Cornelia Poletto: Work has to be fun
Michelin-starred chef Cornelia Poletto on 25 years of passion, quality standards, and refrigeration trailers that are so "cool" you'd want to sleep in them.
Justus Böckmann in conversation with Cornelia Poletto
Cornelia, you are a Michelin-starred chef, run your own restaurants, a bar, cooking schools, and regularly appear on television. What connects you with the Böckmann brand?
First and foremost, a long-standing and trusting partnership connects me with Böckmann. And since star chefs also have a hobby once in a while – and this hobby happens to involve horses – I initially came into contact with the Böckmann family through horses.
Can we say that you were riding before you were cooking?
Yes, you can definitely say that! I then exchanged my successful riding career (laughs) for the stove, so to speak...
... "Horse for stove"...
Exactly. Our family has had a great passion for equestrian sports for many years. I inherited it from my mother, and my daughter inherited it from me.
And the whole family was hopefully traveling with a Böckmann trailer.
We all drive Böckmann, that's for sure (laughs)! However, I have to admit that my very first trailer was of a different brand. It had an incredibly heavy ramp. When the chic Böckmann arrived, it was truly life-changing.
The team will be pleased to hear that, because we design our trailers "by practitioners, for practitioners"...
... so that even the girls can lift everything by themselves.
Exactly. I assume you accompanied your daughter to the shows?
Yes. The more ambitiously my daughter rode, the more my role changed into that of a "TT" (show groom). I am very good at braiding, sewing plaits, and of course, I was responsible for the beautiful Böckmann tack lockers, which then traveled to the shows with perfectly cleaned tack.
As a top chef, you now rely on our refrigeration trailers…
I actually exchanged the horse trailer for a refrigeration trailer (laughs).
What would we see if we opened the door of the vehicle today?
When I opened my bar and our catering business grew, that became a necessity. If you open the trailer today, you will find perfectly chilled beer kegs, champagne, wines, and all the soft drinks we need. We use one trailer permanently installed in front of our bar as a kind of extended cold room, and another mobile one for our catering.
Is there something your team particularly likes about it?
My team likes the trailer so much that during street festivals, especially when it's warm, they would love to spend the night in it! It has simply proven itself. We have a good system, can stack everything perfectly, and are mobile at the same time. You can plug it in anywhere and never have to worry about the cold chain being broken – a crucial point in catering!
We enjoy working with professionals like you to continuously improve every new trailer model with their feedback. Are your partnerships, as in our case, long-term, and do certain preferences develop from them?
Absolutely. My motto is: truly good food can only come from truly good products. The quality of an ingredient is just as important as the quality of everything surrounding it. Over time, this has naturally led to great partnerships that bring reliability. I know then: in the pan on the stove, the perfect steak works...
... and with the refrigeration trailer...
Yes, of course. Just as it is no fun to work with blunt knives, the first impression a guest has is what counts. When we organize a catering event and drive onto the premises, everything is completely clean, all the goods arrive chilled, and you notice: they are perfectly set up.
When it comes to a trailer, I know what "first-class travel" stands for. What makes you so good at what you do? What sets you apart?
An extremely high quality standard is very important. But what good is the best trailer or the sharpest knife if I don't use it properly? It's about respect for the product, but above all about humanity. Families who have been organizing everything with us for over 25 years – from weddings to birthdays and christenings – still feel every single time: this event, this food is selected just for us. It is always individual, always tailored to the guest.
And in the restaurant?
I can cook as well as I like, but if I don't have great service staff who make the guest feel: "How wonderful that you are here, we want to give you a beautiful evening today" – then it doesn't work. Especially in challenging times, the topic of enjoyment is so important: sitting around a table with people, good food, beautiful moments – that is our USP, I would say.
One could say that we both come from manufacturing trades. Do you see yourself as a craftsman?
Absolutely. I see myself as a craftsman, with creativity of course, but that is just as much required in your field. Anyone who does not understand their craft will never be a good chef. There are things you don't need to reinvent – a great Spaghetti Bolognese remains a classic that is wonderful. Nevertheless, it comes down to the ingredients and precisely the craft to be able to give this dish that little Poletto touch that makes it special once again.
