Quality, seasonality, regionality – these are the ingredients that characterise the OLYMP Bezner KG’s staff restaurant in Bietigheim-Bissingen (Ludwigsburg district, Baden-Württemberg, Germany). The recipe for its success lies in primarily using high-quality fresh food products from Baden-Württemberg and it has now been honoured with the “Schmeck den Süden” (“Taste the South”) award. Sabine Kurtz, State Secretary at the Baden-Württemberg Ministry for Nutrition, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection, presented the award.

The guiding principle behind the “Taste the South” campaign was established in 1996 by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry for Nutrition, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection (MLR) together with the German Hotel and Restaurant Association Baden-Württemberg (DEHOGA) and the MBW Marketinggesellschaft mbH from Stuttgart. The aim of the state-wide initiative is to promote and support companies in the local agriculture and food industry, as well as the restaurant trade, in their use of regional products. Meanwhile, more and more company catering kitchens are also relying on the regional diversity of products and verified origin of food from Baden-Württemberg.

State Secretary Sabine Kurtz (MdL, CDU) explains: “Freshness and product quality are not the only things that speak in favour of good regional cuisine. Those who choose food from Baden-Württemberg are also making a valuable contribution to the preservation of our local cultural landscape and to more sustainable enjoyment, since short transport routes protect the environment. These benefits have also been recognised by OLYMP, which is why we’re happy to honour the highly developed local ties in its choice of food with the “Taste the South” award”.

The modern OLYMP staff restaurant was opened in 2018. It is run by the full-service caterer Aramark from Neu-Isenburg (Hesse). Since then, head chef Oliver Gailer, as “le Maître de Cuisine en OLYMP”, and his four-person team have been serving up tasty, varied, high-quality and healthy dishes every day in four menu lines, which also take into account vegetarian and vegan diets. The regional suppliers include, for example, the Bäuerliche Erzeugergemeinschaft Schwäbisch Hall (BESH), the Stiftsmühle in Oberstenfeld, the Der Metzger Schneider GmbH in Freiberg am Neckar or the Schwarzwaldmilch GmbH in Freiburg im Breisgau. OLYMP staff benefit from fair prices via a company subsidy.

Mark Bezner, owner of OLYMP Bezner KG, explains: “A balanced diet has a positive effect on general well-being. As an employer, we’re therefore aware of our responsibility to our team members. By using fresh and high-quality regional food, we’re actively contributing to health promotion and disease prevention. In addition, company catering promotes social interaction and increases a sense of community”.

In 2020, OLYMP’s staff restaurant was already recognised by an interdisciplinary jury of experts for its outstanding company catering as part of the nationwide canteen test conducted by the Food & Health initiative. With a total of four out of a possible five stars, it was ranked fifth in the overall ratings in the “Up to 750 meals per day” category. This meant that the company’s in-house OLYMP staff restaurant at its Bietigheim-Bissingen site was among the 50 best in Germany.

OLYMP Bezner KG, based in Bietigheim-Bissingen near Stuttgart, is the market leader for shirts in Germany. In addition, its high-quality clothing range – which includes not only business but also casual and full-dress shirts, knitwear, sweatwear and accessories – is sold in over 40 countries worldwide. The company generated revenues of €229 million in 2023. It employs around 880 people in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, with more than 500 of them working on-site.