“No Rational, No Oktoberfest”

On 22nd September 2012 the Oktoberfest in Munich opened for the 179th time. Rational has been partner to numerous beer tent companies for years. One of these is Pschorr Bräurosl, whose junior manager and chef Pascal Heide-Nigg says his Rational combi steamers are an essential part of his Oktoberfest set-up.

Pascal Heide-Nigg and his 50-strong team prepare no less than 10,000 meals on an average Oktoberfest day, with help from Rational SelfCookingCenter whitefficiency units. From knuckle of veal to duck, roast pork and sauerbraten, Heide-Nigg uses the Rational appliances for 70 per cent of his dishes.

“I rely on the Rationals absolutely,” Heide-Nigg says. “2012 is my eleventh Oktoberfest.  During the 16 days the event lasts everything has to work just perfectly. Incredible amounts of food have to be prepared within a very short time. The Rational combi steamers have never once let me down.

“You don’t change a system when it works so well!”

For Pascal Heide-Nigg the aim is to provide visitors with ‘great food, great service and a great atmosphere.’ Despite the quantities of food involved, quality and the wellbeing of each and every guest are their priorities. In these circumstances, the SelfCookingCenter is ideal. It delivers consistently high quality – no matter how many dishes are being prepared or who is preparing them. Operation is simple and self-explanatory. The desired result is set by pressing the touchscreen and the chef only needs to deal with the food once it’s cooked.

Another feature that Pascal Heide-Nigg particularly likes is the efficient cleaning with CareControl. “Once work has finished for the day, I simply put a tablet in the appliance and it cleans itself over night. And looks like new the next day,” he says.

If the Rationals are not being cleaned, Heide-Nigg uses them for overnight roasting – for example, he prepares his popular duck dishes using this method, which has the added benefit of giving him and his team more time during the day for other jobs around the kitchen. He is absolutely delighted with the quality: “With Rational’s overnight cooking feature I get the most succulent roasts you can imagine,” he says.

Around 40 Rational appliances are in use at different locations around the Oktoberfest site, from the Augustiner Festival Hall to the Wine Tent. Rational is partner to most of the large catering companies, including Pschorr Bräurosl.