In this employee portrait, we take a look at our production line, where Katja De Marinis has been an esteemed member of our team for over six years.

She cooks the delicious fillings for our puff pastries and strudels, trains new colleagues and always puts her heart and soul into making really good food for lots of people.

Appreciation is crucial for Katja, and that's exactly what she was missing in her previous job. After her apprenticeship as a confectioner and a year as a journeywoman, Katja went to Sankt Peter Ording to work in gastronomy.

"During my time as a journeywoman, I spent a lot of time all by myself in the bakery, working away. As a young and very communicative woman, I felt like I was locked away," Katja recalls. But her following years in the catering industry with all those weekend shifts also led to a dead end, or rather, to the doctor's office. Katja's health had suffered too much from the constant stress.

It was a doctor in Glückstadt who suggested that Katja applies for a job at MOIN. She followed this recommendation and sent out her speculative application a few days later. This was very well received and after three hours of trial work, Katja had the job. She was relieved and eager to start a new phase in her life at MOIN. "I’m happy here," she says with a warm smile. "The working hours are easy to combine with my private life and I’m surrounded by honest people.“

Honesty begins with oneself. To feel what is right for you and to follow your own intuition is neccessary in order to make competent decisions. "I have my own opinion and I stand up for my beliefs," says Katja. "This makes life difficult sometimes, but therefore I can sleep well at night.“

Katja has been very aware of how essential inner peace is since her body's alarm bells went off once before. But also recent times have provided a lot of clarity in this regard. "The events of the last two years have challenged everyone, I believe. To me, they have made it very clear, again, how important it is to listen to my heart and not let external circumstances drive me nuts."

When one terrible story follows the next, it can be very helpful to simply turn off the news and focus on what is right in front of you. You can always make a difference in the here and now. For example, in your own circle of family and friends. Katja enjoys a close bond with her daughter and she makes sure that the two De Marinis get to spend quality time with each other. Going to the theatre together is their favourite thing. "Obviously, they also put on a show," Katja grins, "but somehow, there it‘s way more fun.“

Katja likes to go out for fancy dinners with her partner. "I love Italian cuisine," she enthuses. "Sitting together over several courses and talking for hours on end, that's what I like."

That's also how she remembers it from her childhood: everyone sat around the table and had something to share. It's quite possible that Katja's genuine interest in exchanging thoughts with her fellow human beings stems from this part of her upbringing.

In the future, our truth lover is planning to pack up her husband and daughter to go on a camping trip across Europe and all the way to Italy. As provisions, they will take some multigrain bread and pretzel 6-grain croissants from MOIN with them. "They are incredible! I've never seen bread or croissants like this anywhere else. No one else can match this quality," she says proudly.

Should a fairy godmother ever grant Katja three wishes, this is what they are:

"Firstly, that we humans become so aware that peace comes automatically. Secondly, that my daughter's apprenticeship goes successfully and that she starts a good professional career right from the beginning. And thirdly, that my dream of a camping trip to Italy really comes true."

Published
22. February 2023
by Natascha Solis

These poignant words come from our employee Iyad Al Qaousi, who is now in his mid-20s, and whom we would like to introduce to you in this portrait.

Iyad was born in Damascus, Syria. When he was 14, war erupted and many people lost their homes. What we take for granted here became a thing of the past in Iyad's home country. There were no more schools, no work, but instead, mandatory military service which required men, some of them as young as 18, to shoot at people. Those who could not bring themselves to do so came under attack from within their "own ranks".

"I can't kill anyone - no matter what they did or didn't do," says Iyad. An attitude that would make the world a better place if it was shared by more people. Nevertheless, this positive attitude made life very hard for him and, in 2014, he saw no other solution than to say goodbye to his parents and four siblings and flee his home, embarking on a risky journey under the cover of darkness. Little did he know that the worst two weeks of his life lay ahead of him. On a 22-metre-long ship, he spent days of horror with hundreds of other refugees, days that he will probably remember for the rest of his life. "We had to throw all our bags overboard to fit more people on the boat." 250 people were forced onto a boat which was built for about 50 passengers. Changing your mind at the last minute was not an option. Those who did not get on were threatened with weapons by the organisers.

"You only see water, it's cold and wet, there is hardly any food and only dirty water to drink, the children are screaming, almost everyone is crying," Iyad describes the long days of his escape. During this two-week struggle for survival on the Mediterranean, one woman even gave birth. And to make matters worse, they were not even spared a robbery by the Egyptian mafia, in which the people on the refugee boat had to surrender the last of their money. "Catastrophe", Iyad whispers as he recalls these experiences. 

The refugees were finally rescued by an Italian tanker. First, they were taken to a shelter in Italy and from there by train to Germany - organised by the Red Cross. " We were treated well here, we got food and clothes." Basics which enabled Iyad to start building a new life for himself.

And so he did! The first challenge was to learn the German language. Fortunately, Iyad quickly found German friends who helped him with this. Additionally, he attended a language course at the vocational school in Itzehoe for two years.

Published
22. August 2022
by Natascha Solis

Looking for a part-time job, Julianna Müller initially joined MOIN in 2016 as an accounting assistant. Not much later, she took over the complete office organisation and became assistant to the managing director, being entrusted with a wide range of responsibilities.

In October 2017, we celebrated the opening of our new production hall. 2500 square metres were added to the existing 1600 square metres of production space. For Julianna, the completion of this construction project has been a real highlight in her work at MOIN so far. "During the construction phase, I often pushed myself beyond my limits," she recalls. "Now our big hall has been standing for over three years and offers us the possibilities we need for our work."

Born in Russia, Julianna grew up in a socialist system and - although she was an only child - always saw herself as part of the community. From her childlike perspective, it was all about recognising and using the strengths of each individual, but at the same time including those who were "weaker". "Of course, that is only half the truth," she knows today. 

Julianna enjoys remembering her childhood, during which she learnt to feel very much in touch with nature. "The wellbeing of the soil was always very important, after all, we depended on it for our livelihoods. Appreciation came naturally, even when there was no excess. It would be desirable for humanity to get back to the point where it understands that the Earth doesn't belong to us, and where we are grateful for being allowed to use it."

Julianna has particularly fond memories of her paternal family's summer house. "The air, the nature, this dream house..." she reminisces and says in the very same breath: "without heating and without running water." What are probably minimum requirements for many to feel comfortable or to speak of a "dream house" hardly mattered in Julianna's childhood. Much more important were the quality of interpersonal relationships and the happiness of a sound family life. When Julianna sat around the fire with her parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins, eating together and talking to each other, the world could not have been more beautiful. There was freshly brewed black tea with milk and freshly baked bread with butter and salt. "Simple, but incredibly delicious," is how Julianna describes this comforting mealtime experience. In general, there was often bread to keep everyone fed, lots of soups and seasonal vegetables. " Granny baked a lot. My favourite food used to be her pancakes." Today, Julianna's grandma is a proud 93 years old.

As a teenager, Julianna came to Germany, her mother's home country, after the unexpected death of her father. In addition to her German family's support, Julianna's mother hoped for better educational opportunities for her daughter here. These were provided, but came in combination with integration difficulties, as Julianna was excluded by her classmates because of her ethnic background. "A lot has happened since then," Julianna admits. "It makes me feel hopeful when I see how my children and their friends deal with the issue. We seem to have learned something." And precisely herein lies a heart's desire for Julianna: "I wish that personality would be perceived as most important, rather than someone's origin or education.That, to me, would provide genuine equal opportunities." Looking to the future, Julianna would like to see her children grow up and grow old, preferably in a world where we are more appreciative of each other. "I believe that if we were tolerant, war and famine would not occur in the first place. Only when we truly want to understand each other will we be over such horrors."

Published
07. May 2021 
by Natascha Solis

Marie Reimers comes from an entrepreneurial household, which is steeped in history. The printing company Druckerei J. J. Augustin exists since 1775 and in its heyday produced scripts in over 100 languages for customers all over the world. Some languages were particularly extensive, which was why Augustin invented the "Chinese Circle" - an octagon with seven segments made up of typesetting boxes stacked one on top of the other with a total of 19200 characters. Through the eighth segment, which was left open, the typesetter entered his workplace, where he only had to turn around instead of walking along long shelves as usual. 

Even in the times of German nationalism, the printing company united many cultures - at least in written form. Augustin's cosmopolitanism was also evident in his support for the young Jimmy Ernst, son of the artist Max Ernst and the Jewish art historian Louise Strauss. He survived the years 1935 to 1938 through an apprenticeship and, thanks to Augustin, was able to obtain a visa to the USA.

Although the printers is still an enrichment for the region, Marie does not plan to join the family business. "The competition from the internet is simply too great," she explains. Nevertheless, she sees her future here, because the native of Glückstadt loves her pretty little home town on the Elbe. "There are too many people in the big city," she says.

During her school days, Marie was a dressage rider. But she did not want to turn her hobby into a profession. So after graduating from high school, the question was: What now? A lucky coincidence! MOIN managing director Sui Mattke went to the publisher to order a print. She said about an open position as a temp for the office. Shortly afterwards, we welcomed Marie to our team and were delighted with her energetic support and her ability to grasp things quickly. After only one month, managing director Hans-Paul Mattke suggested she should train as a food technology specialist. Marie's parents were thrilled! Our office team less so. And Marie herself? For her, the quick changeover to this diversified apprenticeship was the continuation of the happy coincidence.

Warehouse logistics, system management, assisting quality assurance and visiting trade fairs - Marie's areas of responsibility are wide-ranging. And that is good. "Always doing the same thing would annoy me," she says. "The technical area excites me the most at the moment. There are very clear procedures, but you have to know them. And if a machine doesn't work as it should, it's fun to find the solution to the puzzle. It's like detective work."

Marie sees her strength in her adaptability. "I can work anywhere," she says. That could also be in a physically demanding position. "I take it as training," she says, adding with a grin: "It's a good thing I'm 1 meter 84 tall, that often makes life easier."

For the future, Marie would like to see real solutions to the packaging issue: "When I hear of whales with plastic in their stomachs I get scared. I limit my consumption of plastic wherever I can, for example by getting my vegetables directly from the farm instead of from the supermarket. And if they happen to be organic, great! Buying organic really is a good thing and it tastes better, too." Speaking of 'tasting better', which of MOIN's baked goods is actually Marie's favourite? "I like the pizza swirl best," she says. 

And here is the proof:

Published 
30. Oktober 2019
by Natascha Solis

…and croissants tastier! Swetlana Miller knows what she's talking about, because she's been with Moin right from the beginning. A friend had told her about the organic bakery - at that time a company with just six employees - and after her interview with Mr. Mattke, Swetlana started immediately. "The part where our warm bakery stands today was our whole area back then," Swetlana remembers. "We used to stack each sheet of puff pastry by hand." Since then, a lot has changed: "Now we have so much space and so many machines. We still do a lot of work by hand, but all the equipment makes it way easier," says Swetlana, pleased with the relief provided by today's technology. As the assistant to production management, Swetlana knows every step in the making of our baked goods by heart and can correct processes very quickly if necessary. "We are here to make good food," she says and recalls the production of a very large quantity of vegan croissants, which made her think: "Mama Mia, so many people buy our croissants!" That makes you feel proud and happy, too.

She likes to decorate her house and enjoys her yoga classes where she gets to concentrate on herself. "It trains your ability to focus and makes you feel full of zest." She also loves being out in nature. "Back in Siberia, my sisters and me used to play a lot in the snow. Today, I'm always happy when I see how beautiful my garden is," she says, adding: "I'm just so grateful to be alive. We should appreciate every single minute." These words come from the heart. Swetlana has three sons, one of whom was hospitalized for a long time after a serious car accident. Such events hit you hard and demand a lot of strength and patience. But even then - or especially then - it helps if you manage to keep your smile and your optimism. Swetlana is convinced that "a good mood makes life better". It is exactly this conviction and her cheerful, open-hearted nature which, in addition to her many years of experience, enriches the Moin team so much.

But Swetlana also sees how she has developed through her time at Moin. "I used to just buy anything. Today I am much better informed and pay attention to labels such as organic, regional and fair trade. And I like to pass on what I've learnt. My children now also ask questions like 'What's in it?' or 'Is this organic?' - I think that's great!"

Swetlana doesn't have a long list of plans for the future; but she intends to keep on shining, to stay true to herself and to have as much fun as possible. And when the time is right, she would like to teach her grandchildren how to plant a vegetable garden - a perfect activity to pass on her great appreciation for life.

Published
28. June 2019
by Natascha Solis

Thoroughbred baker, confectioner, product developer, customer advisor, instructor...Dirk Urban has been at Moin for an impressive 13½ years and has always contributed to the quality of our baked goods.

As a product developer, he is the man who turns our ideas into reality. For example, say, it’s Monday and the idea of a poppy seed swirl comes up. On Tuesday Dirk has already created a prototype and by Wednesday we all have the pleasure of tasting the new creation. Apart from his treats his calm, helpful attitude and the fact that he enjoys what he’s doing strengthen our team. Dirk has turned his hobby into a profession and knows from experience that work can be fun.

That does not mean that the road so far was always easy. As a 16-year-old, he began his apprenticeship with a 70-hour week. "Don’t get any funny ideas about having Saturdays off,” was the clear message from his boss at the time. Fortunately, at least on Sundays, there was no baking. Despite the high demands, Dirk likes to look back on his apprenticeship. "Back in the day, many companies had family-like structures and there was a greater focus on quality than is common today."

Many backed the wrong horse by setting their priorities on quick profits and exchanging their sovereignty for processed ingredients. Simply blending baking mixes has got nothing to do with the true art of baking.

In addition to product development, Dirk spends a lot of time in our modern production facility and ensures that his skills and experience flow into the processes. But every now and then he takes the time to teach our apprentices how to bake a traditional honey cake, for example. "Nobody does that anymore. Hardly anyone today knows how to bake without using technical enzymes." Of course, that's not the case at Moin. "Moin makes top quality!", Dirk knows, "We control all our processes ourselves rather than putting our trust in chemical companies and their products." At Moin we rely on our know-how which Dirk has plenty of!

He also likes to share his tips and tricks with local grocers. He knows that every store is different and that you have to stay flexible in order to get the best possible results. In the mornings, when the bakery counter needs to be filled it can get pretty stressful and sometimes the motto is: the main thing is to get it done. In these situations Dirk can provide professional guidance: "I can optimize the entire process and increase the quality of the baked goods." And in the end, there even tends to be enough time to enjoy a cup of coffee while appreciating the successful counter presentation - a nice realization for many who previously believed that there was no better way of going about it. But especially when someone says something along the lines of "that's not possible" or "there's no such thing", Dirk comes along and says: "Well, let’s see about that ...!" Then he will experiment until the opposite is proven. "Nothing is impossible" is Dirk's motto.

Anyone who has experienced Dirk playing football knows how ambitious he is. While other players dropped early, Dirk still showed full dedication. Even if his team’s score was 0 to 3 in the 89th minute, he didn’t give up. Quite on the contrary, "Now more than ever!" Dirk thought and gave it all he had to shoot at least that one goal.

Dirk has seen a lot in his life. Nevertheless, he wants to get to know the world even better and travel more with his wife. "Otherwise, I'm happy and satisfied," he says and answers my genie-in-a-bottle question - granting him three wishes - quite modestly with: "Health." So be it!

Published
14. January 2019
by Natascha Solis

Published
23. November 2018 
by Natascha Solis

Published
29. August 2018 
by Natascha Solis