It got off to a great start: chef Lukas Bank greeted us with a relaxed and humorous welcome, making us feel at ease right away. Of course, small canapés and delicious drinks were not to be missed – after all, we were in an event kitchen.
The initial excitement among our new “trainee colleagues” had already faded upon arriving at the location. We had previously toured the Arineo premises in Göttingen and had already started getting to know each other.
We then moved on to plan the evening in detail. Or rather, all the activities that awaited us: what needed to be done, what we needed for it, who would do what – everyone got to choose their “specialty”.
This ranged from chopping onions to handing out drinks and selecting the music. For example, Benni became head chef, and Cornelius our head pasta maker.
Before we started cooking, we loaded a Serrano ham into the machine and sliced it. This allowed us to snack on ham, bread, and dips while we were cooking. Then it started: a three-course meal had to be prepared. This included ravioli, homemade of course. The dough had to be kneaded first while the filling was prepared.
We formed several teams and naturally engaged in conversation through the shared activities. There were also great discussions across teams.
Then the entire group worked together to fill the pasta. Some were shaped so creatively that they had no chance of making it into the water without the filling spilling out. But we laughed a lot, the atmosphere was great, and everyone had fun. Then we continued the preparation of our “Beef Wellington” main course and the dessert. Throughout the entire process, there were always phases in which some people finished their tasks early and were able to chat over a tasty drink.
Lukas Bank and his colleague offered many kitchen tips and tricks and were always on hand with tricks and tips or helped out themselves. Last but not least, we plated the food professionally and enjoyed our culinary creations in a relaxed atmosphere with great conversations about private matters or training topics. And if it hadn’t been the middle of the week, we would certainly have stayed together much longer.
Our conclusion: cooking is not that different from application development, as preparation and teamwork are crucial in both fields. But seriously: our aim was for everyone to get to know each other better, or for the first time, in a relaxed atmosphere. We definitely achieved that.
More pictures
Would you also like to participate in a similar great trainee event?
Then send us your application. We are looking forward to getting to know you.
