Le Cordon Bleu Madrid celebrates its inaugural employment and gastronomy forum in partnership with Francisco de Vitoria university

On February 24, Le Cordon Bleu Madrid hosted its first Employment and Gastronomy Forum in collaboration with Francisco de Vitoria University (UFV). This event aimed to strengthen connections between professionals in the gastronomic sector, students and alumni of Le Cordon Bleu Madrid, and other national culinary schools and explore new avenues for professional development.

The forum was held at multiple locations on the UFV Campus, offering a range of training activities. One of the highlight events was a speed-dating style session that connected prospective candidates with hospitality companies like Saddle, Ugo Chan, VelascoAbellà, Pescaderías Coruñesas, Hotel Mandarin Oriental Ritz Madrid, and Grupo UniverXO.

One of the standout moments of the forum was a panel discussion centred on employability within the sector. The panel included notable professionals such as Juan Antonio Medina, executive chef at MABEL Hospitality; Álvaro Hernán, chef de partie at Ugo Chan; Noemí Sánchez, head chef of pastry and R&D at La Tasquería by Javi Estévez; Montse Abellà, head waitress and owner of VelascoAbellà; and Guillermo Rivera, owner and chef at Taberna Agarimo.

The event featured a face-to-face discussion between Erwan Poudoulec, the technical director at Le Cordon Bleu Madrid, and Sonia García, a PhD in Social Legal Sciences specialising in Work Psychology. They initiated a dialogue by asking, “Are we capable of managing talent?"

In addition, several notable events occurred, featuring success stories from distinguished alumni like Manuel Franco from La Casa de Manolo Franco, Paola Freire of Foodtropia, Remedios and Noelia Manzano of Pastelería Artesanal Manolo, Genaro Celia, and Agustín Mikielievich from Insurgente. Other workshops focused on crafting effective resumes and preparing for interviews.

Regional and local authorities participated in the event and supported the initiative from the outset. Le Cordon Bleu Madrid aims to organise future editions that will offer participants new opportunities to network and gain insights into current trends in the gastronomy and hospitality sectors, ultimately enhancing their job prospects.