Archive for category: Deleproject Inside

At the end of December, the traditional Christmas event that everyone had been longing for was on the agenda. As always, the organising team was tight-lipped and no information leaked out to the rest of the team about where the trip was going and what activities were planned. Only the packing list raised a few questions. In addition to ski clothes, old clothes and shoes had to go in the suitcase. Did we have to expect dirt because of the lack of snow?

The first stop was the Matten ice rink near Interlaken, or to the relief of some, not the rink itself, but the “Schwing”-cellar (swiss wrestling). So we put on our old clothes and over them the trademark “Schwinger”-pants, and off we went. Under the expert guidance of Markus Abegglen, we warmed up with various exercises. After three minutes, everyone had sawdust in their shoes, after another two minutes in their underpants.

But the fun was great and so was the amazement at how smoothly and elegantly Markus executed some of the movements. Most of us plopped down like potato sacks or had too few neck muscles to lift a bridge or were unable to turn our colleagues onto their backs. However, some of them showed a certain talent and so the fights were quite interesting to watch.

After some refreshments, we boarded the car in the direction of Central Switzerland. Beside the Trübsee above Engelberg, various snow vehicles were ready for us. First we did a few laps with traditional e-snowmobiles. Various circuits offered driving fun with tight and wide curves, daring overtaking manoeuvres or even a total breakdown due to an overheated battery. As a special vehicle, the Moon Bike was presented at the end. With a narrower track and only one front ski, the driving behaviour is completely different, more like a motorbike and altogether much more nervous. Both were great fun.

After an aperitif, we went to Lucerne, where we spent the evening and the night. Funnily enough, this year’s organisers decided on the same restaurant as their predecessors exactly ten years before. A good decision, as the food was excellent, and the mood was relaxed and cheerful until the early hours of the morning. Many thanks to Markus and Remy for the good ideas and the perfect organisation.

In beautiful weather, some of us were able to get to know golf at Golf Club Thunersee on August 24, 2022.

We started on the driving range. Our golf pro Andy showed us the basic strokes. Afterwards it was our turn and we had to realize that it looked easier with the golf pro. After the introduction on the driving range we went to the pitch & putt course. First we marveled at the quality of the greens – it had to be determined first if they were really natural grass. Then we tackled the 6 holes and tried to put into practice what we had learned. The balls flew and landed on the fairway, in the water, in the sand, in the forest or in between successfully on the green. After the golf event, we were able to enjoy a fine dinner at the Gasthof zum Tempel.

Since our traditional Christmas event was cancelled the last two years due to the pandemic, we decided to make up for it as a May outing. So, we travelled to Winterthur in perfect weather, where we tried our hand at indoor skydiving at the Windwerk. After a short introduction and dressed in smart overalls, everyone was able to “fly” for a good minute three times each. We were pleasantly surprised that everyone, without exception, managed to hover more or less elegantly in the air. It was also interesting to see how the speed of the frequency converters for the fans was adjusted according to the weight and air resistance of the flying objects. We fortified ourselves with a snack and then moved into our hotel rooms in the centre of Winterthur.

The excitement was again great as to where the next part of the trip would take us. The excursion is always organised by two staff members; for everyone else it is a trip into the blue. We finally ended up at the Orator distillery in Pfungen, where we had another aperitif and learned about the company philosophy and the products manufactured there. It was impressive to hear Christian Orator talk and philosophise with such great knowledge and dedication. Sentences were uttered such as: “We don’t create taste. Nature does. We only preserve it.” – “Juniper is not a berry, but the cone of a mini cypress.” – “Williams pears are perfect for burning if the wasps like them. If the bees like them, they are already too ripe.” In addition, Mr Orator explained nuclear fission to us using a yeast molecule in the “Williams smoothie”. He started with the pollination of the flowers and eventually ended up with long-chain molecules like hammocks, in which the flavours felt at home.

With the consistent processing of only the best raw materials in organic quality and with the aforementioned expertise, Christian Orator and his team succeed in extracting the aromas in an exceptionally pure quality. From ten of these brandies and spirits (juniper, coriander seeds, lemongrass, ginger, rosemary, pepper, orange blossom, and others) we now had the task of blending a gin to our liking. In groups and with minimal tips from the expert, we mixed four different variations, from which a winner was chosen and bottled as the Deleproject blend.

After the in-depth study of flavours and aromas, it was finally time to end the day with a piece of grilled meat and its accompaniments. We enjoyed dinner in the production hall, right next to the stills and storage tanks. Afterwards, in keeping with tradition, we explored Winterthur’s nightlife and enjoyed the balmy summer night with refreshing drinks until the early hours of the morning.

Many thanks to the organisers Jonathan and Tobias for the great ideas and the perfect organisation of our team event!