It's the Dosage That Matters.
What do spices and disinfectants have in common? Peter Scharff, head of the Culinary Excellence Academy (ICA Hamburg) and long-time star chef, and Robert Diede, hygiene expert at Ecolab, investigated this question at the Internorga catering trade fair.
Green chef's jacket meets white coat, the "Lord of the Herbs" meets "Mr. Hygiene": Peter Scharff, head of the ICA's Culinary Excellence Academy in Hamburg, and Robert Diede, hygiene expert at Ecolab, talked shop about herbs and hygiene at the Ecolab booth. How important both substances are for the success of a culinary performance was quickly made clear to the audience: "The quality and selection of the herbs as well as their correct dosage are very important for the success of a meal," emphasized the long-standing star and TV chef. The same applies to hygiene. It has a decisive effect not only on the food but also on the entire gastronomic environment.
For decades, the experienced chef and pastry chef, who worked for the 3-star chefs Harald Wohlfahrt and Dieter Müller among others, has been dealing with herbs. In the Wartenberger mill, which Scharff ran together with his brother, he had a herb garden with over 250 varieties of herbs. The native Dinkelsbühler knows the numerous possible uses of each individual plant and uses them to create a variety of aromas - and taste experiences. Just five months after opening, his gourmet restaurant in the Palatinate region was awarded a star.
In 2007, Peter Scharff founded his company Kulinarische Kompetenz. The Culinary Excellence Academy was added in 2014. "We offer a culinary school, a gastronomic training center, a conference and event location," says Scharff about his company. The focus is always on his kitchen philosophy, the "Cuisina Herba Barona". Behind this name lies the targeted navigation to flavors and tastes. A culinary training system that is aimed above all at semi-skilled professionals in the gastronomy/hotel industry who use a lot of convenience products, as well as system gastronomy. Since 2012, Peter Scharff has been on tour nationwide as a lecturer and trainer on behalf of his customers.
"I am very meticulous at work. For me, the kitchen has to look like the operating theater. After all, we take responsibility for our guests and employees," stresses the entrepreneur. With Ecolab, he has implemented a hygiene concept in Kaiserslautern that ensures perfect cleanliness and safe working in all areas. Guests and seminar participants will already find two Nexa hand hygiene stations at the entrance where they can disinfect their hands without touching them. The cleaning agents of the Kitchen Pro series are also dosed efficiently via dosing systems. In the rinsing area, the sustainable Apex system is state-of-the-art. "For my staff, the system initially took a little getting used to. But that's normal when something new comes along. Everything is logical in the end".
![Peter Scharff by Mike Meyer](https://en-ch.ecolab.com/-/media/Ecolab/Ecolab-Home/Images/BlogArticles/Spektrum-Online-Newsletter/Peter-Scharff.png?h=310&iar=0&w=550&hash=8EEE3CD6CF12E352AB1B3D0D74ED96AF)
About the Culinary Excellence Academy
Location: Kaiserslautern
Services: cookery school, catering & event location, gastronomic training center
Target groups: Private individuals, companies, industry colleagues
Capacity: up to 95 persons