Selinda Camp
It’s a delight to be invited to be a part of the HoteliersGuild society to share ideas on sustainability, service conservation and the highest level of design and hospitality, all things dear to our hearts, and the very reason Beverly and I started Great Plains conservation.
Hospitality is all about kindness and compassion and sharing that via the association of engaged like-minded people is enormously exciting to us.
Thanks again for being persistent and ultimately hunting us down to deliver this invitation, which of course we accept.
Kindest regards,
DDuring my entire life as a compassionate hotelier, I always admired two professions the mostChefs and Architects. Whilst the globally renowned masterminds behind the designs of so many beautiful hotels receive highest recognition right from the beginning, Chefs quite often stay in the shadows until they have been decorated with highest accolades. Therefor we chose not to invite only Micheline stared cuisiniers but also invite young talents to our Chefs chapter, and to feature them prominently - enjoy the Culinary Safari segment in this issue!
When we founded The HoteliersGuild Academy of Hospitality Arts, we asked the question, is hospitality an art or a science? In preparing this special issue, and using Great Plains as an example, the answer becomes even simpler - namely, that it is both. And after diving deep into the exciting evolution and operating philosophy of the owners and operators of this amazing group, it became even clearer that our industry is indeed totally inimitable!
Meet Beverly and Dereck Joubert, the award-winning filmmakers, National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence and wildlife conservationists, who have been filming, researching and exploring in Africa for over 30 years. Their mission is the conservation and understanding of the large predators and other key wildlife species that determine the course of all conservation in Africa. They are the founders of the Big Cats Initiative with National Geographic, which currently funds 149 grants in 27 countries for the conservation of big cats. Beverly and Dereck are of course also, distinguished members of The HoteliersGuild Academy of Hospitality Art, and I am so grateful to them for providing us an opportunity to share this special edition with our global membership and the many friends of our industry.
We are overjoyed for the support of our esteemed colleagues Beverly and Dereck who have set themselves a big goal, which we want to support strongly through our academy. They are living proof that this unique cocktail of hospitality, architecture&design, photography and conservation can be an enticing recipe for improving the world we live in, which we’ll definitely have to leave to future generations in a much better way than is currently the case.
Architecture is considered an art by virtue of the creative process by which it is created, which involves the coordination of multiple visual and structural elements to aesthetic effect. The ART.chitecture process for new hospitality projects usually begins with a sketch and ultimately ends with a facade to be viewed by the public. This issue shows the importance of fine art photography by Beverly for Dereck’s Art.chitecture.
We are ever so much privileged and humbled to count on the support of these very special personalities, dedicated ‘Hospitalitarians’ and true Artists and conservationists!
The fine art in their camps is an extension of the design they take together. Join Dereck and Beverly’s journey.
Even as a young girl, Beverly was always inspired to create. A personal insight at the amazing work of Beverly Joubert.
A core believe of the Great Plains Foundation is that intact planetary systems have an inherent value.
Guidelines, recipes, and ideas, from the experimental kitchens of Great Plains great chefs.
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Announcing HoteliersGuilds Vol. IV of EXTRAVAGANZAculinaire, a culinary journey without boundaries.
In collaboration with the Institut Paul Bocuse, HoteliersGuild is devoted to increase women’s and ethnic minorities’ representation in our industry.
PASSIONABLE ART.
Dear HoteliersGuild members, friends and colleagues,
We are delighted to be invited to help with The HoteliersGuild Academy of Hospitality Arts because hospitality is a unique blend of art and science, original principles of welcoming and warmth, and all of that can be taught. Sustainability is our core value. We are constantly researching new ways to improve. We have on staff an Environmental Officer to keep our standards fresh and to seek new technology in service, sustainability, carbon use etc. We do an environmental audit annually even for things like local sources of food and supplies, whether it is better to fly
supplies in and save use of a sand road and noise pollution versus the one hour in and out by plane. We maintain carbon tables to offset the impact of our operation and our guests travel and encourage them to match us by planting trees to off set their travel footprint. While this may be meaningless in the grand scheme of thing, against massive livestock contributions to carbon emissions in a world where 60% of the worlds mammal biomass is livestock (36% human and 4% wildlife) but our tree planting effort encourages a different mindset in our influence grou.
Dereck Joubert, CEO | Great Plains Conservation
“There is a big difference between doing something and doing nothing. Advocacy and action take effort, but we can’t afford to stand back and be bystanders today.”
- Dereck Joubert
The fine art in our camps is an extension of the design that we take on together, equally, as we develop each camp, its architecture, interior design and décor.
As owners, we feel that sense of creative responsibility to take you on our journey, one we have developed as adventurers and National Geographic Explorers, photographers, filmmakers and conservationists. We hope to share some of the iconic wildlife we have worked with, embodied in these images, to create a sense of excitement and awe inside the frame and beyond that. Taking one of these home should be more than a memento, it is your personal key to that window back to Africa, in your mind and in your dreams, as you plan your next safari.
The Jouberts create, design, and operate sixteen stunning safari camps under the Great Plains brand in Botswana, Kenya and Zimbabwe. With conservation at the forefront of their business, the camps are solarpowered and are created with the utmost respect to nature, so guests can feel comfortable about their environmental footprint in their sustainable camps. After falling in love with a particular site for a new camp, Dereck and Beverly familiarise themselves with the area, often sleeping out on the ground to get that feel of energy before building a camp.
Dereck is in charge of ‘the narrative’ Jouberts work together to extend and better with time and wear.
When it comes to selecting her camps representing the areas with a luxury feel, so as a result COVID period as a time to refresh
narrative’ behind every camp having its own story, the architectural design of the camps and the extend that narrative into the iconic interiors and classic décor, opting for pieces which look better wear.
her favourite camp from the Great Plains portfolio, Beverly is unable to choose just one. “I see the areas of Africa we love and the camps are built to convey that tented transient nature of camping result this is our signature style at Great Plains,” commented Joubert. Utilising the challenging refresh their portfolio, the Jouberts are currently working on opening five new camps in 2021.
Dereck Joubert CEO
Mara Nyika Camp.
A new male in the area sweeps clean, chasing the heirs of the old regime and scattering them to the wind. No one can oppose such a ferocious charge. I was lucky enough to be able to follow this entire charge with a long lens and capture the look in his eyes that conveys his strength.
Sand, salt and clay create an unusual white hue in the water. Zebras manage to withstand high temperatures as they are moving through the water during the heat of the day. By the end of winter, as the water dries, they migrate back to permanent waters in the Okavango Delta.
The fine art in our camps is an extension of the design that we take on together, equally, as we develop each camp, its architecture, interior design and decor. As owners, we feel that sense of creative responsibility to take you on our journey, one we have developed as adventurers and National Geographic Explorers, photographers, filmmakers and conservationists. We hope to share some of the iconic wildlife we have worked with, embodied in these images, to create a sense of excitement and awe inside the frame and beyond that. Taking one of these home should be more than a memento, it is your personal key to that window back to Africa, in your mind and in your dreams, as you plan your next safari.
Young male lion enjoying a moment of cool water during the heat of the day, but at all times he has to be alert in case of crocodiles creeping up on them.
Duba is our home base, where we fell in love with the island and its extreme swamp lions. In the early 2000’s we started filming here and stayed, completing 5 National Geographic films in the area over 2 decades and of course, we had a lot of fun designing Duba Plains and Duba Explorers camp nearby, two very di erent expressions of that golden era of safari.
The main area art work is the perfect example of how we work together, starting with the original image of a Duba lion by Beverly, printed on wood and handed over to me to muck around with, by adding clock pieces and raw red paint.
A herd of over two and a half thousand buffalo photographed on the way into Selinda camp in Northern Botswana.
Her eyes did not leave us, we had been away for months, and we did not know if it was a reprimand or the spark of recognition in her eye.
Time is running out for wild places and the animals that depend on them due to ever-increasing poaching. This is our Rhino Without Borders campaign to relocate 100 to safety.
I was totally hypnotized by this martial eagle it felt like its eyes were going right through me like an X-ray. Martial Eagles are the ultimate raptor in Botswana having long distance vision of over 6 kilometres (4 miles).
This male embodies sheer strength and power over a water channel on Duba Island.
Even in total relaxation, she provides opportunities for us; the dance of light across her eye.
With a river separating their family, two females hesitate before crossing over to their four cubs. Printed on wood.
Feline eyes, especially this young Cheetah’s, seem to reflect emotions we respond to. Is it the similarities with the look of their eyes and ours or is it something deeper?
The Duba Plains Suite is made up by an exquisite two bedroom tent with common lounge and dining area, and here we explored art on aged wood that can hang anywhere in the world. Subtle tones with ink that has a 50/50 seep, versus a surface component, as if the image is burned or etched into time.
A male lion in his prime undoubtedly exudes confidence with his large size and magnificent mane, but most of all with his piercing eyes.
Lioness surrounded by dust looking for the rest of the pride after a failed hunt on a buffalo herd at dawn.
Day dreaming perched safely high up in a tree, this is all part of the daily life of a young male leopard.
A herd of over two and a half thousand buffalo photographed on the way into Selinda camp in Northern Botswana.
One of Duba’s fierce male lions patrols along the spillway, protecting his island territory at any cost.
Lion running and playing along the river bank of the Zibadianja Lake close to Zarafa, Botswana. Printed on wood.
Leopard in camouflage. These secretive animals stay hidden in the undergrowth most of the time.
As a photographer I try to look for that moment of symmetry or patterning that makes an image slightly more interesting.
A lion roar is a command and statement that this is his territory, chasing out any potential intruders as well as communicating with his pride, letting them know where in their territory he is.
Zarafa Camp is a beautiful sweeping design that we had a little fun with and epitomises the romantic Botswana safari many seek. The décor is hand made in a colonial style, all from reclaimed wood, which we purchased after the 2005 tsunami to support local artisans in the East.
Elephants disappearing in grey dust in the early morning in Botswana.
Unique to see lions run through water, these lions have adapted to water and use it to their advantage.
The matriarch leads her family on an ancient path in search of water.
Colossal palms dwarf the very agents of their existence as herds of elephant make their final push for the Selinda river.
With special dedication to Hoteliers Guild with all captions personally by our distinguished member, the wonderful Beverly Joubert
Dear HoteliersGuild members, friends and colleagues, Even as a young girl I was always inspired to create and photography was one of the early expressions of that creativity. But there is a huge difference between taking family snaps and achieving a National Geographic cover. So I try to look at everything through that lens of a magazine cover, the ultimate measure of success for my workthis is an ongoing process.
My passion is for the protection of wildlife through our films and photographies, a perfect blend to reach a global audience. It is all
about creating images that tell a complete story in an instant, a story that is both a celebration of the sheer beauty and the wonder of wildlife. I am a child of Africa and that seems to make all the difference, as I strives to create images that open a window into the souls of my subjects so that the viewer will feel a connection with these individual animals and will want to fight for their survival. It is my own brand of photographic activism to touch the hearts of the viewers, stirring a long lasting passion, rather than a short sharp shock to the heart as a means to motivate action. With this we can see that, at the very heart of my photography is conservation
“Sustainability and conservation is only going to work if everyone buys into it. So the wider we can influence the better chance we stand of actually making some difference.”
-Beverly Joubert
When asked, Dereck and Beverly Joubert may say they are just global conservationists who make films.
Winners of five Emmys, two Chris awards, the Grand Teton award, and a George Foster Peabody award to name just a few, Dereck and Beverly Joubert have dedicated their lives to using documentary films and books to enhance conservation of African wildlife. They have specialized in the big cats of Africa , believing that the large predators are the best indicators to the health of many ecosystems.
Following recent camp openings in Kenya and Zimbabwe, Great Plains have introduced fresh art in their prestigious camps and created a catalog of the new Art for Conservation so guests and followers can see these images and the way they are displayed at the camps in Botswana, Kenya and Zimbabwe. Joubert has pledged 50% of the proceeds of Art for Conservation to go towards Project Ranger in the month of November 2021.
Beverlyit had better be well researched and thought out. So our films have probably evolved into more layered and in depth stories and while I had not connected the two careers in many way, I can see yah prior to this, where I am designing spaces based on a deep philosophy like our relationship
To be honest hospitality runs deep in Africa; in our DNA where of course we were all born, so we were inspired by that spirit of coming home and being welcomed. As a result, as I design our camps, I do it with two ’stories’ in mind: the three act ‘ welcome home’ one and whatever story I want to tell through the design of that unique place.
DereckDesigning hotels has made both of us, I think understand story telling more, because if you base the entire design of a hotel on a story, as I do, and that is going to be its story for decades
local communities. The Foundation works in parallel with the conservation-tourism
Hidden in a DiscoveredWorld
local communities. The Foundation works in parallel with the conservation-tourism
A cheetah cub playing on the branches of a tree, camouflaged by the leaves around it.
parallel with the conservation-tourism
A vibrantly marked leopard stands out against the stark dead tree, defying camouflage that usually hides it in the dappled forest
parallel with the conservation-tourism
Cheetah on alert for predators, closely monitoring their surroundings for signs of danger.
Two lioness at dawn stand surrounded by dust, looking for the rest of the pride after a failed hunt on a buffalo herd.
BaobabQueen
A leopard resting in the secure embrace of an old Baobab tree.
As a photographer I try to look for that moment of symmetry or patterning that makes an image slightly more interesting.
conservation initiatives with a long-term commitment to the environment, wildlife, and local communities. The Foundation works in parallel with the conservation-tourism
conservation initiatives with a long-term commitment to the environment, wildlife, and local communities. The Foundation works in parallel with the conservation-tourism
As a photographer I try to look for that moment of symmetry or patterning that makes an image slightly more interesting.
A lone wildebeest watches over the herd for any approaching
parallel with the conservation-tourism
Foundation is a US 501(c)3 mission is to conserve and expand natural habitats in Africa through innovative environment, wildlife, and
parallel with the conservation-tourism InSync
Legadema and her mother on patrol around the territory; it was amazing howoften mother and daughter were in perfect sync.
The art of a successful hunt is surprising prey, through camouflage and tactful positioning. Male lions do hunt on occasion, mostly when they are away from the pride on their territorial patrols.
8 Elephant bulls drinking along a drying channel off Zibadianja lake.
An elephant named 'One Ton' embodies the magnificence of the last Big Tuskers in Kenya.
The story of Great Plains Conservation and its Foundation has its roots in the earliest days of conservation; when the idea of protecting pristine wilderness was recognized as a public good. From those early models of conservation came the notion that to truly protect wilderness the entire ecosystem needed to be preserved. It is this approach, maintaining and when necessary restoring, functioning ecosystems that guides Great Plains Conservation and its Foundation.
Founded as a hybrid organization, are to securing African landscapes effort, we identify and select key and acquire the rights to convert or agricultural land to wildlife also global leaders in sustainability, correctly.
The Great Plains Foundation is through innovative conservation communities. The Foundation realize this mission through conservation stewardship in Botswana, Kenya, in-kind donations.
organization, with both commercial and charitable arms, Great Plains Conservation and its Foundation landscapes of a scale large enough to also protect its resident and seasonal wildlife populations. In that key areas that are under threat, often next to national parks, World Heritage Sites, and reserves, convert that land to protected areas with economic benefits. For example, we convert hunting land conservation supported by photographic tourism. Our collection of world-class safari camps are sustainability, demonstrating that commercial operations can positively benefit landscapes when done
is a US 501(c)3 organization with a mission is to conserve and expand natural habitats in Africa conservation initiatives with a long-term commitment to the environment, wildlife, and local Foundation works in parallel with the conservation-tourism parent company, Great Plains Conservation, to conservation education programs, community initiatives, and wildlife and environmental Kenya, and Zimbabwe. All of the Great Plains Foundation activities are supported by charitable and
Dereck Joubert CEO
Time is running out for wild places and the animals that depend on them, due to ever increasing poaching. This rhino is part of our Rhino without Borders campaign, to relocate 100 to safety.
Everyone and everything on earth is under more pressure today than at any point in history and much of this pressure is a direct result of human impact on the planet. Many of the struggles we are seeing in our modern world, and the challenges to conservation, are driven by a lack of knowledge, desperation, feelings of exclusion and in some instances, greed.
A core belief of the Great Plains Foundation is that intact planetary systems have an inherent value and we should strive to maintain that integrity - to preserve that balance. Equally, when the systems we rely on are broken, we have a responsibility to rescue them, to maintain them, and to work towards steadily recovering the balance that has been unsettled. Stemming from this belief, we resolve that the role of Great Plains Conservation and the Great Plains Foundation is to Preserve, Rescue, and Recover landscapes, wildlife, and communities in Africa.
Despite these enormous challenges humans have the unique capacity to do something about each of the things we influence - turning darkness into light, the ugly into something beautiful. Now is the time to exercise this distinctly human ability. Our planet deserves a second chance , as do the wildlife species under threat and the communities in need who share their borders. This is a battle for understanding, tolerance, knowledge and harmony. With focused attention, effort and energy, we can secure a second chance for wildlife, landscapes, and communities.
In this document, we will paint our vision for conservation; a vision that embraces a belief in a whole earth, intact planetary systems, second chances, and the ability of humans to influence the world around them for the better. These mantras form the basis of our work to preserve, rescue, and recover Africa’s wild places.
Conservation is complex, with the challenges and solutions requiring dynamic and multi-faceted approaches. At the Great Plains Foundation, we center our strategy around three central themes: Preserve, Rescue, and Recover. Each of these themes guides our approach to conservation addressing: Conservation , Land, and Communities.
Join us today in helping protect the newest generation of rhinos in Botswana through the Name-a-Newborn campaign. All gifts have a major impact on the future of this endangered species. Gifts of $25,000 or more have the opportunity to personally name one of the rhino calves.
A film by Dereck and Beverly Joubert. Pointing to poaching as a primary threat while noting the lion’s pride of place on the list for eco-tourists — an industry that brings in $200 billion per year worldwide — the Jouberts build a solid case for both the moral duty we have to protect lions (as well as other threatened “big cats,” tigers among them) and the economic sense such protection would make. Dereck and Beverly Joubert have published books, produced films for National
Geographic, and written half a dozen scientific papers as well as many articles for National Geographic magazine. The Jouberts’ films have received widespread attention. The Last Lions, filmed in Botswana, has become a powerful ambassador for lions in the wild, reaching over 350 million people globally. The f ilm won Best Theatrical Film at the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival, among other awards.
Their projects include Relentless Enemies: Lions and Buffalo, a documentary shot over two years as the Jouberts lived among a pride of lions and a large buffalo herd in the Duba region of Botswana's Okavango Delta. The film includes dramatic first ever footage of lions hunting in water. Their film, Eye of the Leopard, which won an Emmy, the Jules Verne and Japanese festivals, documents a young leopard's
survival in wild Africa over a period of three years, beginning just eight days after her birth.
Using the connections and influence that their reputation brings, they have argued successfully to ban the hunting of lions in Botswana. They talk to presidents and members of government throughout Africa, as well as communities and villages, using their film work as a foundation for discussion. In addition, the Jouberts' opposition to execution-style culling of elephant herds has so far helped to prevent Botswana from emulating the policies of Zimbabwe and South Africa, where herds are thinned to reduce elephanthuman conflicts.
Dereck and Beverly Joubert are explorers at the National Geographic Society and their goal in life is to use their talents to enhance African wildlife conservation. They are board members of various trusts and conservation bodies and formed Great Plains an entity that is involved in what they call, Conservation Tourism where areas of conservation under threat that could do with an injection of funding, to support community involvement can be turned around with minimal tourism rather than see collapse or more harsh unsustainable uses.
As the COVID-19 pandemic developed across the globe, the human toll was was clear. As the human and economic losses continued to mount, a lesser known devastation began to also play out for wildlife populations which were already at great risk. In Africa, the pandemic brought its $39 billion tourism industry to a halt creating a negative economic ripple effect across numerous tourism-funded conservation efforts. Around 90% of wildlife tour operators in Africa saw a 75% decrease in activities, such as safaris. As tourism and conservation workers were laid off, previously well-populated areas that provided safe havens to wildlife became targets for perpetrators of wildlife crime. As the residents of these areas faced increasing economic insecurity, poaching became an expedient means to food or income, leading to an increase in both professional and amateur poaching.
In response Great Plains Foundation launched the public-private funding collaborative, Project Ranger, to fill a critical funding gap on the frontlines of conservation in the wildlife monitoring, surveying, and anti-poaching operations of NGOs in Sub-Saharan Africa. Project Ranger is directly supporting conservation and local economies by keeping wildlife monitoring and anti-poaching teams on the ground despite funding reductions to conservation organizations across the continent driven by COVID-19.
In less than a year, Project Ranger has funded projects in 9 countries supporting a range of species including, lions, rhinoceros, pangolin, gorillas, leopards, and elephants to name a few. And it is just getting started.
“We are excited and so thankful to receive this wonderful news! With the latest ‘second wave’ it has become apparent to us that any hopes of tourism, and therefore bed night levies, returning in 2021 are dwindling fast. This significant grant will, genuinely, keep us going this year. We just cannot thank you enough.”
– Bumi Hills Anti-Poaching Unit, Zimbabwe
“Our rangers have been out to the Kilimanjaro mountain assisting with putting off the fire which occurred on Sunday afternoon…We are very appreciative for the support we got from Project Ranger, if it was not for them to assist us with the finances to bring back our rangers, we could not have managed to send any rangers to help with the fire problem on the Kilimanjaro.”
– Enduimet Wildlife Management Area, Tanzania
ALL THIS IS POSSIBLE DUE TO THE FANTASTIC SUPPORT WE HAVE FROM VALUED TOURISM PARTNERS, COMPANIES AND NGOS.
Show your gratitude for the tireless work of Africa’s brave rangers by supporting Project Ranger today, gifts of any amount play an essential role.
When we started Great Plains Conservation we identified where lions were 15 years ago, 10 years ago, 5 years ago and today, and where they might be in 5, 10 and 15 years both in population and distribution given the extraordinary expansion in the human population. It was a terrifying map. Land for Lions was our response. The goal of Land for Lions is to provide sufficient protections and habitat for wild lion populations to survive. This is accomplished by working in partnership with local communities and other conservation stakeholders -- making strides together to improve habitat for lions in Africa.
In addition to the work of the Great Plains Foundation, we have partnered with two largescale organizations to help magnify our efforts to save lions. As National Geographic Explorers, Dereck and Beverly Joubert were central to the establishment of the National Geographic Big Cats Initiative (BCI). More than a decade later, BCI has funded 128 projects in 27 countries saving an estimated 4500 lions through the work of their grantees. Great Plains Conservation has also joined the Lionscape Coalition, an effort to join ecotourism companies together to support lion conservation solutions. The ambition, via the Lion Recovery Fund, is to double the number of lions by 2025.
Within the Great Plains Foundation, Land for Lions works toward securing, expanding, and stewarding lion habitat. Current Land for Lions projects operate in Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Botswana utilizing innovative approaches to generate maximum positive impact for lion conservation outcomes. It includes projects such as the restoration of the Sapi Reserve in Zimbabwe, raising funds for emergency purchases of critical corridors of land and even, when called upon by government, opening up our concessions and using our own resources to support lion translocations. In 2019, Great Plains moved five lions to Selinda, saving them from immediate threat of poaching and human-wildlife conflict.
Lions need land. They need hidden places, not always prime savannahs, to breed and to roam as nomads. They need this land now more than ever as a reservoir for their dwindling numbers. There are an estimated 44 million acres of land in Africa on which lions roam that is currently unprotected or under hunting management. 60% of the remaining 20-30,000 lions live under no protection at all on this land. We are working to change these numbers and protect more Land for Lions.
Education, employment and outreach all play a key role in reducing greed. At the same time, if you know it is bad to kill a rhino , you do not have a family to feed, and you do it anyway, that is greed. Poaching is greed. Trade in animals is greed. Shooting and killing for sport is greed. Great Plains Conservation and Foundation’s mission to secure and protect landscapes and wildlife is a hedge against those driven by greed rather than by poverty, desperation, lack of knowledge or a sense of exclusion. Healthy and fully functioning ecosystems are the foundation upon which all other systems operate. Through projects that address conservation across entire landscapes, the Great Plains Foundation is building a brighter future for Africa’s landscapes and those who depend upon them.
I’ve seen too many safari goers stumble out of bed, or miss a morning drive, sluggish and tired and then curse later when they get home and onto a scale, all because of uninspired, over worked food. Our very first rule to our Great Plains chefs is to only make food with love and joy. We must have rules, but we also love to see our chefs experiment and we definitely thumb our noses at the four-day revolving menu, the ‘oh if its Tuesday it must be boma night’ cuisine. Recipes, as you will see in this wonderful collection, are just guidelines for you to hang a meal on, one that I hope you can make your own. They are for chefs, because in my opinion anyone who cooks for more than one person, is already a chef, not a cook! When I first went through the Culinary Safari, I was struck by the way it started to make me think about marrying substitutions. They are meant to inspire as they themselves are inspired by Nature.
If I had to describe our Great Plains’ style of cuisine (and it is cuisine) it would be ‘Clean’ where we try to get fresh food, locally, never processed (if it comes out of a packet ready to eat, we frown on it) with clean spices that thoughtfully enhance the flavors not just because it’s the go to spice. Beverly and I started eating more and more fresh and often raw vegetable based food, and after being on a sustainability panel with the director of the film Game Changer we switched to a totally plant based diet, overnight. We’ve never felt better, never performed exercise better and really savoir the tastes of food we eat. It may not be for everyone but if we could all have a Meatless Monday or a few less animal protein meals not only would we all be in healthier condition, but so would the planet. Can you believe that of the global land biomass 36% is made up by humans, 60% by livestock and that leaves only 4% made up by wildlife? We chop out football fields of rainforest each day to clear to plant crops just to feed cattle.
The common thought, certainly amongst men, and in Africa is that a meal is not a meal unless it once had blood in it and that vegetables are things that our mothers made us eat. Well they have not tasted Ben’s vegan o erings, or Patrick’s totally vegan but decadent deserts.
I had to virtually threaten Assistant with his life to get some of his secrets to share with you not something I would do with Big John! So that brings me to the main point, that while these are guidelines, recipes, and ideas, they come from the experimental kitchens of our great chefs and without those talented professionals across Botswana, Zimbabwe and Kenya, not only would you not be rolling up your sleeves ready to dive in now, but no safari to Great Plains would be quite as exciting and fulfilling. Many of these men and women carry a small gold Fleur-de-lis on their chef’s jackets alongside the Great Plains Conservation logo because the cuisine presented here, the menus, the recipes come from our Relais-et-Chateau recognized camps, and the badge is both one of great honor in the chefs’ world but also a responsibility they take very seriously. It is quite simply the responsibility to delight your
Personally, I hope that this publication will lead you down a path of new tastes and adventures, but also a new way of thinking about plant-based eating (in some cases) and clean or slow food overall. Most of all I hope we can share some joy through food today.
Yours sincerely,
Dereck & Beverly Joubert, Great Plains co-founders
Great Plains is proud to share our Réserve properties are members of the internationally acclaimed Relais & Châteaux accreditation. Relais & Châteaux is an exclusive association of individually owned and operated luxury hotels and restaurants across the world.
“The experiences one has at Relais & Châteaux properties give one the feeling of total immersion in a place and its culture, allowing them to be discovered from up close with all that they have to offer. The attentiveness and sincerity of our team give you a sense of enjoyment that comes paired with respect for every person’s privacy, all through a warm and privileged relationship.”
Our Executive Chefs are proud to wear their Relais & Châteaux chef jackets and put on a culinary safari masterpiece for each of our guests, surrounded by the wild expanse of Africa.
A culinary safari from the Masai Mara to the Chyulu hills brings together legumes, starches, grains and seasonal vegetables in combination with indigenous vegetables hinting to the plant and trees found naturally in the area.
coconut milk and spices are combined expertly with modern dishes such as plant based options and gluten free by our professional chefs to produce a taste- bud tingling culinary experience.
Head Chef Mara Expedition Camp, Kenya.
Hi Daniel, what is your role at Great Plains and how long have you worked here?
Currently, I am the Head Chef in Mara Expedition Camp in Masai Mara where I have worked for two years and eight years at ol Donyo Lodge as a Source Chef.
How did you get into cooking?
Ever since I have been aspiring to be a Chef and I liked cooking a lot. I did my fast practical training at Kilimanjaro Bu alo Lodge, then worked with Kibo Slopes Cottages, African Safari Club, Olowuaru Camp, Kilima Camp, and besides that attending refresher courses pertaining to food production.
Is food / cooking an important part of the culture in Kenya?
Food is an important part of the culture in Kenya because di erent communities prefer di erent food probably di erent from the other communities and also our food is prepared di erently.
What is it you most love about being a chef?
Wow; I like being creative in my cooking and most importantly the guest reaction is paramount. Also being a Great Plains employee gives me a rare chance and privilege to explore many things as food production is concerned.
What is your favourite dish and why?
I like everything I do in cooking from starters, soups, main course and dessert. My favourite dish is grilled Rib Eye with Irio, sautéed vegetables and red wine jus.
Chef Kimani’s team at the interactive kitchen at Mara Expeditions CampINGREDIENTS
- 300g plain flour
- 460g light muscovado sugar
- 160g cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1⁄2 tsp salt
- 120g smooth peanut butter
- 22ml water
- 220ml vegetable oil
- 2 1⁄2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 5g dark chocolate
- 120g raspberry jam
- 80g raspberries
- 2 tbsp broken peanuts
Chef Dixon from Mara Nyika camp's
EQUIPMENT 20 x 30 cm cake tin/ Parchment paper/ Food Processor or electric beater
METHOD
Preheat oven to 160*C
Line the cake tin with the parchment paper, making sure there’s a good overhang (this excess will act as a handle to remove the brownies from the tin when it comes out of the oven).
Add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt to the food processor and whizz to combine. Add 30g of the peanut butter, water, oil and vanilla. Blend until everything is well mixed (or put everything in a large mixing bowl and use an electric beater) Break the dark chocolate into squares and add it to the mixture. Blend for another few seconds to mix in the chocolate.
Use a spatula or metal spoon to empty the brownie mix into the cake tin and smooth it out so it goes all the way to the edges of the tin.
Use a spoon to pour and drag swirls of the remaining peanut butter and the jam randomly over the top of the brownie, decorating the whole top with long swirls of jam. Push the raspberries and peanuts randomly into the mix.
Put in the hot oven and bake for 45 minutes, until cooked but still squidgy in the middle (try to avoid the outsides drying out and getting too brown, you want to take it out sooner than you think – the middle will still be soft and maybe even wobbly, but it will cool down to a gooey perfection.
Take the tin out of the oven and let it cool down to room temperature. Use parchment paper to lift the brownie out of the tin and put it on a chopping board (you may need a friend to help with this to ensure it doesn’t break in the middle). Cut into brownies portions as serve.
A culinary safari from the banks of the Zambezi River in our Sapi Concession is like no other. Our Zimbabwean professional chefs showcase their talents by complimenting traditional flavours such as Chambodya, a local vegetable that brings a zesty lemony flavour, with modern creativity to bring together healthy and delicious dishes.
Stopping for breakfast in the bush after a few hours of early morning game drive is something of a novelty. Swap the home breakfast routine for the breakfast of a lifetime on the banks of the mighty Zambezi when you stay at Tembo Plains camp in Zimbabwe.
As the rumble of the Land Cruiser falls silent next to a breakfast setup like no other, sit back and enjoy being a spectator of the shift between nocturnal and diurnal wildlife. The river banks come to life with birds catching their first meal of the day, the elephants start to move down for a drink. Enjoying your steaming co ee and fresh breakfast to the peace and tranquility of the Zambezi at sunrise really is an extraordinary experience.
Head Chef at Tembo Plains Camp, Zimbabwe
Hi Zamani, Have you always been passionate about food and cooking?
My dream career was initially to be a physician but then I was employed in the Hospitality Industry as a sculler and decided to change my mind to study food science and che ng. I have a great passion to know more about what is on the table beyond the dish. What is it’s nutritional value, what is beyond each ingredient, where did it come from, how did it grow etc.
What inspires or motivates you?
I was inspired by my former Executive Chef (Brain Ndlovu) who is now a member of the Zimbabwe Culinary Judges Board. He cooks to bring all the human senses to the table. This as well as the motivation to cook to serve the right food to the right person - mainly based on dietaries etc, tailoring each meal to the person eating it.
What is it you most love about being a chef?
Bringing together people around the table, and I don’t cook to make people full but in value with nutrients and in collaboration with flavours.
Do you like being creative?
Being creative brings an exciting challenge to everyone. As a Chef, creativity is a daily norm that makes me love to work with all di erent guest requests when it comes to food. I always love to give memorable tasting dishes on their tables.
What is your favourite dish and why?
The baked Lake Harvest Tilapia Bream fillet well marinated in coconut, lime juice, ginger, chillies, salt and freshly crushed black pepper corns served with mixed vegetables cooked to the bit and garnished with crispy sweet potatoes and lemon wedge.
What are your favourite winter dishes to make?
Starch dishes are my favourite, the reason being is that; when the body digest the starch to carbohydrates and energy, heart is realised to keep the body warm. Let’s keep our self warm in winter.
SUGAR GLOBE CURD
100g isomalt sugar
120g butter
250g Custer sugar
3 lemons juice
2 eggs
SUGAR GLOBE
MERINGUE HONEYCOMB
5 large egg whites
3/4 White sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
Pinch salt
Half tsp vanilla essence
15ml oil for oiling a baking tray
80g butter
160g Caster sugar
80g Golden syrup
2 tsp Bicarbonate of soda.
1. Melt the isomalt until it is pliable and then you blow it into the sharp you want.
CURD
1. Place butter, lemon juice and sugar into glass bowl.
2. Place over simmering water
3. Stir until butter has melted & sugar started to dissolved
4. Remove and add beaten eggs
5. Return to heat and cook the curd, whisking gently until it has thickened.
MERINGUE
1. Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment along with the sugar, cream of tartar and salt.
2. Whisk together to combine.
3. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water.
4. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture feels hot to the touch.
5. Transfer the bowl to the mixer and add the vanilla. Whisk on medium-high speed until sti peaks form, 5 to 6 minutes.
HONEYCOMB
1. Heat butter, sugar and syrup till dissolved, keep boiling for 5 mins.
2. Add bicarbonate & stir few second.
3. Tip the mix into oil tray until set.
4. When set on a tray, chop with a knife to crumble and sprinkle as garnish.
Combine all and present it in your dessert plate and garnish with berry coulis
The culinary safari from the depths of the Okavango Delta out to the Selinda Reserve is nothing short of show-stopping. Combining elements of tradition such as flavors of Lerotse Melon, indigenous Mabowa mushrooms, Jakleberries and Morula fruit are key traditional delicacies. These flavors and combinations are often passed down through generations bringing a true sense of the area and her people. On top of the culinary masterpieces, the locations of where to eat are extraordinary in themselves.
Zarafa camp has a plethora of dining experiences from a floating lunch on the Zibadianja lagoon, dinner around the fire in camp, or even have a go with the brand new pizza oven. The lagoon that sprawls out infront of the main deck is an unparalleled view for bird watching and a haven for elephants as you sit for a healthy lunch and watch the ‘bush television’. As the sun sets and the colours of the sky change every minute, you can enjoy dinner out on the deck, accompanied by the calming sound of the frogs! The ultimate way to end another beautiful day in Africa.
Hi Tshidi, what is your role at Great Plains and how long have you worked here?
I am a chef at Great Plains and have been here for 12 year’s now. I started at CSU in Housekeeping, then moved to Sta chef, still at CSU. After the position became available, I moved to Selinda Explorers as a Trainee Chef and now I am a Head Chef at Selinda Camp.
How did you get into cooking? I had always had an interest in cooking, it came from my home life and growing up. For me, food is an important part of my culture and it is a way to express myself
What do you love about being a chef? I love being a chef because of the creativity and what I can do with food. I enjoy cooking vegetarian, to find the versatility of the vegetables and because it is healthy.
What is your favourite dish from home? One of my favourite traditional dishes to cook at home is pounded beef. I boil the meat for about 3 hours with only a bit of salt and oil and then grind it all down. Even when I am in camp it reminds me of home.
AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY IN OUR CAMPS
PREP TIME: 30mins
SERVES: 1
INGREDIENTS
• 1 large heaped tablespoon of good medium roast ground co ee
• 30 millimeters of Amarula liqueur
• 150 millimeters boiling water
• 1 cup of boiling hot milk
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Dusting of ground cinnamon
Tumbler glass
2 co ee plungers
Sieve
1. In the one plunger, steep the ground co ee in hot water for 5 minutes. Press the plunger down completely and pour the co ee into a plastic container.
2. Drop the cinnamon stick into the co ee and refrigerate for 30 mins.
3. Sieve out the cinnamon stick, mix in the Amarula and pour the co ee into the tumbler glass.
4. Bring milk to the boil and pour into the other plunger. Vigourously push up & down the plunger to froth the milk.
5. Drop a few ice cubes in the cold co ee and spoon some milk foam over the ice cubes. Sprinkle ground cinnamon over the foam and serve.
‘Golden Hour’ is an extraordinary time of the day. The last bit of sunlight before the sun goes down on a beautiful day in Africa. The moment where our minds pause in silence bringing a sense of overwhelming respect and gratitude for our beautiful wild spaces.’
39 GREAT PLAINS | CULINARY SAFARI
Our chefs have put together a few seasonal recipes for you to try at home to bring a taste of Africa to your holiday seasons.
Hi Assistant, what is your role at Great Plains and how long have you worked there ?
Hi, I am currently working as an Executive Chef at Great Plains , I have been with the company for about 4 years now since September of 2018
Where are you from and what was your journey into becoming a chef? Is it in your family or did you go to school?
I am South African, from a small town called Vereeniging far south of Gauteng Province. Cooking for me was a Sunday event with my Mother, I starting having interest in cooking later on in my teenage years, watching cooking shows and experimenting at home, my preferred career was to be a Veterinarian but due to some unforeseen circumstances I was unable to pursue the dream and ended up finding myself in a commercial kitchen. The journey started with me working as a kitchen porter and later given a chance to train as a chef, with time I practiced and grew to where I am today......
Travelling to over 30 countries, working with some world renowned Michelin star chefs and experiencing di erent cuisines is what drove me to grow my culinary acumen, so far this is where I landed and I am loving every minute of it....
What is it you most love about cooking, what does it mean to you?
Cooking is a lifestyle, it’s refuge.... I love that it gives me a platform to express myself through art and creativity.... The feeling of free reign is what makes it all matter.....
What do you love about cooking for guests in particular?
The reaction from the guests after experience a great meal, the expression of gratitude and seeing that smiles on their faces..
What is your favorite dish to cook from home?
I am a fan of Indian, African and Italian cuisine, so anything with those choices is what I enjoy cooking when at home..... I enjoy simple but flavorsome food made with lots and lots of love
What is your favorite dish to cook guests in camp?
Wheat Grass, Thyme and Pea Risotto with Grilled Asparagus, Snow Peas and Parmesan Foam
Do you enjoy dietary requirements and personalized meals?
Definitely, I find it both interesting and challenging how people have personal preferences when it comes to food. Also ‘the amount of nutritional knowlegde needed to execute always motivates one to learn more and grow
Caviar is !e F"d of !e Gods. Viewed more closely, it is ju# F"d from !e Tin.
We are delighted to announce that we shall continue this ‘by invitation only’ virtual Gourmet Safari event without Boundaries the well established EXTRAVAGANZA culinaire in Spring 2022!
We are again counting on the support from members of our Chefs Chapter in collaboration with the HoteliersGuild Academy of Hospitality Arts.
With your kind help, this edition will inspire a ‘GENERATION NEXT’ of cuisiniers through our initiatives with the Institut Paul Bocuse, EHL and the international University of Applied Sciences.
You are of course aware that we do not accept applications, but we would welcome eligible chefs to introduce an exceptionally talented NextGeneration young SousChef/Pastry Chef, whom we would then support as part of our HoteliersGuild Sirius Academy Awards.
I look much forward to be in touch with you after the holidays. Enjoy the Festive Season & Happy New Year!
Best wishes
detailed informations & invitations by mid Jan. ’22 event is staged again only virtual & not-for-profit Chefs to present a 4-6 course personal ‘signature menu’ participating Chefs receive nominations for the 2022 Academy Sirius Awards
YoungCheffesInsights partnership between the Hoteliers Guild and Institute Paul Bocuse is a very welcome initiative.
I have always been deeply committed to supporting and advancing gender equality in the hospitality industry. I applaud the program in its mission to further education and address the challenges facing women in the hospitality industry by creating a safe and empowering culture in the kitchen. We all benefit from the common effort of building a community to share knowledge, connections and opportunities.
I always knew I wanted to be a chef and I was lucky to have the support of my father, Juan Mari Arzak and other chefs who
mentored me from childhood through my time training at EHL and beyond.
Right now it is more important than ever to encourage strong leadership skills and feed our young talent as they grow their careers.
Elena Arzak Cheffe Restaurante Arzak
“I applaud the program in its mission to further education and address the challenges facing women in the hospitality industry”
- Elena Arzak
We are very excited about this partnership with HoteliersGuild. It offers our students the opportunity to share their insights and future vision for the industry, the exact topics they are immersing themselves in during their Master’s in Culinary Leadership and Innovation -program.”
Prof. Dr. Henri Kuokkanen |Academic Vice Dean, Post-Graduate Programs - Institut Paul Bocuse | Chairman of The HoteliersGuild Academy of Hospitality Arts
Riso, Oro e Zafferano by Chef Osvaldo Presazzi
The SIRIUS ACADEMY AWARDS have evolved from the long established HoteliersGuild, the private society for international hospitality leaders with a pledge to Sustainable Luxury. The not-for-profit awards campaign is hosted by the HoteliersGuild Academy of Hospitality Arts and curated by its honorary cofounder Lindsey Ueberroth of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, who has donated a significant grant to provide scholarships for underprivileged aspiring students at e.g. Ecole hôtelière Lausanne, Institut Paul Bocuse, Lyon and other universities. It is also generously supported by contributions from some of the best HoteliersGuild members and their companies.
Developed to identify, highlight and reward excellence throughout the global hospitality industry, the SIRIUS ACADEMY AWARDS mission aims to recognise, promote and support talents from hospitality’s GenerationNext through scholarships and to pay tribute to Chefs, Architects&Designers, Suppliers…for their contribution to a DEEPER and more SUSTAINABLE LUXURY.
At this testing time, the SIRIUS ACADEMY AWARDS will be solely organized virtually through the web, without the notion of hosting a trivial ceremony, where one is required to spend a large sum on extravagant outfits and an expensive seat at the social event’s table with the profits going to the organiser.
All sponsors' contributions will be auctioned by a renowned London auctioneer and all the proceeds will go to the Academy's cause.
For more information, please visit: THE COVETED SIRIUS ACADEMY AWARDS
550 hotels in more than 60 countries, compare website visits, conversion, revenue their compe?tors.
free today at www.hotelbenchmarking.com
Dedicated to people who are making outstanding contributions to the global luxury Lebensart. Inspiring and educating a new generation of discerning hoteliers and exclusive service providers.
YoungHôtelièresInsights aims to develop the professional visibility of our young female talent in a network of established hoteliers and hôteliéres.
EHL’s Women in Leadership, IUBH University of Applied Sciences, and Institut Paul Bocuse share a commitment to promote our top female students in the hospitality industry. Together with HoteliersGuild’s LeadingHôtelierès chapter, we created YoungHôtelièresInsights (YHI), a space dedicated for aspiring female hospitality leaders where they can contribute to our industry with their reflections, ideas, trends and hot topics as viewed by their generation. A compilation of these inputs will be featured in the HoteliersGuild ForumOfDialogue magazines and LookBooks with the aim to develop the professional visibility of our young female talent in a network of established hoteliers and hôteliéres .
EHL’s Prof. Dr. Sowon Kim and Founder of WIL says: “We focus on female students and from time to time male students - here is a thought, we could for example limit to 10-20% of male contribution, and content could be in lines of male championing women (in line with one of our pillars) like for example how they see the contribution of their female peers; this might be eye opening for the established hoteliers reading such a piece and realising why there might be a need for them to change too. From my perspective making the “YoungHotelièresInsights” primary female is not being exclusive but rather in line with the mission of HoteliersGuild’s LeadingHôtelierès chapter. In addition there is a need to be inclusive when a group is a minority which in this case is women in leadership positions. While everyone needs to be promoted is these hard times, the system is heavily biased against women which is the exact reason why less than 5 percent of the top leadership functions across business and politics worldwide are occupied by women, and hence the raison être for HoteliersGuild’s LeadingHôtelierès chapter”
“We are very excited new partnership HoteliersGuild. students the share their insights vision for the industry, topics they themselves Master’s in Culinary and Innovation
Prof. Dr. Henri Academic Vice Graduate Advisory Board LeadingHôteliéresexcited about this partnership with HoteliersGuild. It offers our the opportunity to insights and future industry, the exact they are immersing themselves in during their Culinary Leadership Innovation -program.”
Henri Kuokkanen Vice Dean, PostGraduate Programs - IPB Board member of HoteliersGuild’s LeadingHôteliéres chapterMembers of HoteliersGuild are devoted to increase women’s and ethnic minorities’ representation at all levels and in leadership positions across our industry. I am delighted with this new partnership and the outstanding collaboration with IPB. This vivacious cooperation of likeminded colleagues reinforces my own dedication and passion for continuing our journey together!”
Frank M. Pfaller Founder President | HoteliersGuild“This is a great opportunity to shine a light on the gender imbalance prevalent in the culinary industry and empower young, female voices to become future leaders in their industry. This initiative helps us in educating our students to work towards closing the gender gap.”
Maria Velez | Program Director | IPB Chef Eugenie Guillermin | IPBFORUMOFDIALOGUESERIES
FORUMOFDIALOGUESERIES
Featuring Young Future Leaders
Featuring Young Future Leaders
The value of money in the F&B industry from Maria Zanotelli
Work-life balance: improving the kitchen environment in the Culinary Industry from Dhwani Jariwala
currently in an end-of-course internship
Masters Degree Student | Institut Paul Bocuse
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY: Maria Zanotelli is currently in an end-of-course internship where she works as an assistant project manager for restaurant openings at La Réserve. This six-month experience is the perfect conclusion to the Culinary Leadership & Innovation master’s she pursued at Ins.tut Paul Bocuse. She started by studying literature and foreign languages, before doing a master’s in international business management and applied languages at the Sorbonne. Raised in her father’s brasserie-style restaurant in the East of France, she has always been passionate about hospitality. She worked in several hotels, bars, and restaurants, in the kitchen as well as in service, and doesn’t know which one she prefers. She plans to open a restaurant with her brother in a few years.
The relationship to money in the food and beverage industry is something I feel needs to be addressed. It has struck me when I was working as a waitress, helping my father in his kitchen, or now, as an assistant project manager in a restaurant consulting agency.
The restaurant industry does not have a huge profit margin, but it is not that narrow. It ranges from 3-5% for full-service restaurants (which can differ according to the type of food and drinks served and the number of seats), to 6-9% for quick service restaurants and food trucks, to 7-8% for caterers. It is also a fact that a restaurant of any type is a business and must be profitable. Therefore, people cost is the one thing restaurant owners try to minimize to the best of their abili.es. People are a major cost in a restaurant, but since they are the focal point for the customer experience (we all remember a restaurant where we ate mediocre food but had a great .me thanks to the waiters), they are the one thing to take seriously.
Considering the physical and psychological harshness that comes with the job, it is .me to stop paying waiters and cooks minimum wage. As people who love this industry and want to make it better, we need to sit down and think of how to revalue the jobs of F&B workers. The situation is quite drama.c already: in France only, 237.000 workers left the F&B industry between February 2020 and February 2021 (Le Point, 2021). We must find a way to keep the ones who stayed, but also to attract new people.
There are several ways we could increase our workers’ salaries. In the case of France, particularly, something must be done to change the terms of the collective labor agreement for F&B workers. We need to open a social dialogue to have this field of work recognized as specialized, thus not depending on the minimum wage, as suggested the food journalist Estérelle Payany. There are examples of restaurant owners and chefs who do care about their staff members and do not suffer from the current staffing shortage. For instance, chef Patrick Henrioux, who raised the prices by 3% in his restaurant La Pyramide in Vienne, France, when he reopened his restaurant and will give the money earned from this raise to his employees in January (Zerah, 2021).
Prices are the second thing we should focus on to create a change, particularly customers’ price perceptions. People are used to eating cheap things, and to have everything available at any .me of the year for a derisory price. This should not continue. We must raise awareness about seasonality, locality, and the human, environmental and financial costs of the products we use. Especially now that the pandemic has resulted in inflation, most prices have risen rapidly with no sign of going back (Krugman, 2021). When eating at a restaurant, people should not expect to pay the same amount of money they used to. For them to understand and support this, we must communicate and educate them, instead of lowering the quality of the ingredients we use to cut costs. A very simple way of doing this is by being transparent: in Paris, a new restaurant group called Nouvelle Garde (2021) has recently opened two brasseries. On the receipt (link to a picture in references), they explain the price of the famous “saucisse-purée” (13€): taxes, people cost (44%, a bit higher than what is usually advised for a restaurant), raw materials, kitchen appliances, loan payback, rent, etc. This is exactly what needs to be done: make the industry more transparent to the customers in order to help them to understand and accept the real cost of their meals.
One last thing to address in relation to money in the F&B industry is the use of delivery platforms. On one hand, delivery platforms charge restaurants high fees, up to 30% of the sale. On the other hand, the meal delivery industry has generated a new class of underpaid, under protected and under-appreciated workers: our beloved “delivery guys”. Indeed, since they are considered as independent workers and not employees of the big platforms, such as Deliveroo or UberEats, they are not protected if they get into an accident while working their shift. Subsequently, they are not compensated if they have to stop working because of an accident (Kale, 2021). This is why, in several countries, people are fighting to have deliverymen and women get an employee status. For this to happen, people have to accept that they cannot expect someone to get a decent salary when they pay 0,99 € to get sushi at home, in 25 minutes, on a Sunday night. This comes back to customer price perception: customers need to be educated on the human cost of delivery. Getting a cooked meal to your door is a luxury, and it should carry a respective price. Otherwise, it is at somebody else’s expense.
The human aspect is central to the F&B industry, from the people you work with to the people you cater to. Hence, we need to approach the financial aspects of the field in a more human way, by finding solutions to give workers a salary worth their jobs, and by educating customers to have them accept paying a fair price for the service we deliver and the experience we provide.
Hello Frank,YoungCheffesInsights partnership between the Hoteliers Guild and Institute Paul Bocuse is a very welcome initiative. I have always been deeply committed to supporting and advancing gender equality in the hospitality industry.
I applaud the program in its mission to further education and address the challenges facing women in the hospitality industry by creating a safe and empowering culture in the kitchen. We all benefit from the common effort of building a community to share knowledge, connections and opportunities.
I always knew I wanted to be a chef and I was lucky to have the support of my father, Juan Mari Arzak and other chefs who mentored me from childhood through my time training at EHL and beyond. Right now it is more important than ever to encourage strong leadership skills and feed our young talent as they grow their careers.
Elena Arzak Cheffe Restaurante Arzak
Dear Frank,
I am delighted to support this wonderful and much needed initiative by HoteliersGuild and Institut Paul Bocuse!
This is a brilliant opportunity to highlight the gender imbalance that is still so prevalent in our culinary industry. We should all strive to empower young female voices on their path to leadership positions in their respective industry segments.
This initiative is definitely a step in the right direction to help close the gender gap! “
Sincerely,
Eckart WitzigmannDear Frank,
Aponiente and myself we are pleased and proud to support this exciting partnership between HoteliersGuild and INSTITUT PAUL BOCUSE as well, as we are committed to supporting gender equality.
This is an industry-wide challenge; to create a more diverse workplace and encourage more females into general manager role.
Thank you for this amazing initiative,
Warmest regards, Ángel
" Ángel LeónDear Frank,
The Langham, London is delighted to support this wonderful partnership and YCI is a great initiative to promote the incredible, aspiring female talent from the culinary industry. Having worked first hand with IPB over the years, we are thrilled to continue embracing the development of our upcoming female Chef’s in the Food and Beverage arena
With kindest regards
Doris Greif Managing Director - The Langham, London Regional Vice President, Operations –Europe & Middle East The Langham, London
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