The Institut Paul Bocuse at the University of Woosong in South Korea is known worldwide for its excellence in catering and hospitality training.

From classic bakery techniques and French patisserie to technical classes on managing a restaurant, teaching at the Institut is organised to provide its students with all the skills and tools required to be successful in hotels around the world.

According to the university rector, Katsuto W. Sandifer, two factors make the Institut Paul Bocuse one of the world’s best cookery schools. “Lessons are given in English by teachers from all over the world with many years’ experience behind them. They are the ones who will train the future generation of industry professionals”, added Sandifer.

The brief

• The needs of a teaching kitchen are very different from those of the kitchen in a restaurant or hotel.
• One of the essential features for a cookery school is definitely flexibility. “Usually in a normal kitchen there are different stations with ad hoc equipment for the different types of preparations”, explained Sandifer. “Instead, in a teaching kitchen, students need to be able to prepare any type of dish anywhere”.
• Safety and hygiene are also factors which mustn’t be ignored. The aim for Woosong was in fact to have an extremely high-performance kitchen which also ensured compliance with all the strictest hygiene standards.

The solution

• The company Daeryung Co. supported the University in executing the project, opting for Ambach, a brand equal to the school’s high expectations and needs.
• This was a major challenge for the company as the best equipment had to be supplied for one of the most famous cookery schools in the world, where future chefs are trained.
• For the three workshops of the Institut, covering around 380 square metres, Ambach supplied cooking islands from the System 850 line, customised with single 3 mm tops. Each island is equipped with a series of appliances such as grills, salamanders, induction hobs, pasta cookers and fryers.
• One of the most significant difficulties was the narrow passage leading to the kitchen of the Institut. To avoid the problem, each Ambach island had to be dismantled in order to be transported and then reassembled directly in the kitchen.
• The flexibility of the solution went far beyond expectations. The induction hobs provide students with ideal workstations for learning and participating in courses and seminars. Furthermore, Ambach also supplied islands of different sizes according to the space available in the various classrooms, in this way maximising space and efficiency.
• The project was completed in over one and a half years. “We’re extremely pleased with the appearance, ergonomics and easy use and cleaning of our Ambach kitchens”, said Sandifer.
• The perfect partnership between the University, Daeryung and Ambach was also a key to the success.