In the latest episode of the Next Gen in Lodging Podcast, host Chris Henry reconnects with old friends Maxwell Terheggen and Harrison Hinton-Hardin to talk about shifting food-and-beverage trends in hospitality.
Terheggen, now executive chef at Duck and Waffle in London, previously led menus for hotel operator Soho House. Hinton-Hardin, a guest services manager at Pacifica Hotels, has a background in and passion for wine.
Henry and his guests talk about how the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the hospitality industry are lingering, particularly in the food-and-beverage space — as well as what's on their menus and wine lists for the summer and beyond.
"Soho House definitely adapted massively as a result of the pandemic. Here in the U.K. obviously, we had Brexit and then the pandemic, and we are struggling — as I know is an issue in America, as well — to find people that want to do this job anymore," Terheggen said.
"Staffing is increasingly the most difficult issue that we face. As a whole across the U.K. there's just a massive shortage of people that are willing to be chefs anymore, and it's become so competitive in the prices — and the wages that chefs are being paid are so much higher than they ever were before — it's almost like a bubble that feels like its going to burst. Restaurants — and very good restaurants — are struggling to keep up, and closing as a result of this problem."
For more of their tasteful takes on food-and-beverage trends in the hospitality industry, listen to the episode at the top of this article, and follow Terheggen on LinkedIn and Instagram and Hinton-Hardin on LinkedIn.
The Next Gen in Lodging Podcast is also available to download on Apple or Spotify, where you can also subscribe to future podcast content.
Follow Next Gen in Lodging on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube. For more information, email info@nextgeninlodging.com.