Conferencias de camareros
Si durante gran parte de esta Edad de Oro de la gastronomía española, que comenzó con la Nueva Cocina Vasca, su trabajo ha quedado relegado a un segundo plano, es justo que los camareros empiecen a recuperar cierto protagonismo en el sector.
If, during much of this Golden Age of Spanish gastronomy that began with the New Basque Cuisine, their work has been relegated to the background, it is only fair that waiters begin to regain some prominence in the industry.
In the last season, events dedicated to the hospitality service have been taking place: last July in Madrid, last week in Donostia, these days in Portugalete (Bizkaia) and mid-December in Valdepeñas.
For chefs, meeting and sharing ideas at conferences has had an undeniable impact on enhancing the prestige of the profession and fostering creativity. The same can be true for waiters, who desperately need to inspire new talent to stem the exodus of professionals to other sectors. Waiters are a far more integral part of our daily lives than chefs, even if it's just from the corner café or the local bar. This presents an opportunity to attract a non-specialized audience and discover new talent.
Therefore, it would be wise not to focus these forums solely on the work of fine dining restaurants, a tiny elite compared to the reality of the sector. Awarding Michelin stars to certain maîtres d'hôtel, sommeliers, or bartenders can help spark interest as an inspiring example, but the real goal is to make the profession attractive across all its segments and raise the average level of professionals.
The first step could be to proudly embrace the word "waiter," instead of hiding behind that euphemistic allusion to the "room," which focuses on the space rather than the people. There are many rooms, waiting rooms, butchering rooms, courtrooms, operating rooms, machine rooms, but it is those who work in them who give them character. After so many chefs' conferences, then welcome to waiters' conferences.
