Felix Schultheisz: “Sustainability does not have to be a sacrifice”

Felix, where does your passion for gastronomy come from and how does it relate to sustainability?

Felix Schultheis: As a trained chef, I have been in the culinary industry for a long time and am also very interested in nutrition in my daily life. I attach great importance to fresh and healthy food: for example, I grow vegetables in my garden and care for the environment while doing so. In my work as Quality Manager at Porsche Gastronomy, I am aware of the environmental impacts that can arise in the food value chain, for example through CO2 emissions in food production, transportation or storage. That's why I want to make a positive difference and do my bit to reduce the environmental impact of Porsche gastronomy.

At Porsche Catering, you serve not only employees, but guests and customers as well. What does this cover and what are your tasks?

Felix Schultheis: Our focus is on providing meals to employees at Porsche locations in Germany. This includes managing our 15 employee cafeterias, as well as our convenience stores. We also cater for in-house events and major public events, such as the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. The Porsche Museum with its restaurant and our customer center in Leipzig complete our gastronomic offer. In my role, I am responsible for curating menus and recipes, with a particular focus on regional produce. In addition, we monitor compliance with food hygiene regulations and plan quality processes. Our goal is to create a catering service that not only inspires delicious cuisine, but also embodies regionalism, quality and sustainability.

How can you increase the quality of your offerings while at the same time reducing the environmental footprint of Porsche gastronomy?

Felix Schultheis: We believe that a sustainability-based culinary concept can increase the quality of our food offerings and have identified four business areas for this purpose: food, consumables, communications and operational resources. In turn, we group each individual business area into several main themes. As a team we've really hit it big when it comes to food. In collaboration with the United Against Waste initiative, we have taken steps to reduce food waste by up to 50 percent. This has been achieved, among other things, by optimizing food ordering, preparation and distribution, compared to just-in-time production of our vehicles based on demand. In the field of consumables, we have introduced biodegradable cleaning materials in all areas. We have also installed new dishwashers for our operational resources, which can reduce water consumption, detergent use and overall energy consumption.

Let's take a closer look at your business field “Food”: In 2022, you obtained the first level of the “Schmeck den Süden” quality seal awarded by the German state of Baden-Württemberg. What does this mean for Porsche's gastronomy and your guests?

Felix Schultheis: This award confirms our close cooperation with regional suppliers, which allows us to reduce transportation routes and thus also reduce CO2 emissions. This seal is also proof of quality for our guests, as our direct suppliers must meet strict requirements as holders of the Baden-Württemberg State Quality Mark. These include requirements related to the product value chain, such as territoriality, animal welfare and plant production. We also check delivery notes, warehouses and listings carefully and regularly. At Porsche, as well as at our direct suppliers, a compliance audit is carried out once a year.

What tips can you give Porsche employees for eating in an environmentally conscious way?

Felix Schultheis: In our employee canteens, around eight to ten thousand employees are provided with food every day, so they play an important role when it comes to driving decarbonisation in Porsche's gastronomy. As part of this, my colleague Linnea Rettberg, as Food Safety Coordinator, and I have introduced what is known as CO2 recording into the menu. Every product purchased is assessed for its claimed CO2 emissions across its value chain. This results in a total amount of emissions per panel. Taking into account the serving size and nutritional density, the dish is then compared to the average meal in German-speaking countries and displayed in color on the company's digital cafeteria menus. A yellow cloud corresponds to the average, while a red or green cloud represents an amount of carbon dioxide emissions above or below the average. In this way, we want to raise awareness among our employees about environmentally conscious nutrition.

What are your hopes for the future?

Felix Schultheis: In general, I would like to see more appreciation for food and its quality in our society, because good, healthy food is not common everywhere. At Porsche Gastronomy, I'm happy to see how guests accept our ideas and try new things. Your positive comments and willingness motivate us to continue on this path and launch more initiatives to achieve greater environmental sustainability, because every action, every success, and every step forward depends on a joint collective effort. At the same time, direct feedback also helps us to continuously develop and improve. We do not want to force anyone to change their eating behaviour, but rather we want to create new offers and point out alternatives. My message is clear: sustainability does not have to be a sacrifice.