By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca)
"Everyone eats!” is the banner I so readily employ to draw attention to the importance of having a stellar F&B program. Some golf, some attend meetings, and most of us only get married less than five times. But everyone eats; even anthropomorphic robots need gasoline, fresh lithium batteries or some groovy infrared sun rays to recharge their photovoltaic cells.
“Everyone eats” is also the impetus for me to constantly seek out the best and brightest in this department so that we might all improve our operations. And one crucial position to this end is the Executive Chef.
Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City is not just the most iconic property in this provincial capital city, but also all of Canada. To be the Executive Chef of this property is more than just a position, it is to be the flag-bearer for the cuisine of the hotel, city, region and in fact the entire Quebecois population. This is no small order! Add to this the task of realigning the entire F&B for this 611-room property as part of a recent $75 million renovation.
Enter Executive Chef Baptiste Peupion, determined to reclaim the property’s leadership in the F&B arena. As Chef Peupion explains, “The property was resting on laurels established many, many years ago. The good news was that there were no sacred cows and no one who would feel put out by reorganizing the entire F&B concept.”
The work was so extensive that someone visiting the property prior to the renovation would not recognize any of the new outlets or locations. The lower level (terraces) occasion restaurant was converted into a dining space for groups and meeting rooms. The main floor dining room, bar and outdoor spaces were completely gutted and replaced with a three-part combination of deluxe restaurant-bar-bistro. Total budget for this project probably exceeded the cost of building an entire 100-room, limited-service property!
You get what you pay for, and armed with a completely new dining room and kitchen, Chef Peupion has instituted a remarkable, fundamental, five maxim approach to cuisine – one that is easily replicated within your F&B outlets. In a nutshell, his fundamentals are:
1. Simplicity. Follow the basics. Your guests should be able to easily understand what you are serving and what the ingredients are.
2. Essentials. All of the core selections should be available to the guest. The guest should make the selection, not the chef.
3. Originality. Just because you are delivering (say) a beef steak, it does not mean it should be boring. Use your creativity to deliver a memorable experience with interesting sides that delight the senses and compliment the flavor of the meat.
4. Passion. Every member of your team should share your passion for food and taste experiences. If they are not committed, they have no place in your kitchen. Delivering exceptional dishes is a total team effort.
5. Fun. Food is fun; eating it should be pleasurable. Heck, it better be given that we do it so often. Keep this in mind in all that you do.
Chef Peupion, together with Restaurant Chef Stephane Modat, have worked together to conceive a menu for the signature restaurant (Champlain) that not only capitalizes upon local suppliers, but also brings taste sensations that fit this fundamental, five-maxim program.
Our conversation moved beyond the Chefs’ ‘pleasure dome’ to the broader issue of being a restaurateur within the hotel setting. As Chef Peupion remarked, the origin of hotels and inns started with the food experience – a filling meal to eat the stomach of a wearied traveler. Then, as hoteliers focused more upon profitability, F&B became less important, even to the extent that many hotels franchised or sub-contracted their restaurants. Now, as the differences between hotel properties are narrowing, hoteliers are once again realizing that a memorable moment start in the kitchen.
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