Culinary delight and wellbeing come first

Light-flooded rooms with lots of greenery, the smell of freshly ground coffee in the morning, a variety of classic and international dishes and always a smile and combined with the finest service. Where the wellbeing of guests is paramount? At ERGO Gourmet.

Passion for their work is the hallmark of the ERGO Gourmet team. Colleagues at all locations give their best for their guests. This starts with the planning of the menus, continues with the purchasing of the food, is celebrated during the cooking and then completed in the casinos when the dishes are served.

Good food in a pleasant atmosphere is a key factor in maintaining the health and wellbeing of employees. Lunch breaks with colleagues, creative exchanges over coffee and tea, beautiful rooms for these breaks – these are all essential components of ERGO's corporate culture. It starts with the first coffee in Ayfer Bingöl's pastry shop. For her, interacting with guests is the best part of her ERGO Gourmet job: "I enjoy putting a smile on their faces.'

Carefully selected ingredients and attention to detail

Her colleague Marc-Jan Rieleit starts preparing breakfast at 5am. Sandwiches are the chef's particular passion: 'Together with my breakfast team, I enjoy creating the first pleasurable moments of the day. We place great emphasis on carefully selected ingredients and attention to detail, so that every snack, every sandwich and every sandwich is an experience.

Nutritional experts are involved in the planning of the dishes. The menu changes every week and there are many different dishes every day: classic, international, vegetarian, vegan. 'My aim is to create a balanced menu that exceeds our guests' expectations and makes them feel good," says Benjamin Ostholt, Food & Beverage Manager.

In-house recipes and the selection of high-quality ingredients 

Each week, ERGO employees can embark on a culinary journey of discovery thanks to the variety of numerous in-house recipes and the selection of high-quality ingredients that are as seasonal and regional as possible.

It is not until the serving counters that the ingredients for each dish are put together. This gives the service team the freedom to cater for individual wishes or food intolerances. They are always happy to cater for special requests and have detailed knowledge of all the ingredients. Information about allergens and additives can be found online in the menu, and a traffic light system indicates whether the currywurst should be accompanied by a salad. Or if the vegetable bowl leaves room for a dessert. This also has a positive effect on the guests' health and mood.

A large number of fans – even outside the ERGO Group

The employees appreciate the variety of food offered in the casinos, at the coffee bars and for takeaway. The ERGO Gourmet team is constantly coming up with new activities that underline the international character of ERGO or reflect its commitment to events such as the European Football Championship, and they also turn anniversaries and departmental events into something special.

All of this ensures that the ERGO Gourmet team has a large number of fans, even outside the ERGO Group. Any leftovers are made available via the "Too good to go" app. The demand is usually greater than the supply, as the number of portions needed is calculated fairly accurately with the help of AI, even while the restaurant is in operation.

Wellbeing is also an issue for the ERGO Gourmet colleagues themselves. Regular working hours allow them to spend evenings and weekends with family, friends and hobbies – something that is rare in the catering industry. This also contributes to the ERGO Gourmet team making every moment a pleasure for their guests. Whether at the casinos or at home.

#ERGOfaces photo series

Would you like to meet the team behind ERGO Gourmet? We spent half a day with the team in our offices in Düsseldorf. Take a look at the #ERGOfaces photo series on our social media channels and find out more about the team and what they do at ERGO Gourmet. Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram to make sure you don't miss any news.