According to Samantha Vallejo-Nagera, the restaurant industry is a bubble about to burst due to a lack of manpower, in a time of both boom and crisis. Focusing solely on eight hours isn't the solution, as if a chef should punch a timecard. “Those who choose this profession should enjoy it without watching the time.”
The opinion
At the helm of Casa Taberna Pedraza restaurant, near Madrid, Samantha Vallejo-Nagera also manages catering, handles social media, and hosts Masterchef, all while being a mother of many children. She has lent her face to promote quince for the gourmet brand Santa Teresa, with retail locations in Madrid and Avila, compiling a recipe book for creative uses, also available on social media: she suggests it sliced in sandwiches, in poke, tartare, and salad.
“I’ve always been crazy about it and I’m a big consumer, both personally and in my catering business. I’m very demanding when it comes to food quality and I’ve always preferred dark, creamy quince paste. It's a very versatile fruit, practical, and it keeps well in the fridge for a long time,” she explains to El Mundo.
It's a life always on the go, or rather on a motorbike: that's how she moves, working at the restaurant, at home, or elsewhere from morning until she finally goes to bed. However, she now sees the industry as a bubble, on the brink of bursting due to massive problems caused by the labor shortage.
“Restaurant work isn’t eight hours a day: it means immersing yourself in a project, breaking your back, being responsible, and making work part of your life, not just clocking in and going home. Hospitality is much more than that. I believe that those who choose this profession should enjoy it without counting the hours. I’m not saying you should work more than necessary, but you need to take responsibility, see beyond, and that's an attitude that's lacking today. That's why I think gastronomy is going through a period of both boom and crisis at the same time.”
Television can also play a role, encouraging people to move beyond the usual chicken breasts and salmon fillets, to better care for their diet and become more discerning at restaurants. “But I’ve had some terrible dishes from Masterchef! I don’t even know how I survived after tasting them.”
