Gastronomy of the Future: Eartheffect Workshop on Sustainability at the "Forum for Learners" in Graubünden

Gastronomy of the future: Eartheffect workshop on sustainability

Against the picturesque backdrop of the canton of Graubünden, around 80 apprentices from the hospitality industry recently gathered for the "Forum for Apprentices 2023" at the Hotel Schweizerhof Lenzerheide. The event, organized by GastroSuisse, HotellerieSuisse and GastroGraubünden, aimed to familiarize the apprentices in depth with sustainability topics. We from Eartheffect also contributed with a specialized workshop to raise awareness about sustainable practices in the hospitality industry.

Interactive workshop and sustainability show

The main goal of the workshop was clear: to educate and raise awareness among learners about the importance and practices of sustainability in the foodservice industry. Topics such as sustainable sourcing, foodwaste reduction and the impact of food on the environment were covered. At Eartheffect, we put a lot of emphasis on not only providing learners with theory, but also on looking at the topics from all sides through interactive elements such as quizzes, CO2 calculations, group work and final presentations.

The workshop took place over one day and included various activities:

• Interactive start: learners were introduced to the topic with a quiz on the basics of sustainability
• Importance of sustainability: Intense discussions followed on the relevance of sustainable food and minimizing food waste
• A look into practice: the learners gained insights into successful examples of sustainable catering businesses
• Comparison and analysis: A special highlight were the CO2 calculations and the comparison of traditional dishes

The highlight: In group work, the participants developed sustainable concepts for their fictitious gastronomic businesses and presented their ideas in a final "Sustainability Show".

Positive response and outlook

The overwhelming interest and consistently positive feedback clearly demonstrated that the younger generation in the hospitality industry sees the need for and value of sustainable practices. By combining theory, discussion and practical application, learners were able to truly grasp the importance of sustainability in the hospitality industry and develop concrete ideas for their future careers.

Working together for a more sustainable future

The positive reactions to the workshop and the high level of interest in the topic of sustainability show that the hospitality industry is at a turning point. With partners such as GastroSuisse and HotellerieSuisse and initiatives such as our sustainability workshop, we are well on our way to shaping the change to a more environmentally friendly catering industry.