Beijing Guo Jing Catering Group Chairman Zhang Gang: Doing catering requires a sense of reverence and craftsmanship.

On March 24, the 2026 China Catering Industry Festival and the 35th HCC Global Catering Industry Expo, co-hosted by the World Federation of Chinese Catering Industry and Hongcan.com, kicked off at the Hangzhou International Expo Center. During the “2026 China Barbecue Development Forum,” Zhang Gang, Chairman of Beijing Guojing Catering Group, shared his successful experience in creating popular whole lamb barbecue products.

According to Zhang Gang, many industries have changed in the past few years, and the logic of making money has actually shifted. Nowadays, in the catering business, one needs to possess two sincere hearts: one is a sense of reverence, and the other is a craftsmanship spirit.

△ Zhang Gang, Chairman of Beijing Guojing Catering Group

Using his own entrepreneurial experience in the catering industry as an example, Zhang Gang explained that while the catering sector seems to have no barriers to entry, once inside, there are numerous hurdles. Therefore, catering entrepreneurship requires finding a blue ocean in the red ocean industry. When selecting products, Zhang Gang found that the traditional whole lamb barbecue was more about form than substance and concluded that whole lamb barbecue is a blue ocean track with great potential.

During the specific entrepreneurial process, Zhang Gang continuously explored various aspects such as selecting partners, controlling the lamb supply chain, and innovating business models.

Among the two shareholders he chose, one is very knowledgeable about catering, and the other has been in the lamb business for over 20 years and is familiar with the supply chain.

When selecting lamb, Zhang Gang tested over 100 kinds of lamb and ultimately concluded that delicious lamb must meet several criteria: the muscle fat content should be around 5% to ensure sufficient caramelization; for the whole lamb to be tasty, the moisture content must be between 70%-72%; and the gamey flavor should be within a reasonable range.

In terms of the business model, he aimed to create a model that did not previously exist, so Guojing Whole Lamb innovatively launched a personalized customization and on-site service model. The slogan for Guojing Whole Lamb is: “Guojing Whole Lamb, wherever you eat, I will roast there! Personalized customization, on-site service! Whether it’s a family gathering, a golf course, or a banquet, customers only need to bring their appetite.”

In controlling the supply chain of product ingredients, Guojing Whole Lamb insists on using purely green, standardized ingredients and has specifically assigned one shareholder to oversee the supply chain.

Regarding the recipe, Guojing Whole Lamb has also made many improvements to suit modern tastes, ensuring that each leg of the lamb has a different flavor.

Today, many celebrities and enterprises choose Guojing Whole Lamb for their family banquets, where customers can enjoy a delicious meal for around 2000 yuan.

Finally, Zhang Gang summarized two insights he gained from doing whole lamb barbecue: first, doing the right things is a hundred times more important than doing things right. Making fewer mistakes is crucial, as one wrong move can require a long time and immense effort to rectify; second, where your energy lies, there your rewards will be.

Author: Hongcan Editorial Team