The “Stars of Hospitality” will be chosen in Kazan

About 130 employees of enterprises of the tourist, restaurant, and hotel industries of the city compete in 9 nominations.

(KZN.RU, March 12, Alina Berezhnaya). Today the city competition “Stars of Hospitality” has started in Kazan. The first day of the competition was held at the hotel complex “Nogai”. 58 employees of restaurant service enterprises competed in four nominations: “Best Waiter”, “Best Bartender”, “Best Cook” and “Best Chef”.

The contest of professional skills in the hospitality industry is held in Kazan for the fourth time, and every year interest in it grows. This year, about 130 service workers will show their professional skills in 9 nominations: waiters, cooks, maids, bartenders, guides, and other industry professionals. “This competition has become a kind of urban brand. Our main goal is to show that not only the most hospitable people live in Kazan, but also the most professional people work here. It is important for us to keep the quality high when serving guests, and also to learn to anticipate the wishes of tourists even before they come to us”, said Daria Sannikova, the director of the Tourism Promotion Committee of Kazan.

True fans of their work participate in the contest. The tasks for the contestants are not easy. For example, the waiters need to decant the wine, set the table properly, fold the napkin nicely, and present the dish to the guests. “Despite the fact that I do it every day at work, I can’t help but be excited. All the rivals are strong, they are professionals from the best restaurants in Kazan. I will be as friendly and polite as possible with the guests, this is exactly what a professional waiter should be”, said Elvina Sitkova, who is in the nomination “Best Waiter”.

Participants are assessed by the master of the hospitality industry. Famous chefs, hoteliers, restaurateurs, bartenders with many years of experience are among them. Also this year, the skills of the contestants in the nomination “Best Porter” will be assessed by Maria Ilinykh, an international expert of the WorldSkills championship. Members of the jury say that not only skills, but also a creative approach are important to professionals.

However, the participants are confident about their abilities. They have been preparing a lot and thought through their tactics of victory. For example, bartender Yulia Schwindt plans to surprise the judges with an unusual combination of ingredients in her original cocktail. “My drink is called “Kazan delight”. I won’t reveal all the secrets of its making, but I will say about its main secret ingredient – I always add love to it. I think the judges will appreciate it”, said Yulia Schwindt.

Competitions will last two more days. The best maid and the best restaurant manager will be chosen on March 13. And on March 14, representatives of the tourist and hotel industries of the city will compete for the victory in the nominations “The Best Porter”, “The Best Tour Guide”, “The Best Manager for Domestic and Inbound Tourism”.

Photo report

The competition "Stars of Hospitality-2019" has started in Kazan