Romantik Hotel Kieler Kaufmann is a prime destination hotel located in the city of Kiel in Germany. The hotel owners, Kieler Kaufmann e.V., and the Lessau family who run it have together succeeded in transforming the existing structure into a luxury superior hotel able to enchant guests with its simultaneously classic and modern charm.
During renovation work on the hotel’s two new restaurants, a bar, new guest rooms and an events room with capacity for up to 200 guests were added. The award-winning chef Mathias Apelt, the hotel chef for as many as 5 years, aims to spoil his guests with a new culinary concept. In the Kaufmannsladen restaurant with 80 covers he serves dishes based on meat and hamburgers, while in the fine dining restaurant Ahlmanns he offers menus for more demanding gourmet palates. Here a maximum of 20 guests can be treat to top-level regional and international dishes.

The requirement

• During renovation work on the hotel, the old kitchen was moved into a new area looking onto the two restaurants, Kaufmannsladen and Ahlmanns.
• The Lessau family, the hotel owner and the Chef were very familiar with Ambach kitchens and opted to keep their old System 900 range with gas and induction hobs. The System 900 range was then transferred into the new kitchen and integrated into a new specially designed Ambach range.
• The new range had to be compact and functional as the space in the kitchen is limited and the Chefs needed a larger working area.
• The new range also had to have extremely efficient and versatile equipment to ensure impeccable cooking results in a short time.
• The aesthetic and design were two essential aspects of the project as cooking classes are organised in the kitchen. The two Ambach ranges, with their carefully crafted minimalist profiles, were the ideal solution for the hotel’s needs.

The solution

• The hotel chose a compact range on a plinth from the Chef 850 and System 700lines with a single hygienic top. The existing System 900 range was therefore integrated by Chefs Culinar in the new kitchen without any problems.
• The kitchen was designed by Chefs Culinar Kiel, with support from Ambach’s Chef Mathias Apelt and hotel manager Carl-Heinz Lessau.
• Essential for the Chef is high-quality equipment, technologically innovative and also aesthetically pleasing and easy to clean.
• The new range on plinth is fitted with two 4 zone induction hobs (in addition to the induction hobs and the entire gas plate from the existing System 900 range) a steak grill, Hold-o-Mat, pot rack with salamander support for a mixer and combi steamer.
• The base units were built as partly open and partly fitted with refrigerated drawers.
• The smooth surfaces and the neutral H3 hygienic bases simplify cleaning for maximum hygiene protection.
• The two ranges placed back to back to ensure maximum productivity and provide a major time saving in the flow of service.
• To speed up the preparation in the kitchen a IQ900 pressure bratt pan was chosen with electronic touchscreen controls, for which a special space was set aside in the kitchen as a freestanding unit.
• “The new Ambach kitchen, made up of equipment from the Chef 850 and System 700 lines, is just what I needed alongside the System 900 equipment”, said Mathias Apelt. “The IQ900 pressure bratt pan is used constantly”, underlined the chef.
• The two ranges, together, complement each other perfectly and fully meet the needs of the two restaurants and of the hotel.
• The Lessau family is also definitely satisfied. “We’re enthusiastic about the new machines and proud to have made a sustainable choice with Ambach. The company, together with Chefs Culinar, worked alongside us with skill and professionalism in every phase of the project”.