The Volkswagen sausage factory that feeds the success of its car plants worldwide
From Germany to China, curry sausages produced in the carmaker’s own kitchens since 1973 are served in works canteens and to guests – and sales to the public have doubled in seven years
Known worldwide for its popular Beetle camper van and, of late, its engine-test scandal, German carmaker Volkswagen also has another slightly lesser-known speciality: the curry sausage.
An icon of popular food culture in Germany, the pork sausage smothered in spiced ketchup and topped with curry powder has been a working man’s favourite for decades, sold at greasy spoons and railway stations – and at VW’s headquarters in Wolfsburg.
In the vast car plant’s kitchens, Francesco Lo Presti is cutting up pieces of pork, to be minced and stuffed into sausage casings, which are then smoked and grilled.
A short distance from the car assembly lines, the master butcher in his white chef’s hat has worked here for more than 15 years making Volkswagen’s very own “currywurst”, based on a recipe dating back to 1973.
Under the supervision of Lo Presti, some 30 kitchen staff participate each day in the industrial-scale production of 30,000 curry sausages, a snack that’s also a favourite at the local soccer stadium of VfL Wolfsburg.