Everyone can see and taste the food at the Karimu buffet. Behind it is a team of 9 people. Head chef Gerhard Nemeth and cook Jan-Niklas Scheibel talk about what happens behind the kitchen door.
From Police Officer to Head Chef
Gerhard Nemeth first encountered the Karimu International Conference Center in 2016. At that time, the construction of the building was just being completed. He and his wife were house parents at Hands of Hope back then. There, Gerhard managed the work programs and built up the kitchen. In these work programs, former drug addicts could learn to return to everyday working life.
When Karimu was being built, Gerhard and the people from the work programs laid out the garden. Gradually, he handed over his responsibilities at Hands of Hope to younger hands. When he retired, it became clear that the money would not be enough. "When I left the police force after 39 years, I lost my civil servant status. They then paid the statutory contribution into the pension fund for me, but it was clear that I would still need a second job."
"I prayed – and then the phone rang"
Christian faith plays an important role for Gerhard in his job – without it, he would not be working at Karimu. "I prayed at the time that God would open exactly ONE door and nothing else, so it would be clear what I needed to do. At first there was silence. And then Markus, the director of Karimu, called…"
This side job turned out to be considerably bigger than expected: Suddenly Gerhard is head chef – much to his own amazement. "As a child I was often a guest in the large kitchen, because my mother cooked at a Catholic youth home. I have cooked on several occasions, even under adventurous circumstances for a pastors' conference in Austria. But I never saw it as my main profession."
Chef Jan-Niklas Scheibel
One team for many guests
Gerhard is given the task of giving the kitchen at the Karimu International Conference Centre a fundamental upgrade. To do this, he puts everything on new foundations: the structure, processes, and the team. He ensures that all legal and hygiene regulations are complied with and updates the documentation.
"I cook exclusively with fresh ingredients. That is my trademark. But it is equally important to me to have an open ear for my employees. For example, I introduced a shared breakfast break. I listen to my employees and pray for them."
Gerhard manages the kitchen and a team of 9 employees. 3 full-time chefs and kitchen assistants are deployed as needed. In the case of very large groups and staff shortages, Gerhard can call on volunteer staff.
One of the full-time chefs is Jan-Niklas Scheibel. He appreciates the variety in the Karimu kitchen: "Before, I was a chef in a school canteen. There were burgers very often. That's tasty, but not much of a challenge for a chef."
Especially with large quantities, the timing has to be right so that everything is on the buffet at the same time and still warm. "That's sometimes difficult, but there are tricks for that. Here, lunch is served at 12.30. I also always look at what I can put out as early as 12.15? What can't get cold, for example. That way the pressure doesn't build up so quickly," explains Jan. What causes stress for some people, Jan takes very calmly: "You can never say exactly how long you'll be cooking, it varies greatly. With large groups, 3-4 hours. When there's time pressure, I sometimes feel a slight sense of pressure. Then I do a quick internal reset and think: What has priority? What can I push back?" Mistakes don't faze the young man either: "There are always things that go wrong, that's completely normal. Sometimes things get over-seasoned. Once I made a sauce with a trainee. Unfortunately, the heat wasn't high enough. Because of that, the sauce separated. We managed to fix it."
The Karimu Kitchen Team 2026
What ends up on the table is decided by Gerhard and Jan depending on the group and the availability of ingredients. The work in the kitchen follows a fixed rhythm. In the morning: start the dishwasher, prepare breakfast, prepare lunch, devotion, staff assignment. Who takes care of: salad, dessert, who prepares things for breakfast?
Jan proves to be an all-rounder: "There is nothing I particularly dislike doing. Many cooks complain about washing dishes. I don't mind it. I pitch in wherever I'm needed once my actual work is done."
More Than Just Good Food
When asked what the best thing about the job is, both agree: "When the customers are satisfied." Karimu is Swahili and means generous. Gerhard expressly wishes that this generosity be lived out. "It's wonderful when guests sense that it is a Christian establishment in the positive sense – a special place where helpfulness is tangible, a positive atmosphere prevails, and there is an open ear for the guests."
Author
Ramona Eibach, Press Officer of Wycliffe Germany