A day away from the kitchens
Recently, our apprentices were taken out of our kitchens for a single day to go on an inspiration tour with Thomas Poulsen at Ågården in Mern, one of Arla’s cooperative members. Arla Foods, one of our dairy product suppliers, provided an opportunity to learn more about their work in sustainability and regenerative agriculture.
At Ågården, the apprentices enjoyed fresh air and occasional mooing from the 445 Jersey cows. The day included presentations on the role of dairy products in a sustainable and green kitchen, highlighting how dairy can enhance flavors. There were also discussions on how Arla manages feed efficiency, fertilization, land use, and biodiversity. They gained insight into Arla’s accounting for these factors, crucial to their sustainability strategy.
Apprentices’ reflections and the importance of networking
Nina Enkegaard, a catering apprentice in one of our cafeterias in Aarhus, shared her thoughts after the tour:
“I have realized how well-managed the processes are in climate initiatives and how well they care for the animals. It now makes sense why we do what we do in our kitchens.”
Compass Group operates 350 cafeterias nationwide, and our apprentices work in many different locations. Thus, meeting other apprentices was also a significant part of the day. Thais Brask-Simonsen, People & Culture Partner at Compass Group responsible for our apprentices, explained:
“When we organize inspiration tours for apprentices, they meet others who are also in training. We aim to foster dialogue, closeness, and security among our apprentices, which we can support with events like today, where they can build a network and have peers to consult with.”
A successful day
We would like to thank Martin Rosbech from Arla, as well as Thais Brask-Simonsen and Ulrik Nielsen from Compass Group, for a great inspiration tour where our apprentices got closer to farmers, agriculture, and the origins of raw materials.
Bonus info: 72% of Compass Group’s dairy purchases from Arla in a spring month in 2024 were organic.