The Team
A project of this scale requires a strong team.
The Chefs Warehouse team is the heart of the entire operation. In the kitchen and in the dining room, people work hand in hand to ensure guests feel welcome and enjoy a truly memorable experience. Each team member has their own role, but it is the collaboration of everyone that makes success possible.
These are the people behind Chefs Warehouse Hamburg.
Lina Koch
Managing Director and Partner
Lina, a dynamic woman born in Lithuania, has dedicated her entire life to the restaurant industry. Her career began in the early 2000s with an apprenticeship as a hotel specialist. In 2004, her path crossed with Christoph Strenger's, marking the beginning of a close friendship. Lina managed the F&B division of the east Group for several years, successfully completed her sommelier training, and consistently juggles her new major project, Chefs Warehouse, and her young family with optimism and a solution-oriented approach.
Eric Kröber
Kitchen Director
Head chef Eric stands for a modern, product-focused cuisine with international inspiration and regional ties. His culinary style combines precision, quality ingredients, and aesthetics, keeping his cuisine vibrant, approachable, and sophisticated – a hallmark of his work at Chefs Warehouse Hamburg.
Rajeef Jayaratnam
Restaurant Manager
Hospitality runs in Rajeef’s blood. At the age of 24, Buchholz Nordheide-born Rajeef – a family man with Sri Lanka roots – began his three-year apprenticeship as a restaurant specialist at the east Hotel & Restaurant in Hamburg. After successfully completing his training, he moved on to *coast by east*, where he helped launch the exciting new venue in HafenCity. He subsequently took a break from the hospitality industry for several years, during which time he honed his skills in customer service, communication, and organization. But once hospitality is in your blood, it stays there; Rajeef was drawn back to the east Hotel & Restaurant, where he served as Restaurant Manager alongside Lina. As Restaurant Manager at Chefs Warehouse Hamburg, he has a clear vision: "My team is what matters most to me: working together, laughing together, and celebrating successes together. I’m always up for a bit of fun, yet I work in a highly structured and organized way. After all, a team functions best when there’s a positive atmosphere and clear processes in place."
Christoph Strenger, Roland Koch
and Michael Maier
Shareholder
Gastro Consulting SKM GmbH, with Christoph Strenger, Roland Koch, and Michael Maier, is an indispensable part of the German restaurant industry. Since its founding in Hamburg in 1989, the company has launched successful ventures with concepts such as the Bolero restaurant chain, the Paulaner pubs, the east Group, Chilli Club, Herzblut, and many more, and continues to stand for sustainable concepts and successful restaurants, primarily in Hamburg and Bremen.
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