our license to serve sparkling wine and champagne we had a consistently good source of income.
I was there as often as possible - during the set-up, serving the champagne and, above all, experiencing how much fun I had creating something. It was never about just working or making money for me. I wanted to create something that would last and that's exactly what I was able to experience with my parents.
This was an important time for me, where I learned how crucial it is to have a vision while also being pragmatic. My father was a role model when it came to solving problems creatively and building something that would last with limited resources. It was inspiring to see how an idea and hard work could turn into something valuable.
These first professional experiences not only gave me insights into the catering and event industry, but also into the importance of teamwork and customer focus. It wasn't just the work that fascinated me, but also the feeling of being part of something bigger. Knowing that what we created brought joy to people was a major motivation for me to later develop my career in this direction.
What made this time special for me was the awareness that it is not always about perfection, but about commitment and dedication. We did not have the best materials or the most modern equipment, but we had the will to create something special. This lesson has stayed with me to this day and has had a lasting impact on my attitude towards projects and challenges.
