Five hospitality heavyweights gathered for an inspiring and thought-provoking discussion focused on changing the perception of hospitality and attracting more young talent to the industry. The panel event took center stage at the 2024 Nestlé Professional Toque d’Or awards ceremony earlier this month and created the perfect setting to deliver a powerful message to over 240 industry professionals.
Chaired by TV presenter Mark Durden-Smith, the panel included UKHospitality CEO Kate Nicholls OBE, Nestlé Professional CEO Katya Simmons, Sodexo Food Innovation and Sustainability Director David Mulcahy, Chef Publishing editor Claire Bosi and CORE Recruitment CEO Krishnan Doyle. .
Each speaker brought unique insights and perspectives on how to reshape the hospitality career narrative, while all believed that more collaboration is needed to attract young talent. “You can’t be what you can’t see,” said Kate Nicholls, highlighting the important role young hospitality professionals play in inspiring the next generation. “We are already doing a great job of selling our industry to schoolchildren, but we need more young ambassadors to step forward and go to the schools themselves, because they are closer in age and relatable. So cooperation is key,” he continued.
Katya Simmons spoke about the successes of Nestlé Professional’s youth projects, Toque d’Or and Choose Hospitality Pledge, which aim to change young people’s perception of careers in the hospitality industry. He commented: “This year has been a great success, with almost 400 participants coming to the Toque d’Or competition. Together with Chef Publishing and the Choose Hospitality Pledge, which we co-founded with Springboard, we do our best to inspire young talent and help them get into exciting roles with great career development opportunities. However, our industry is highly fragmented, dynamic and creative, which means we need to work together if we want to have the desired impact. For example, the Choose Hospitality Pledge depends on you – brilliant people from across our industry – taking what we do to change the perception of a career in hospitality, from strength to strength.”
David Mulcahy spoke passionately about the vast career opportunities in hospitality. Using the platform as an opportunity to inspire the youth, he said: “Don’t limit your thinking to what you can do or where you can go in your career. Hospitality is an industry that allows you to do whatever you want. There are many stepping stones and opportunities for people starting out, so I encourage anyone considering a career in the hospitality industry to adopt the mindset, “I’m here, help me, train me, develop me.” David said of Sodexo’s work in this area: “In partnership with the Choose Hospitality Pledge, we run mass workshops at key stadiums such as Everton’s Goodison Park, Newcastle United’s St James’ Park and Brighton & Hove Albion’s American Express Stadium. It’s fantastic work that allows us to give young people and for their influencers – teachers and parents – more choice and opportunities to succeed.”
Claire Bosi discussed the media’s role in shaping perceptions of the industry. “Mainstream media is often unable to portray chefs as happy characters. Hospitality has changed, and the opportunities for growth are endless. It’s not just the front and back of the house; there is a place for social media, textiles, math, finance, technology and more. To tackle this, Claire continued: “We need more communication – more positive communication – to ensure young people and their parents are aware of the wide range of career opportunities in hospitality.”
Krishnan Doyle shared his personal insights into the entrepreneurial spirit needed to make hospitality a success. He said that “hospitality is one of those fields that doesn’t hold you back regardless of your skill level. You have to push yourself and think almost like an entrepreneur, and don’t be afraid to ask for promotions at the right time and be curious. With the right attitude, you can go a long way in hospitality.”
The round table discussion resulted in a common understanding of the challenges and opportunities to improve the perception of hospitality as an aspiring career choice for young people. However, the key solution was a broader industry-wide collaboration, which ensured that young people get the information and support they need to make informed decisions in their careers.
