Premiere of "Sölden is looking for the gastronomic super talent"

In times of skilled worker shortage, Sölden sets an outstanding example for the appreciation of the tourism industry and the varied career opportunities associated. On this occasion almost 50 tourism students from five European countries will meet at the summit of Gaislachkogl peak from 27 to 29 March 2023. Young and upcoming talents from Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Luxembourg will gather in Austria's highest toque-awarded restaurant for culinary challenges, taking the opportunity to exchange ideas and receive input from renowned names of the gastronomic scene such as top chefs Hans Neuner, Thomas Penz and food stylist Nils Jorra.

"Taking action" is the motto of the Destination Employer Branding working group, which was founded as part of the "Future Sölden" project. It also comprises, for example, inspiring the next generation to work in tourism. The premiere of this innovative competition format called "Sölden is looking for the gastronomic super talent" from 27 to 29 March should promote the idea behind. “Working in tourism is my vocation. That's why I am highly committed to ensuring that we can once again inspire many people for our profession and provide the next generation of gastronomy experts with the best possible starting conditions," explains Angelika Falkner, owner and manager of Hotel Das Central and head of the Destination Employer Branding working group.

48 students from renowned training institutions such as the Swiss Hotel Management School in Lucerne, the Bergius School in Frankfurt, the Kaiserhof National Management School in Meran and the Villa Blanka Innsbruck are invited to visit Ötztal in order to prove their skills and get new input. Several team challenges will take place in the fields of cooking, service and marketing, evaluated by expert jury members. Additionally, the young talents can also look forward to meeting the absolute top stars of the scene such as Hans Neuner (Chef of the Year in Portugal and protagonist of the TV show "Kitchen Impossible"), food stylist Nils Jorra or Thomas Penz ("Junge Wilde 2022" winner).

Competition at the highest level

Three teams of two will compete per school in the categories of cooking, service and marketing. For example, they will have to prepare a street food dish within an hour or they must shine when tasting several wines from the participating countries. The marketing teams deal with the question how Sölden will become the hippest place to work and record their colleagues’ work on site for the social media world. For targeted preparation already in advance, the participants receive a few key data on the tasks and conditions on site. Only on the day prior to the competition will the secrets of the "mystery boxes" be revealed: for example, which local Ötztal products must be used in the kitchen. "I am looking forward to the fact that we can convey the special features of Ötztal and its fine regional products to young European talents on this occasion," explains Raphael Kuen, Ötztal Habitat Manager.

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Ötztal Tourismus
PR & Media
ANNA PIRCHER
anna.pircher@oetztal.com
T +43 (0) 57200 935