GastroSuisse, the umbrella organization for the hotel and catering industry, is launching a new campaign in French-speaking Switzerland on Monday, emphasizing the opportunities offered by the sector. The three-star chef Franck Giovannini got involved with the filming of a video.
The short film shows how the chef and a brigade of young talents transform an austere parking lot in Bienne (BE) into a welcoming place. They surprise passers-by by offering them a gastronomic experience.
“Everything that can be done to motivate young people is important,” emphasizes Franck Giovannini in an interview with Keystone-ATS. “Today and in the future, we want to inspire talented people who want to work in a sector that offers incredible diversity.”
Lack of labor
The sector indeed suffers, like others, from a lack of qualified labor. “Michelin-starred establishments like mine have a little less difficulty recruiting than small restaurants,” underlines the head chef at the Hôtel de Ville in Crissier (VD). But due to lack of staff, certain establishments have to close more or simplify their offer.
For Franck Giovannini, the sector suffers in particular from a bad reputation, with the image of a job that is physically hard, with difficult hours. “But this shows the lack of knowledge of the profession, which has changed. It has become more comfortable, the atmosphere has improved, with fewer ‘loud’ chefs,” he underlines. Many establishments are also trying to improve salaries.
Another problem: the lack of promotion by the political world. “Unfortunately, tourists do not come to Switzerland for gastronomy, except for fondue and chocolate, even though we have many high-level establishments,” laments the starred chef.
In French-speaking Switzerland, some 700,000 customers enter a restaurant, café or bar every day, which corresponds to 24% of all restaurant visits in Switzerland. “The industry is part of our culture and brings pleasure to people,” emphasizes Mr. Giovannini. “It is also important for foreigners, to whom we can show our skills.”
A major employer
The “Avanti!” campaign, whose motto is “catering, it’s exciting”, highlights the unique character of the hotel and restaurant industry and focuses on team spirit and creativity, in order show to what extent the branch “can be meaningful and a source of fulfillment”. Other campaigns will follow later in Ticino and German-speaking Switzerland.
With nearly 5,700 members and more than 73,000 employees in French-speaking Switzerland, the hotel and catering industry is a determining employer, but also a very important social hub, recalls GastroSuisse. The gross added value of the entire sector amounts to 35 billion francs in Switzerland, including 10 billion in French-speaking Switzerland.
This article was automatically published. Source: ats
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