Made with plenty of heart
Rolf Schaefer, president of Thai-German Meat Product, talks about why he loves his occupation
- Published: 19/03/2010 at 12:00 AM
- Newspaper section: Realtime
He wants to keep it a secret, and you just have to guess Rolf Schaefer's age. His remarkable good skin makes him look much younger than he really is and moreover, the super-senior is very active in fulfilling his role as Thai-German Meat Product's president.
‘‘Make them with your heart as much as your hands,’’ said master butcher, Rolf Schaefer.
When asked, "How do you keep fit?" The jolly German replied: "By running around in the TGM factory."
During his stay in Thailand, Schaefer lives near the Wellgrow Industrial Estate in Bangpakong, Chachoengsao. And on working days, he arrives at the TGM factory around 6am to "run around" the factory, firstly to "sawasdee" the Thai staff at various departments before getting his hands on sausage-making.
Does the president need to make salami himself? "It's good motivation for our workers as well as a guarantee for quality products," he said.
Schaefer, a certified master butcher, had his own business in Mannheim, Germany, and was a consultant for a Japanese meat processing company before taking on this position in Thailand.
"Bunsong Srisiam [founder of Thai Sausage] visited me in Mannheim in 1980. We couldn't communicate in English and used sign language. He had a love for the same occupation and that made me want to help him," recalled Schaefer, who thereafter frequented Bangkok to teach Bunsong's team - without pay - how to make scrumptious sausages, meatloaves and hams.
The big-hearted master butcher shared his expertise with them as well as encouraged the development of new products. Ultimately, a joint venture between Thai Sausage and Schaefer Fleischwaren resulted in Thai-German Meat Product (TGM), and that now has Schaefer staying in Thailand for six months each year to oversee R&D.
Last month, the company held a big party to celebrate the success of 15 products, for example black pepper loin, red hot sausage and wasabi ham, which won the 2009 DLG award from the German Agricultural Society.
While he has now accepted a salary, the biggest reward for Schaefer is to see results and TGM's success.
What makes you look so young?
I don't use any cream, and wash my face with water. I love my occupation and working keeps me young. It's the hard work that makes me look young. This morning, I didn't do any hard work and my face was not so young.
Also, I don't smoke, I don't drink alcohol, I sleep well and I have only one wife.
How long have you been married?
Fifty five years and my wife, Katharina, is still a nice girl like she was when we first met. After World War II, the German government gave us two Deutschmarks to build a future. We opened a shop, then a factory and I worked in creating and making products while my wife managed sales.
Starting from zero, we started up Schaefer Fleischwaren GmbH in Mannheim. She has always been a great partner both in business and my life.
Was it hard to build a business after the war?
Due to the scarcity, we had to make the most of meat. Sausage-making, an age-old tradition, was therefore very important at that time.
I just loved my job, making and selling my products every day, while seeing the results of my hard work and getting good feedback from customers kept me going. So the business grew from all the hard work and the love I have for my occupation.
Rosemary ham, one of TGM’s award-winning products.
Why did you want to become a butcher?
Helping with miscellaneous tasks that a kid could do at the butcher's, I wanted to become a butcher since the age of seven. And at 14, I went to school to study the subject. It took three years of study and five years of apprenticeship before applying for a master butcher certification.
There used to be 45,000 butchers in Germany but today not many people are interested in this profession. Moreover, production now involves computerised machines instead of being handmade and so one may not have to learn the basics and the tricks of the trade. Still, even with the technology available, it's most important to know the basics.
Can you give some basics and tricks of sausage-making?
Make them with your heart as much as your hands.
The secret is how to preserve meat with salt, pepper and spices in order to make it tasty. I use more than 40 spices from around the world, for example, nutmeg, cardamom, caraway, in my recipes.
Taste is very important. Thai German Meat Product offers four brands: Thai Sausage, TGM, Eurola and Schaefer. Thai Sausage products have been developed with a Thai tang while Schaefer offers an authentic German taste.
Have you tasted Thai sai krok (sausage)?
Honestly, I don't like the smell of garlic - it's too strong. Chilli is too hot. There's too much garlic and chilli in Thai foods. And perhaps it's the spicy food that is giving many Thais pimples.
What was your first impression of Thailand?
I heard of a country that was hot all year-round. I wondered, "Is there such a country?" And that made me come to Thailand to see for myself.
My first visit was in the early 1980s, and Thailand was a lot different back then with less traffic and not so many skyscrapers. But one thing still remains the same is Thais - people who are very friendly and always with a smile.
I love Thailand and spend six months of the year here. The warm weather is good for an old man.
How did you find Thailand's processed meat market?
I visited the supermarkets and saw how three to four sausage companies had similar products. It's typical in Asia for companies to copy each other instead of creating and developing new products.
How do you create new products like wasabi ham?
We want to introduce new products to serve customers' taste preferences. Since a lot of Thais like spicy foods we thought that ham and wasabi would be a nice combination. Our R&D team worked on this idea, which turned out to be a tasty, award-winning product.
With the language barrier, how do you communicate with the Thai staff?
I cannot speak Thai, so I used sign language and if they don't understand, they can look into my eyes and feel how much I love what I do. That should inspire them to make superb sausages too.
Is that why TGM products won so many 2009 DLG award?
Definitely, people are a key success factor for a company.
Also, production is of a high standard. We select high quality raw material without antibiotics, beta-agonist, and other chemical substances.
We use imported raw materials, like spices and sausage casings, which leads to a higher production cost and a higher price of the products.
But with the quality it's value for money, and it's this quality that makes winning products.
Do you have a favourite product?
I love all my children. But I do have a special liking for making dried sausages like salami. Like wine, the older, the better the taste.
Because of the long shelf-life, salami is good for a tropical country like Thailand. It can be made from mixed pork and beef and after 15 salami recipes, I'm currently working on a pure pork salami.
Are sausages your staple?
Germans eat processed meat all day. They can have sausages for breakfast, salami sandwiches for lunch and meat loaf for dinner.
While on average a German consumes 46 kilos of processed meat per year, a Thai eats only two to three kilos.
With more quality products and varieties available, perhaps Thais will eat more sausages and enjoy them like Germans do.
About the author
- Writer: Kanokporn Chanasongkram
- Position: Reporter
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