Bison, yaks, llamas, zebu and water buffalo – this is not Nepal or Peru, but the Lüneburg Heath. For over 20 years, Henning Bauck has been keeping around 60 rare breeds of livestock here on 250 hectares. As well as producing and selling certified organic meat, sausages and cheeses, he has also run a restaurant since 2017 that is renowned for its high-quality steaks. In the kitchen, he is supported by various RATIONAL cooking systems, most recently an iHexagon.
This is the taste of appreciation.
At BioGut Bauck in Bad Bodenteich, Lower Saxony, it's all about appreciating the meat product. It begins before the meal, with a safari around the grounds where the owner Henning Bauck shows his guests how his bison, llamas, water buffalo and other animals live in animal-friendly conditions.
Two hundred guests, one chef and support from RATIONAL.
The farm is so popular that it is a favourite destination for day trips, especially at weekends. To ensure visitors can sample the excellent meat on site, Bauck has been working on another project close to his heart since 2017, the farm's own restaurant. It has been so successful that Bauck also cooks for events such as corporate functions and weddings, in addition to the regular weekend opening. He usually works alone in the kitchen, even when catering for 200 guests at the same time during the high season.
To make this possible, the kitchen is equipped with a full range of RATIONAL cooking systems from different generations: a SelfCookingCenter from 2015, a VarioCookingCenter from 2016, an iCombi Pro from 2021, and an iVario Pro from 2023. The latest addition is the iHexagon, which intelligently combines steam, hot air and microwave technology in the cooking cabinet.
The best food quality in the shortest possible time.
One of the reasons Bauck chose to invest in the new RATIONAL cooking system was the exceptional quality of the burger patties it produces. Speed was also important to him, as he wants every guest in his restaurant to receive their order in under 10 minutes. "Chicken is one of the most time-consuming dishes to prepare, but in the iHexagon it only takes eight and a half minutes, or five if it has been pre-cooked using the sous-vide method," says Bauck.
The perfect steak in the iHexagon.
The iHexagon also enables Bauck to respond more flexibly to customer requests. For example, when a guest chooses a piece of meat from the refrigerated counter: "In this case, I don't have time to pre-cook it using the sous-vide method. So I prepare it in the iHexagon - to perfection. I need the steam to prevent it from drying out. I also use the microwave to ensure that the temperature reaches the inside of the meat quickly.” The only thing missing is the finishing touch for the perfect steak: "The branding. It has to look good," says Bauck. To achieve this, he uses the RATIONAL cross and stripe grill grate, which ensures beautiful grill marks and an appetising appearance.
Support from ConnectedCooking.
The high cooking quality is also maintained even in emergencies, that is when Henning Bauck is not in the kitchen himself. "This situation arose recently: I was away and a member of staff stood in for me. A large steak was ordered at that very moment.” Fortunately, as Henning Bauck had networked his cooking systems to the ConnectedCooking digital kitchen management system, he was able to guide the member of staff remotely. He accessed the iHexagon via his smartphone and started the cooking process. The guest was satisfied, and so was the member of staff: "My employee was proud to be able to serve such a perfect product." Even when cooking overnight, Bauck uses ConnectedCooking to monitor the cooking processes from home, thus ensuring everything runs smoothly.
“One tap and you're good to go.”
As well as the speed and consistently high quality, Bauck loves the autonomous cleaning feature in the iHexagon. “It's just great, one tap and you're good to go.” Thanks to the permanently integrated cleaner and care cartridges, there is no need to use tablets and you won't come into contact with chemicals. You can even start cleaning via the smartphone app with ConnectedCooking, for example, when Henning Bauck is out 'safari-ing' again.
Challenge:
At BioGut Bauck, everything revolves around the respectful handling of meat, from animal husbandry to preparation in the restaurant. Quality and speed are equally important: not only must the meat be prepared gently and taste excellent, but also be served quickly.
Solution:
Bauck’s kitchen is equipped with a full range of RATIONAL products from different generations: one SelfCookingCenter (2015), one VarioCookingCenter (2016), one iCombi Pro (2021), one iVario Pro (2023) and a iHexagon (2025). The units are connected to ConnectedCooking via WiFi.
Customer benefits:
Thanks to RATIONAL cooking systems, especially the new iHexagon, Bauck can produce outstanding food quickly and respond flexibly to customer requests. ConnectedCooking allows him to stay in control even when he is not in the kitchen.