A healthier kitchen work environment
I was used to chefs throwing things at the ones who didn't work well. The future of gastronomy lies in the hands of the cooks, the people passionate about pursuing their vocation and the cornerstone of the kitchen. Nevertheless, if those circumstances are not even bearable for the toughest, it’s an industry hard to sustain. New rules must be implemented to find such a way; others must be rebuilt. Finding a balance between discipline and harmony in gastronomy is challenging but possible. Even the most processed restaurants are a work in progress.
Someone who has been through the diversification of the restaurant industry is Sebastien, head chef of Horvárth, one of the finest modern fine dining restaurants in Berlin. He’s a charismatic soul with a love for his home country, Austria. Ever since he was 14 years old, he stood in the kitchen. Throughout his early years, he worked for many moody chefs. Once they entered the restaurant, their mood devoured the evening, which was colourful between anger, hate, and almost worrisome enthusiasm. You never know what to expect, he says.
That’s where he stabled the Do’s and Don’ts for his future profession. Eager to climb the ranking, he worked in many gastronomic restaurants in Austria. Eventually, he arrived at the restaurant Horváth, where he started as head chef and eventually took over the restaurant.
He always envisioned a healthier, less tense work environment in his kitchen. Yet, learning in such a kitchen taught him many things, and looking back, he decided to turn his experience into a helpful tool to build a better work structure.
The restaurant offers partial freedom and proper responsibility for each employee. The result is a less stressful and less anxious team, which isn't common in the industry. It’s an immense change, but it comes, of course, with consequences. Like with anything, as soon as you “loosen the leash”, people test how far they can get. Sebastian faces problems like laziness, mistrust, and a lack of tolerance and discipline. However, he recognises the issues, and instead of stepping back, he analyses the problem to find solutions. His eagerness to improve the matters within makes him a pioneer in searching for a healthier, more sustainable work environment.
The German saying “Gutes Gefühl” means a good feeling and is the prior value behind his restaurant. It’s a feeling that gets transmitted and brings out the best in each of us. If the producer is greeted in the morning and the cooks feel respected in their decisions and choices, they feel good about what they do. Some kind of satisfaction. Wrong actions are solved, and no consequences scare them away. No yelling, no throwing... If the cook is content, the positivity gets transmitted to the waiter. Because if the cook is mad, the waiters are mad. It spreads like fire. This positive atmosphere is mirrored not only in service but also in the dish itself. The feeling goes a long way and leaves behind an experience everyone goals for.
I had a chat with Ben, head of PR at Horváth. He started working at Horváth during the covid lockdown. He admires the chef for his patience and tolerance towards his workers. Sebastian often recruits people with less to almost no experience and gives them a chance to prove themselves. Ben studied politics yet frequently helped out in diverse restaurants. He applied to a handful of restaurants to learn more about the milieu. Horváth answered, regardless of the hard times the industry was facing. He gave Ben the chance to prove himself, and that’s what he did. He started as a commis, and today, he’s a crucial part of the restaurant's bookkeeping. Sebastian builds his team around people he trusts and believes in. A diverse team that completes one other. That also means he has a particular eye on the person he hires, ensuring they fit into the team. It’s like dating; sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
The fingerprint system was introduced to the restaurant not long ago and manifests a revolution in the kitchen. It’s an app that allows workers to check in and out by scanning their fingerprints. The information is sent to an application and noted in the schedule. Hours are calculated, and overtime is paid. It also has a fair system for tips, where everyone gets their share. In addition, if the service goes longer than expected, people with more hours than the others are sent home earlier. It’s a system based on trust. Trust comes with freedom that can easily be abused. The system is still not perfect, but it is a way to a better workflow. One that makes people want to come to work, which is the essence of a successful restaurant.
Sebastian aims to always have a good amount of staff to cover the work equally, where no one is overloaded with prep while others enjoy their breaks. In addition, the restaurant takes breaks seriously, meaning no one is allowed in the kitchen during break time. Each cook learns how to work every station, including the service basics. A restaurant must function even if people are on holiday or sick leave. He’s currently considering replacing the sommelier position with people from service who would be trained to be skilled in the metier. It results in a dynamic routine that keeps work exciting and leaves behind routine. Routine can drive you crazy when working long hours in any restaurant, sometimes six days a week.
Even during a challenging economic phase, the restaurant has remained committed to a better work-life balance. Nowadays, restaurants are forced to adapt to the clientele more than ever. People don’t spend money as easily as they did 10 years ago. Today’s demand is a more casual dining experience and an affordable alternative for the younger clientele. Those are decisions every restaurant has to face lately. The future of retauration is much more than traditional fine dining. Yes, people are still interested in the Michelin system; however, new rankings like the “50 Best” are currently making their way and are of greater interest to the younger generation.
One of Sebastian's objectives is to analyse the “dead time” typical for the kitchen. Minor manipulations, like changing the water of the spoon pot every five minutes, take time that can be used otherwise. Saving time leads to longer breaks and less stress. No matter the work, you will always take the same time for prep. The difference is the time management and the pressure. Sebastian explains: “We could work 18 hours all day with no problem, but the same amount of work can be managed in half the time. You just have to find a better way. Another aspect regarding time is that he lets his cooks decide how much time they need for their prep. If someone tells me they have their station ready for tonight and want to come in later, I let them, but they can not struggle during service. After all, everything comes down to one second. No matter the equipment, the skill of the cook, or the brand of their security shoes, in the end, the seasoning and the plating quality make the difference. It can look like a Canva and come with an exceptional show beforehand.
Finally, it’s the taste that makes it unique. Everyone has the chance to plate in his kitchen, even after only a few months of experience. He likes to play with the hierarchy. Sometimes, I let my commis become my chef. Sebastian aims for maximal efficiency. One way is to appoint each cook to the best quality they know. If someone is a fast worker but doesn't feel finesse, they will probably be put into the meat station, not pastry. That makes prep and service go faster and more efficient, but it also gives the cook a better feeling. Some things I can’t do as well as my cooks, Sebastian admits. If you do it every day, all day, you will be more skilled, and that's okay. This sounds evident, but it definitely is not yet a common language.
Each change helps to improve the working environment in different aspects. Not only do you have to look into the staff and their needs, but you also have to find a way that the restaurant can sustain itself with the loosened boundaries put in place. There is still a long way to go, but Sebastian is one of the first to actively look into the structure of his kitchen, the people and the time invested into the excellent plates that go out every day. I’m asking myself how to get other restaurants to make an effort and change their working pattern, which has probably not changed for years. The restaurants of tomorrow need to understand the importance of a healthy work structure in the kitchen. We have to rethink the hierarchy structure and abolish the 15-hour shifts. But how long will it be until we reach a more humane work environment in gastronomy? A question that still has to be answered.
The kitchen at the restaurant Horváth