New kitchen for the Werkself

It is the pride and joy of Alexander Wagner, head chef for the first team. Up to now, preparation of food for the hungry players has been a long drawn-out procedure: The cooking was done in the Barmenia Lounge in the South Stand at the BayArena and then the food was consumed in the Werkself Bistro in the West Stand. That meant the food had to be transported from A to B several times every day and then the empty plates, pots and bowls etc had to make the reverse journey. From this summer, cooking has been done directly next to the Bistro. The old common room for the first team squad has been converted into a state-of-the-art kitchen.

That required installing ducts from the cellar to the second floor to lay the utility lines. An air conditioning system has also been installed in the kitchen – with a huge device on the roof that controls airflow. That ensures there is always a constant temperature at the ovens – whether that's in the summer, winter, working flat out or on days off: It is always around 18°C. That makes work more pleasant and the chefs don't break sweat so quickly.

All the equipment is new as well: Wagner and his team have a steamer with a capacity of 60 litres, a dry vapour cooker with flash freezing facility, a 'Self Cooking Center' for boiling, frying or baking, a salamander cooker for grilling and a new dishwasher with high pressure cleaning with cold water feed and an automatic dosing system.

The neighbouring dining area has not been changed. In the trendy bistro with its clean look, the players have their breakfast, lunch and/or evening meal – depending on the timing of training sessions. Food preparation can also be seen in the new show cooking area with pancakes, fried eggs, omelettes or pasta dishes freshly prepared and directly served the players. Five modules – including induction hob, grill or chiller – are available here and can be exchanged as required.

The storage area is also new. The old electrics room has been retiled and designed according to the HACCP concept. HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point – hazard analysis and the checking of all critical points at every stage in the preparation, process, storage and handling of foodstuffs. All the food is stored in freezers, walk-in refrigerator and chilling area. Temperatures are controlled and recorded two or three times a day – this happens automatically thanks to state-of-the-art computer technology and the data is transmitted via Wi-Fi.

A professional kitchen – for the professional players.