How to make a “Dopf” from railroad tracks!
Good To Know
What is a Dutch Oven? A Dutch Oven is a cast-iron pot that is mainly used outdoors. Heated on a campfire or with coal, it creates an incomparably good heat distribution. Perfect for stews, breads and soups.
Note: This article was published in a German newspaper. This one shows how to turn simple problems into a business idea:
A young company manages to breathe new life into old railroad tracks. More precisely, produces “siebensachen.” cast-iron pots for domestic use. The reason for this path was provided by the Corona crisis, of all things.
The company “siebensachen. is a child of the Corona crisis. It all began with the three young founders. With the emerging outdoor trend in the Corona summer of 2020, you, like many others, began to prepare your dishes increasingly outside in a Dutch Oven. However, you quickly realized “that’s already cool, but it can be even better.” The motto is clear for the three: A pot made in Westphalia.
The result is a product that is unique on the market. Jan Hörster, one of the co-founders, explains it this way: “During the crisis, we noticed that many people enjoyed cooking with the Dutch Oven. We want to make this experience special.” How siebensachen uses. 100% recycled cast iron from railroad tracks that are melted down with green electricity. Thus, the production is almost CO2 neutral.
“For us, it has always been a matter of course to buy quality meat from the farmer next door. This special meat has to be prepared in a pot that is just as responsibly handcrafted locally!”, Kai Börnemeier ties in.
According to siebensachen, responsible and regional means that every step is made by experts in Westphalia. From traditional foundries to small highly specialized medium-sized businesses. The finishing touches are always done in idyllic Paderborn at siebensachen by the guys themselves. Each pot is individually tested there, assembled by hand and finished with an unmistakable serial number to make it unique.
Innovations combined with tradition
However, the company does not just want to provide the usual with a good image. Thus siebensachen. Innovations, which otherwise come rather from the kitchen. Thus Tim Remmert thinks that one has created something that is universally applicable. “Our pot has a milled bottom with which the, normally coarse, cast iron can also be used on any induction or ceramic stove.” That way, he says, you have flexibility in any weather and don’t have to disappoint friends in bad weather. After all, the roast succeeds just as well in the oven. So the popular cooking experience can be enjoyed in the now often again hectic everyday life further.
Risk instead of boredom
Founding a startup for cooking utensils in their early 20s must have been easier for the three founders. Creating something with substance motivates them anew every day. Bringing a breath of fresh air into the industry and acting sustainably are your intentions. When you bring hobby and entrepreneurship together, work doesn’t feel like work. And her goals: To tackle the upcoming Christmas business with full commitment and vigor, and to enter the new year with new ideas. A smaller pot is already being planned, and will hopefully be available soon. Then it will be looked again, how one can enjoy the world a piece more beautifully. According to the founders, this can be done perfectly by the campfire with a delicious dish from the Dopf of Siebensachen.
If you have questions or advices, let me know!
