Cooking against homesickness: International chefs as guests at Constructor University
It is well known that Constructor University in Bremen stands for diversity and tolerance. Students from over 110 nations and employees from over 60 nations live, learn and work there. This internationality is also reflected in the food on offer: The campus caterer apetito catering now invites Bremen caterers to cook on campus for even more diversity.
The four serveries at Constructor University in Bremen offer a wide range of options. Students can have breakfast, lunch and dinner on campus, and in between they can get snacks, sweets and drinks at the Coffee Bar. Whether carnivore, vegetarian, vegan or halal - there is something for every preference. Chef Anil Kumar has been providing culinary highlights at the private English-language university for four years. The "Guest Chef Day" is an initiative by apetito catering operations manager Frank Gleitsmann, to extend the variety.
The idea is to invite chefs from Bremen's gastronomy industry to spend a day cooking for the international students on campus. "We have numerous, exciting international restaurants in Bremen that we would like to introduce on every "Guest Chef Day". This way we can build a bridge from the city to the international campus and represent the different cultures in a culinary and authentic way," said Gleitsmann.
Last week, apetito welcomed a local celebrity to the campus: Virgine Kamche, born in Cameroon, has been active for the African communities in Bremen for over 20 years. In March she was named "Bremen Woman of the Year". Together with colleagues from the Afrika-Netzwerk Bremen e.V., she served various West African dishes. "Camaroonian Broccoli Salad", "Fufu with Beef in Peanut Sauce", "Roasted Chicken with Ghanian Salad" and "Puf Puf" represented the "Taste of Africa".
On May 16th, the cooking, or rather the brewing, will continue - with coffee from the Union Roastery. The coffee will be accompanied by international bread specialties and American Bakery-style sweets. Authenticity is particularly important to Gleitsmann: "Food is very emotional for our students, as they associate certain dishes, smells and spices with their homeland. Authentic preparation can help prevent or at least alleviate homesickness."
Of course, it's not just about eating dishes from one's own home country, but also trying new things and starting a conversation with others about food. Another positive effect of the initiative is that both students and employees get to know the city's gastronomy landscape. apetito catering is enjoying the exchange about products, suppliers and caterers.
The Peruvian restaurant Pajaten - Fusion Food was the first guest on campus at the end of February. The brothers Luis and Andres Loyola Robles prepared various specialties from their home country under the motto "Festival de Cocina Peruana", including "Sancocho" de Carne", "Calamares Fritos", "Empanadas" and "Arroz con Leche".
Questions answered by:
Frank Gleitsmann | On-site Manager apetito catering
frank.gleitsmann@apetito.de | Tel.: +49 1737150925
Image 1: Bremen's Woman of the Year Virgine Kamche cooked various West African dishes for Constructor University's students. (Source: apetito catering / Constructor University)
Image 2: In February, brothers Luis and Andres Loyola Robles prepared specialties from their home country Peru on campus. (Source: apetito catering / Constructor University)
About Constructor University:
An international community, vibrant and diverse. Offering academic excellence, ensuring the highest standards in research and teaching. Empowering students to solve the world's pressing challenges through knowledge and science: Constructor University is a top-ranked, English-speaking, private university. Founded in 2001, it provides a wide range of 25+ academic programs and PhD. The Constructor ecosystem comprises the University, located in Bremen, Germany, and an institute in Schaffhausen, Switzerland.
Over 1.800 students from more than 110 nations on campus benefit from a unique interdisciplinary, foundational theoretical and practical education. Enriched with a buzzing entrepreneurial culture that prepares young professionals to thrive in the job market. With 6.000+ alumni worldwide, our community keeps growing – with our highest cohort ever registered in 2022.
The research-centric faculty projects are funded by the German Research Foundation and the European Union's Framework Program for Research and Innovation as well as by globally leading companies.
The Constructor ecosystem benefits from partnerships with high-ranked universities such as Carnegie Mellon, the University of Geneva or the National University of Singapore School of Computing, and technology companies such as Anisoprint, JetBrains and ChemDiv.
Constructor is a global institution dedicated to addressing the main challenges of the world through science, education, and technology. Apart from the University in Bremen and an Institute in Schaffhausen (Switzerland), the ecosystem relies on several for-profit entities that provide technology infrastructures and solutions, life-long education programs, consulting services, and funding.