Growing Together at Restaurant Wannee: Where Cooking and Education Come Together

Who is Peter Dantuma? 

Peter Dantuma has been working at Restaurant Wannee for five and a half years as Head Chef. In this role, he focuses on developing and preparing dishes, as well as guiding students who gain practical experience in the kitchen. 

When asked to describe Restaurant Wannee in three words, Peter chooses: innovative, sustainable and collaborative. These three words reflect how he views the restaurant and what he considers important in its daily operations. 

Working with Students: A Fresh Energy Every Time 

What does Peter enjoy most about working at Wannee? He does not have to think twice: working with students. 

Every few weeks, the restaurant welcomes new students. According to Peter, they bring new ideas and fresh energy. This variety creates opportunities for fresh perspectives and new ideas in the kitchen. 

Peter finds it rewarding to see students develop into hospitality professionals. By guiding them in practice, he passes on his knowledge and experience to a new generation. At the same time, the students bring their own ideas, which can inspire the team. 

Sustainability Starts Close to Home 

At Restaurant Wannee, the team also explores ways to produce its own ingredients. Wannee is currently working on plans for its own beehives. The idea is to use the honey in dishes and sell it at the hotel in the future. 

There are also plans to create a shared garden. The idea is to grow their own vegetables and fruit, which can then be used in the kitchen. 

Through these initiatives, Wannee is exploring ways to use more homegrown ingredients and give sustainability a place within the restaurant. 

The Inspiration Behind New Dishes 

Creativity plays an important role in developing new dishes. Peter explains how the chefs in the kitchen held a brainstorming session to gather ideas for a dessert. Everyone had the opportunity to contribute to the creative process. The result was a distinctive combination of ingredients. 

The dessert consists of tarte tatin, fig leaf ice cream, miso caramel and crème anglaise. Peter describes the combination as a beautiful balance of flavours. 

This example shows how ideas from different chefs can come together in one dish. By brainstorming together and combining ingredients in new ways, the kitchen team continues to explore interesting flavour combinations. 

What Makes Restaurant Wannee Unique? 

For Peter, what makes Restaurant Wannee special is its team. Both the kitchen and the service team consist of people with extensive experience in hospitality. Together, they work every day to provide guests with a high-quality experience. 

Students are also an essential part of this. Peter emphasises that they work hard every day to ensure guests can enjoy high-quality dishes. The combination of experienced team members and students brings knowledge and practical experience together. 

It is this collaboration that Peter sees as one of Wannee's most important characteristics. Everyone contributes to the guest experience in their own way. 

Building the Wannee Experience Together 

Peter's story shows that Restaurant Wannee is more than a place where dishes are prepared and served. It is an environment where creativity, sustainability, collaboration and hospitality come together. 

From guiding students to developing new flavour combinations and exploring opportunities to use homegrown ingredients, the team continues to work towards the quality of the restaurant. 

For Peter, it all starts with the people he works with. With an experienced team and enthusiastic students, everyone works together every day to create dishes and a guest experience that reflect the vision of Restaurant Wannee.