The best of the best!

January 20, 2020 hosted the finals of the "Best in Profession" competition for 2019. The participants again surprised with their creative approach and perseverance.

Irina Magaletskaya, head of the training department at Reikartz, will tell you more about the competition, its main purpose, importance and preparation in the organization.

Irina, please tell us about the main goal of the contest.

The hospitality industry is very complex and multifaceted. On the one hand, this is daily painstaking work to strict standards, on the other hand, it is creativity and sincerity in the service. Reikartz aims to maintain the status of not only the largest but also a high-quality hotel and restaurant chain in Ukraine. The contest “Best in Profession” aims to motivate our employees to constantly develop and build professionalism.

The best examples from similar competitions in Europe and the world are used as the basis of tasks for the competition. In Ukraine, by the way, Reikartz is the only company that produces professional competitions for the receptionist and maids, although in the world such championships are common. To prepare for the competition, the participant must include perseverance, monitor modern trends, creatively process them. The competition also assesses the intellectual level of participants, knowledge of standards and current trends in the field of HoReCa.

What is the importance of participating in the competition?

To participate in such a competition is very important. This is an opportunity to demonstrate oneself, to show what one is capable of. It also allows you to reboot, go beyond the daily routine duties, outside the comfort zone, move to a new level. The competition provides an excellent chance to visit other hotels in the regions, and learn from the experience of others, get valuable prizes. For the winners of the category “Culinary”, “Bar-art”, “Service class” — this is a ticket to regional and national competitions.

Share your impressions after the contest

The preparation of such competitions at the regional and network-level is a great organizational work of the training department, the personnel department, hotel and restaurant managers, and regional operational directors. We involve the best specialists from such companies as Metro Cash & Carry, New Project, Bacardi-Martini Ukraine, Forward to partnership and refereeing. The chairman of the jury for culinary specialists was Vyacheslav Gribov, a certified jury of the World Association of Culinary Societies, multiple winners of international competitions, a past chief of a hotel in the center of Kyiv with many years of experience and personal chef Fidel Castro.

If you ask me: “What is the point in such efforts?” I’ll ask you to look into the eyes of the winners of the contest, shining with joy, and to those who set the goal of becoming the next year.