PART SEVEN: MOEVENPICK, SWITZERLAND - A Major Benefit to my training

Moevenpick - a Swiss success story - going World wide

How it all began...

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts traces its roots back to the privately owned Mövenpick Group, which was founded by the late Ueli Prager in 1948 when he opened his first restaurant – Mövenpick at Claridenhof - in Zurich. The name was apparently inspired by the feeding action of a seagull (in German, möwe) and how it's simple movements reflected the restaurant’s theme of high quality food at affordable prices served as quickly as possible.

The Group opened new restaurants across Switzerland, targeting locations near the new Swiss motorway system to cater for car travellers. Staff training was made a priority very early in the Group’s expansion, along with daily line-ups. The Group became the first Swiss employer to offer staff shares.

In 2010, for the second consecutive year, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts achieved the highest ranking in the upscale segment of the European Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study by J.D. Power and Associates.

In 2015, Mövenpick & Resorts aims to have 100 properties open across the World and by 2012 the company will be completely Green Globe certified.

VERY YUMMY ICE CREAM

When I started by apprenticeship in 1978, I tried for the first time Mövenpick Ice cream. I was in love with that ice cream ever since. Mövenpick released every month a new ice cream, from Bordeaux wine ice cream to curry ice cream. Today you can buy Mövenpick Ice cream just about anywhere in the World. 

Little did I know, how Mövenpick will be a major part in my training for the next 3 years to come. Every year 5 times, we Chef apprentices from different  Mövenpick Restaurants or Hotels would get together in one of the Mövenpick Resorts and spend the day with training on cooking and everything revolving around it. In the morning we receive a workbook and cover the theoretical part of the training. In the afternoon we go to the practical part of our training and at the end of the day we had to fill in a questionnaire answering questions on the subject at hand we covered during the day. This was a great supplement we got apart from trades school one day per week and working and learning at the Hotel for 4 days a week. 

The other great benefit I received during my apprenticeship was a insight to different Hotels and Restaurants, the different kitchens and how they worked. In hindsight I been very lucky, to have such a great apprenticeship and training that helped me greatly in the future of my career as a Chef.

Mövenpick Resorts started up all over the World. You could eat the same lovely menu from Mövenpick anywhere and it's success was based that the food was exactly the same great tasting quality and flavors. No matter if you where in New York, Hong Kong, Geneva, Zurich or anywhere else eating in a Mövenpick Resort, you could always enjoy your favorite dish. That was in the days where franchising became popular. See KFC, Mcdonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hat, Subway just to name a few.

Next week I will write about a very different aspect of my apprenticeship, hard work, dedication, discipline to your superiors, coworkers and yourself and the sacrifices to achieve the ultimate goal.

Until then, have a great week and remember, Life is great and live every day like it was your last.