Cologne's asparagus gala: a festival for a good cause and international friendship!

Cologne's asparagus gala: a festival for a good cause and international friendship!

Pipinstraße, 50667 Köln, Deutschland - The spring festival of the culinary delight is just around the corner! On June 2, 2025, the annual asparagus gala of the Colonia culinary art association took place in the Dorint Hotel on Pipinstrasse. An event that not only inspires culinary, but also ensures a good cause. The members of the association tirelessly peel around one ton of asparagus, while the guests enjoyed these treats. Each kilo of asparagus sold also brings money to the cash register for charitable projects. This year, an impressive amount of 16,354.74 euros was collected, which went to the children's clinic on Amsterdamer Strasse. Professor Michael Weiß gratefully accepted the generous check.

The chairman Ernst Vleer did not miss the opportunity to highlight the success of the campaign. Since the start 25 years ago, the Colonia cuisine has collected around one million euros for various charitable purposes. A great sign of solidarity in Cologne! The gala attackes included an illustrious round, including city dean Monsignor Robert Kleine and Ice Hockey Vice World Champion Moritz Müller, as well as the Cologne FDP boss Maria Westphal and CDU-OB candidate Markus Greitemann.

an international flair

Another exciting aspect of the evening was a visit to an Israeli delegation that had come to the gala under the leadership of police chief Johannes Hermann and the senior police director Martin Lotz. This was the end of a five-day exchange project by the North Rhine-Westphalia police. This discussed essential issues such as the structuring of the police in Germany and violent offenses. The delegation also had the opportunity to visit the Hambach opencast mine and to explore Cologne cultural sites such as the cathedral and the Nazi documentation center.

Hermanns emphasized the importance of international cooperation and bilateral knowledge transfer. Such exchange programs are not only a sign of good cooperation, but also contribute to strengthening the community and for a better understanding between the nations.

The importance of gastronomy and trade

On the other hand, a current survey on the attractiveness of the inner cities shows that gastronomy plays a major role in Cologne's urban life. According to the IFH Cologne, around 40 % of visitors are attracted to the catering trade. At the same time, the city center is rated two minus with the school grade and has almost reached the passers -by frequencies from before the crisis. Cologne's city center benefits from a lively trade offer that is mainly shaped by gastronomic facilities.

In order to further increase the attractiveness of Cologne, innovative ideas are required. The support of the city administration, such as the reimbursement of special use fees for external catering during Corona pandemic, has shown that the city administration takes solidarized steps. Such measures are crucial for the positive development of gastronomy and local trade in these challenging times.