peter
niemann.

Born in Leipzig, Peter Niemann first completed an apprenticeship as a chef after school and, after successfully completing his training, moved on to work in some of Europe's top restaurants. These included the Hirschen restaurant in Sulzburg, Stucki Basel, the Obauer brothers in Werfen, the Bon Loc restaurant in Stockholm, Königshof Munich, Feinkost Käfer in the new Munich trade fair center, Feinkost Käfer in the German Bundestag and Wald- und Schlosshotel Friedrichsruh.

While he only cooked at all these locations, he was confronted with planning a kitchen for the first time at Feinkost Käfer in the Munich trade fair center. But not just any kitchen, but a kitchen for two restaurants with 600 seats each! This was a turning point for Niemann, as he realized that cooking alone would not be enough in the future.

And so Niemann was also in charge of the kitchen planning for the opening of the Käfer restaurants in the German Bundestag. No easy task in the listed building, in which architects installed a 20-liter deep fryer next to a sink and the drain above the floor, among other things ...

However, the resulting challenges did nothing to dampen his passion for planning. Quite the opposite! Over the following decades, Niemann repeatedly came across places with history – and a correspondingly historic building fabric. His enthusiasm for historic places and individual solutions developed in the process.

To this day, he is fascinated by the idea of creating something lasting in this way: Enabling a working and living environment for people in which they can achieve the best results, regardless of whether it is a hotel, medical practice or living and working in a listed building.

Looking back, we can already say that he has done just that. Not only in the two Käfer companies, but also in his hometown of Leipzig, where he managed the planning, conversion and opening of a restaurant in the Old Town Hall as gastronomy manager, opened his own restaurant in the last private bank in the GDR - Bankhaus Meyer & Co. which financed the Count Staufenberg resistance group, among other things - after extensive refurbishment, and finally completely renovated a manor dating back to 1317 to open two restaurants, an event area and two former barrel vaults.

“For me, building is just as much a craft as cooking” , says Niemann. And he proved that he is damn good at both after the successful opening of the former Möckern manor. Not only was the most modern kitchen and ventilation technology installed there according to Niemann's plans, he also immediately earned a Michelin star as head chef. This was followed by a stint in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where Niemann designed the entire kitchen and technical planning for the listed Retzow Castle in order to transform the historic site into a modern event location in the future.

Niemann then took over the position of head chef and director at the Hotel Hohenhaus.

At Hohenhaus, Niemann's hunch from the initial discussions with the owners finally became reality: it wasn't just about cooking. After concentrating more on personnel management and cuisine in his first year (and earning a Michelin star here too!), he took over responsibility for construction and renovation at Hohenhaus in 2019. For example, a conference and event barn with an adjoining kitchen area for up to 200 people was built under his direction. In addition to the existing restaurant, two new restaurants were designed and opened. Furthermore, the former Kavaliershaus and management office were converted into two comfortable suites and a small conference room and the existing rooms were extensively renovated. Culinary delights did not fall by the wayside as a result, however, but developed more in the direction of conception. After all, two hearts beat in Niemann's chest to this day: that of the renovator and that of the chef.

The 45-year-old recognized the perfect conditions of the estate belonging to the hotel and developed a largely self-sufficient circular economy. Today, most of the produce used in the restaurants comes from the surrounding area. Wild artichokes, forest mint, watercress, sage, wood sorrel and more are harvested from the hotel's own herb meadow, while berries, morels and other mushrooms are picked in the surrounding forests. Bread is baked with grain grown especially for Hohenhaus. All the game comes from our own hunt. So that the hunted animals do not have to be transported over hill and dale, the farm has built its own game slaughterhouse. The farm also has its own sheep farm, honey production and its own mineral water springs.

— Christoph Wirtz / Gault & Millau

For Niemann, however, this is by no means the end of Hohenau's project. In fact, he has temporarily hung up his chef's jacket and put on his hard hat. He is currently responsible for the renovation of the castle belonging to Hohenhaus, which will house 17 new rooms and suites including three wellness suites and the future gourmet restaurant La Valée Verte. At the same time, Niemann renovated a historic village community center, in which a specialist medical practice opened at the end of 2022, and a listed individual monument in the Werra-Meisner district, where he will live in the future.

One of the next projects will be the renovation of a listed school building from 1914, in which rental apartments will be built.

Between stove and construction site for employees & guests.

“By building, I can create something lasting – that's something that's not possible on a plate. And yet building is like cooking. Because with both, I combine perfect craftsmanship with a high utility value and attractive aesthetics,” says Peter Niemann. The 45-year-old has already cooked his way to several Michelin stars and has also developed into a specialist in the field of renovation and construction for the hotel, restaurant and communal catering industry.

His preference: historical buildings that are listed and for which there are no standard solutions.

Although unusual, the path he took was completely logical. After all, Niemann has worked in some of these historic buildings over the past 25 years. And many a time he has found a workplace where he has had to walk unnecessary distances, damaged his body or simply thrown money down the drain due to poor planning or construction defects. Sometimes the kitchen floor was too slippery, so accidents at work were inevitable. Sometimes a dumbwaiter was supposedly too expensive according to the architect, even though there was a budget-friendly alternative. Work surfaces were almost always installed far too low, causing employees to bend over unnecessarily. No matter what it was - more money was always spent in the end than would have been necessary.

Niemann understood that employees or even guests are rarely considered during the planning process. Instead, site managers and architects often pass the ball to each other in such a way that both parties benefit ... the property owners, meanwhile, trust that everything will be planned and implemented in their interests.

So instead of lamenting all the time, Niemann began to act. He developed solutions based on practical experience and established himself as a link between owners and architects/construction management. Almost of its own accord, Niemann developed long-standing relationships with specialists from a wide range of fields – from elevator builders, building services engineers and kitchen fitters to photographers, journalists, graphic designers, star chefs and colleagues who provide the glamour at the opening of the project.

Peter Niemann / Article “Das Essen unsere Kinder” in the Stuttgarter Zeitung from 4/5.03.2023

Commitment to a healthy diet

Peter Niemann, renowned chef, host and hotel manager, is much more than just a culinary expert. As a committed advocate of a healthy and conscious diet, he works hard to improve eating habits, especially among children. At a time when unhealthy fast food options and highly processed foods are ubiquitous, Niemann is at the forefront of the fight to create alternatives and raise awareness.

Child-friendly menus

One project close to Peter Niemann's heart is the introduction of child-friendly menus in restaurants. These can also be completely free of industrial sugar. Niemann offers dishes that are not only healthy but also tasty - such as pancakes with beet sugar and homemade jam or a chicken breast with home-grown vegetables. The aim is to get children interested in natural foods at an early age and at the same time encourage them to enjoy a healthy diet.

Educational initiatives: cooking courses and workshops for children

In addition to the practical implementation in restaurants, Peter Niemann is also active in the community. One of his specific projects is his collaboration with the Röhrda education center. Here, together with other top chefs, he runs cooking courses for primary school children, where they learn to prepare healthy meals using regional and seasonal produce. The food used in these courses comes from the “Acker-Racker” project in Grandenborn and from local sources such as the Opfer butcher's shop in Datterode. These hands-on courses are invaluable as they not only impart knowledge, but also arouse children's curiosity about fresh and natural foods and raise awareness of healthy eating.

Supporting regional facilities

Another important project is Niemann's involvement in the refurbishment of the kitchen at the “Die kleinen Hände” kindergarten in Röhrda. In 2016/2017, he supported the technical and culinary equipment of the kitchen in collaboration with Carina van der Willik in order to ensure healthy meals for the children. At Hotel Hohenhaus, the two chefs from the Röhrda education center were taught additional knowledge for the daily healthy catering of over 70 children as well as how to use the latest kitchen technology.

Criticism of the food industry and calls for transparency

Niemann's commitment does not end with feeding the little ones. He also critically questions current practices in the area of food production and advocates transparency and sustainability. He warns of the dangers of hidden sugars and artificial additives in industrially produced foods and calls for a return to natural and authentic sources of flavor. He does not shy away from openly addressing grievances and pointing out alternative approaches.

Conclusion: A doer who takes action

Peter Niemann is an example of a doer who not only talks the talk, but also walks the walk. His projects, such as the introduction of child-friendly menus, cooking courses with schoolchildren in Röhrda and support for regional sports clubs HSG Datterode, show that it is possible to bring about positive change with passion and expertise - for the health of our children and young people.