From hotel kitchen to campfire pots: The story of Roeland chef Luk

“I’m not a huge fan of spicy food myself”, says Roeland chef Luk Wullaert. “But preparing delicious dishes at camp is what I love most.” He conjures up the tastiest dishes ever in Virton, Stenay, Gent, Bure, Brugge, Nieuwpoort, Poix-Saint-Hubert and Petite-Chapelle.

Luk has been cooking his entire career. At first for a French multinational specialized in hotels, then as a manager for a Belgian multinational. He owned a gourmet restaurant next, and finally he became a teacher at Ter Duinen hotel school in Koksijde and Ter Groene Poorte in Brugge.

An entire summer of cooking fun

“In 2008 I received a phone call from Roeland’s Head of Logistics. I cannot say how they got my contact information, maybe they heard it through the grapevine. The question: if I was interested in cooking for a language camp. And that is how I ended up in Poix-Saint-Hubert, for almost an entire summer. Afterwards, they asked me if I would also cook in Virton. And it was a wonderful experience. The group embraced me AND my cooking skills right away!"

“I admit, it was an intense summer from the start. But since then, I enjoy stirring the pots at camp every year. Also, in shorter school breaks I like to be a part of it. Why do I love doing this? Because helping people out is a huge part of the job. When you are cooking, you are servicing other people.”

A daily schedule filled to the brim

“At camp, I get up around 07.00. Just half an hour later, I prepare breakfast together with the coordination crew for the participants and the teachers. Around 08.30, I start with the preparations for lunch and diner. The participants and the teachers eat around 12.30, after the coordination team had their lunch. In the afternoon we clean the kitchen, a job that is finished around 14.30, at which point the dining room is ready for diner. I start preparing diner around 17.00, so the group can have their diner at 19.00. Everything is cleaned up around 21.00 and set for breakfast the next morning. Around 22.00 I prepare a so-called fifth meal for the teachers.”

Naps & cycling

“I always try to go to sleep before midnight. When I’ m with Roeland people I feel young, but I cannot help noticing that age is catching up with me. My legs tire faster than they used to do.”

“For most of the days I have a couple of spare hours in the afternoon. I like watching cycling then, the ‘Tour de France’. But I admit I set an alarm while doing that, because I tend to doze off on occasion.”

Mutual respect

“Why do I keep going to camps with Roeland after all those years? Because the sense of being a part of it is really strong, at the head office but also with the other camp teams.”

“On top of that, Roeland organises interesting workshops for volunteers throughout the year. It is always an intense pleasure to see those familiar faces again – at camp AND during these training weekends. The vibe is always right!”