More culinary self-confidence!

First congress for decision-makers from the NRW food industry on March 26th and 27th at the University of Witten/Herdecke

North Rhine-Westphalia has a large number of specialties and brews the best beers in Germany. While the Bavarians have long cultivated wheat beer and white sausage as a trademark and export hit, the regional specialties in the state between the Rhine and Ruhr are in danger of sinking into oblivion. "An absurdity," says Dr. Hermann van Bömmel from the German Competence Center for Sustainable Management at the University of Witten/Herdecke.

The apparent lack of regional culinary awareness led to the birth of the project "nrw tischt auf" in cooperation with the "Food Processing Initiative". This is now entering the second stage with the specialist congress. The forerunner in November 2003 was a great success: over 1000 visitors came to the Witten/Herdecke University for the 'Witten tischt auf' banquet in order to experience the culinary tradition of the town on the Ruhr. Witten students had collected over 300 typical recipes and submitted them as part of a competition.

Regional chefs prepared the award-winning recipes for the visitors. The interest and demand was so great that a cookbook with the best recipes is now being published. The specialist congress 'nrw tischt auf', which is aimed at decision-makers from the food industry, trade and gastronomy, politics and science, ties in with this topic. The congress takes place under the patronage of NRW Economics Minister Harald Schartau. In his greeting, the minister wrote: "The initiators, the North Rhine-Westphalian Food-Processing Initiative eV and the Private University of Witten/Herdecke, have developed a holistic and far-sighted concept that can benefit the state in many ways."

According to project manager Dr. Hermann van Bömmel from the UWH gave the go-ahead for a new culinary self-confidence in NRW. "Regional specialties have a large, as yet untapped market potential, especially in North Rhine-Westphalia. The players must work together in order to be able to exploit this potential," he demands. "We offer you an exclusive platform and every possible support for this."

In addition to specialist lectures, discussion rounds and informative plenary sessions and workshops, the senses are not neglected either: a culinary art project, a cultural evening program and a foyer exhibition are offered as a culinary journey of discovery through the specialty state of North Rhine-Westphalia. As the number of participants for the congress is limited, early registration is requested. The fees for the first participant are EUR 580 each plus statutory sales tax. Registration closes on March 1.3.2004st, XNUMX. Further information and the congress program are available on the Internet at www.nrw-tischt-auf.de to find. You can also register from there.

Source: Witten / Herdecke [ uwh ]