On Monday 9 October, the TMRW Project’s initiative, The Switch, will kick off across the UK for a nationwide ideas exchange that sees Front of House staff switch their restaurants for up to 1 week.
In its second year championing the theme of ‘collaboration over competition’, The Switch is the Front of House’s answer to the chef’s stage. It focuses on the people who act as conduits between the kitchen and the guest, an element of the restaurant that is integral to your experience, the restaurants reputation, and can be the ‘make or break’ of that coveted accolade. The Switch gives waiters, managers, bartenders and sommeliers a chance to learn from their peers, experience different environments and be exposed to new ways of working.
Applications to take part have now closed and the participating restaurants have been chosen. This year’s Switchees will be from some of the country’s top restaurants:
Headed up by Emma Underwood, one third of the TMRW Project and General Manager of Where The Light Gets In, a restaurant known for its creative and immersive service style, the initiative will pair restaurants of different environments together based on varying size, location, style, and atmosphere, who each host a ‘switch’ for 3-5 days. Throughout the week participants of The Switch will gain knowledge they can build on and take back to their own restaurants, developing new relationships across the industry that will last them throughout their careers, and learning the true art of collaboration. This year, The Switch will also be teaming up with The Fat Duck and Coffee by Tate focusing especially on coffee, something that both restaurants specialise in.
The thinking behind this initiative is simple. Every year the UK restaurant scene surpasses all of our expectations with a multitude of incredible talents that contribute to our title of being one of the most interesting countries in the world for culinary growth. In one year alone, the UK saw 179 new restaurants open , proving big business for the hospitality industry. But with 56 restaurants closing in the same year, how do restaurateurs and chefs keep their doors open? The TMRW Project, the collaborative platform made for the industry, by the industry, knows that having a fantastic team is integral to success.
Despite popular belief, keeping a restaurant open isn’t just down to the name above the door, social media following, or Trip Advisor ratings. The key to success is supporting a team that has the freedom, confidence, and knowledge to create unforgettable dining experiences.
“The Switch provided a much needed opportunity for the sharing of skills, values, inspiration and education. Chefs get the great opportunities to learn from stages, so naturally, it makes perfect sense to utilise this same format and it needs to happen more often.”
Chantelle Nicholson, (Chef Patron, Tredwells, Ops Manager, Marcus Wareing Group)
Throughout every Switch, participants will document their switched environments across their social media platforms, through workshops, and bring back their experiences and expanded networks to their ‘home’ restaurants.