“In catering, there is no solution to the labour shortage at the moment, so we are moving towards semi-finished, prepared ingredients. The time has come for companies that produce and market such products.” Interview with chef Viktor Segal.
We were opened at the beginning of the summer, but half of the restaurants did not open. How do you see it?
- The interesting trend, which is sad news for all of us, is that quite a lot of restaurants and hotels have not opened. What is not so good news is that, with so many units not opening, there is still a huge labour shortage. It is amazing that there is no longer a shortage of skilled workers in the market, not just in general, but of anyone who wants to work in the hospitality industry. It is simply hard to find helpers, kitchen assistants and even dishwashers.
Photo by Viktor Segal
- Anything positive in the last few months?
- What is perhaps good news is that you can finally see tourists. Not in large numbers, but they have arrived. In Budapest, it is fortunate to see that the restaurants that are open are fortunately making nice music. It has also become a feature in recent weeks that restaurants involved in top gastronomy - even „Michelin-starred” ones - can operate with almost full houses. To be honest, we can only hope that this will continue, because the Hungarian gastronomy.
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If they put the brakes back on now, could we be in big trouble?
- Undoubtedly in a big way. The domestic gastronomic sector and the tourism sector could not cope. As far as I can see, we are not even in that much trouble compared to the surrounding countries. All around us, we have a terribly hectic opening and closing schedule, and terrible constraints in the hospitality industry. It is only when we talk about the current situation that we can see that, despite all the difficulties, we are still better off in many respects than other countries.
What do you see as the cornerstone that is currently causing or will cause major problems?
- The effects of COVID are constantly rippling out. Given fewer customers, we are seeing economically bankrupt restaurants. What we are facing now is nothing less than a problem of sourcing ingredients. I simply see that the basic things for kitchen technology will not be available. Either very scarce/scarce, or prices are going to go through the roof. All the way from stainless utensils to plates, the price increase is already being felt. I am involved in many projects and my experience is that it is very difficult to get good for quality to get the right price. This is a worldwide trend that is coming to us, although the wave has not yet arrived, and this will be the next problem.
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It's not just the technologies and equipment, but effectively the ingredients used for cooking that are the problem. What next?
- We are happy to be open, not happy that there are hardly any guests, but we are hopeful. But the basic principle of an economically sustainable restaurant is the source of the ingredients. Even now, if we have any, it is very expensive. Everybody experiences this in their everyday life and a restaurant has to face it. Flour is expensive, meat is expensive, and the price of fruit and vegetables is rising at such a rate that it has become unavoidable for catering establishments to raise prices. The question is how long businesses, restaurants and hotels will be able to cope. But unfortunately, sooner or later, the price increase will be the only thing that solution. The other, mainly economic, problem is how the guests will stand it. Will there be a fall-off after the price increases?
There is a narrow class of people who can afford not to look at prices. However, the vast majority are extremely price sensitive, especially after the events of the past year. Will there be enough customers?
- This seems to be a fundamental problem. However, both in the countryside and in Budapest there are a lot of restaurants that have been doing well recently. Perhaps we can say that they are full. This is not a hospitality and tourism issue, but a global issue. It is very difficult to say anything about it. Restaurant owners are faced with things they have not faced before. Everybody is trying to do the best they can, just like during the closure. At the same time, it's very exciting that there's been a focus on businesses that are specifically about healthy eating. These have become in demand and investors have moved in that direction. Or, for example, 200-300 kilometres from Budapest quality hospitality which is increasingly proven to work in our country and - I would like to emphasise - not on Lake Balaton. So despite the difficulties, there are solutions, but it is different for everyone.
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Is this then no longer a question of hospitality or tourism, but simply an economic question?
- It is true that we now have to pay close attention to profitability. However, I would like to highlight another interesting line. There are a number of companies that are growing very strongly, both foreign and Hungarian, that can bring to the hospitality sector a finished product that does not necessarily require the most highly qualified professionals. Because, whether we are talking about quality meat, vegetables or any other kind of raw material, there is a demand for - shall we say - ready-to-cook products. This will make it possible, even if only to a small extent, to eliminate the shortage of skilled workers. It is an emerging niche market, brought to the fore by the situation. These products can solve serious staffing problems.
Is the raw materials market changing in this way?
- Undoubtedly yes. A deficit economy, rising prices, a shortage of workers and the disappearance of skilled workers all back this up. I have been waiting for many years for factories to realise that they have to come up with products that have no flavour enhancers, no preservatives. This has come about partly thanks to the technologies that have been developed and partly thanks to the innovation brought about by COVID. And the fact is that it is possible to replace a lot of man-hours and a lot of specialists and, in addition, to present the same quality all the time. This is now the world trend, whether we like it or not. We are moving towards semi-finished, prepared raw materials. The time has come for companies that produce and market such products. #
Source : Airchef Tamás Budafoki
Photo from Viktor Segal
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