Circus Chef’s 40-Year Culinary Odyssey: Feeding 220 Global Artists Daily at Knie’s Traveling Kitchen

One of the artisans of the success of the Knie circus is Nour Eddine Oulouda. Every day, this Moroccan chef "feeds 220 international artists from 16 different countries with a surprise menu adapted to the caloric needs of the acrobats," says La Tribune de Genève. In total, more than 20,000 meals are produced in the 12-meter-long kitchen truck per season, from March to December. The kitchen truck is vehicle number 31 in the Wagendörfli" (editor’s note: caravan village). "If there are no morning performances, we only see many artists around noon," confirms Nerina Baldauf, assistant director at Cirque Knie.

For nearly 40 years, Oulouda has been preparing for international artists. "Next year, I’ll be celebrating my 40th season," he says. He works with a team of two people: a Pole and another Moroccan. Dinner is the only fixed meal of the current season. "Many artists eat for the first time at noon. People organize breakfast and dinner individually depending on their performance and calorie needs," adds the chef. To succeed in his mission, he makes a weekly plan. "I make a weekly plan for myself. But people don’t know in advance what they’ll be eating. There’s no posting. Every day, it’s a surprise menu that awaits them," he says with a laugh.

The Moroccan takes into account the artists’ preferences. For 40 years, the most famous classics served have been: escalopes with pasta and potato salad, chops with fries, cordon bleu. Always accompanied by salad, soup and fruit. "I grew up with Nour Eddine’s cooking. He’s always been there," admits a circus child, a 23-year-old young man.

It is thanks to his brother, who has taken care of the horses for decades, that he joined the Knie Circus. The chef’s family has long lived in Zurich. "In this sense, this stopover is a kind of home game for me," he explains.