Food in hospitals is not often a pleasant experience for many people. It's often frozen, pre-prepared or packaged – far from a restaurant dining experience.

But for patients and staff at the Bad Belzig Clinic in Berlin, lunch has become a special part of the day. That's because since the fall of last year, all the meals at the clinic have been lovingly prepared by renowned chef Peter Frühsammer.

"The heroes are those who are in the wards and care for the patients, they are the heroes," said Frühsammer. "The fact that I can contribute a little to the well-being of these heroes doesn't make me a hero," he added.

READ MORE

What are the dangers of vaccine nationalism?

A year of COVID-19

What will summer holidays be like in 2021?

Frühsammer, who has worked in several Michelin-starred restaurants, has his own restaurant and bistro in Berlin, Frühsammers Restaurant and Bistro Grundschlag. But since strict measures were introduced to stop the spread of COVID-19, his kitchen has been closed.

Instead, Frühsammer was hired in the Bad Belzig Clinic kitchen – initially for a short time, but he has stayed on due to the success of his dishes.

"We have a great responsibility," he explained. "We don't cook for pure pleasure, we also cook for people's nutrition. And when taste, freshness and modern nutritional science come together on the same plate, then I think it's a good recipe."

Both the staff and the patients appreciate the change. Instead of frozen and pre-cut food, chef Frühsammer sources his ingredients from the surrounding farms, to offer fresh, high-quality products, prepared the same morning.

The fresh meals have made a huge difference to hospital staff who have been faced with pressures of caring for COVID-19 patients each day.

"Before it was always between two operations: going down, eating for two minutes, and going back up immediately," said Mojtaba Ghods, a doctor who has been working at the clinic for the past eight years. 

"Now we take a break of 10 to 20 minutes, and we don't just eat, we enjoy it too. For me, it has become a pleasure," Ghods beamed.

Of the 360 employees at the Bad Belzig Clinic, only about 20 were eating in the cafeteria before Frühsammer's arrival. Today, over one hundred frequent the cafeteria every day.

As for the patients, a good hearty meal can make a difference to their recovery, and some have enjoyed the food so much, that they don't want to leave.

"You notice that it doesn't come from any tin, but is freshly cooked. And I think it can help patients get better faster, and therefore get out faster," said Manuela Krause, a patient at the clinic.

But then again, she said, they might "stay longer because it's so good."