Priority: 1. Improve achievement in relevant and high-level basic and transversal competences in a lifelong learning perspective This project offers a vocational training for chefs and executive chefs on resource efficiency and sustainable nutrition in large-scale kitchens, which is not available in the project countries in this extent and contents, as it presents the latest state of knowledge in the field of large-scale kitchen management. Combined with the economic pressure as a result of the current economic crisis, further education gains a new weight and perspective. The principle of “lifelong learning” is maintained as the key element of the project. This target group is chosen, because an initial professional training is required for enabling this upgrade, and they are in the position to initiate changes in their kitchens. An average large-scale kitchen has an annual turnover of food products of ca. 320,000 kg (1,000 meals daily). During growth, trade, transportation and processing, the food production consumes significant resources. The energy consumption of a large-scale kitchen equals 360 households. By promoting the integration of resource efficiency in the kitchen routine, its team will, first, provide a valuable contribution to environmental protection and to very substantial cost savings. Second, the target group (executive chefs and chefs) receives a tailored training adjusted to needs born from the ever-increasing requirements in their professional field entailed by the more demanding social, environmental or economic policy on EU and national level (key word “circular economy”) and is thus better equipped in terms of current or future employment. This advanced training consists of 5 modules on resource efficiency and sustainable nutrition in large-scale kitchens (Foods Use, Menu design, Waste Prevention, Energy Efficiency, Marketing & Information), including a script, lecture slides and a training folder (containing script, slides, worksheets and practical examples) and a handbook for self-learning. For each module, a theoretical and a practical unit is foreseen. Upon filling at least 2 of the 5 modules in the training folder with data on the current state in the own kitchen and measures implemented during the training or envisaged for the future, and a successful discussion with the training team, the participants obtain a confirmation certificate. All training materials will be available for free at the project website. The training is provided by the project partner organisations, as they have the educational skills and expertise required. For ensuring a maximal quality of the training, feedback collected among the project team and external through expert and information events will be integrated in the training. The partners also intend to provide the trainings after the project duration. Educational objectives Foods Use Analysis of foods use Development of measures for promoting the use of organic, regional and seasonal ingredients, without economic disadvantages Identification of optimisation potentials in the use of unprocessed foods Knowledge of ecological and economic effects resulting from foods use Menu Design Orientation of the menu towards increased resource efficiency and use of seasonal, regional, organic ingredients and freshly cooked meals Identification of options for reducing the share of the meat meals Waste Prevention Ability to categorise the waste fractions in the kitchens Identification of waste prevention potentials Ability to implement measures towards waste prevention and recycling Energy Efficiency Identification of the most energy-intensive appliances in large-scale kitchens Identification of the areas, where energy is consumed Ability to organise the cooking process and the involved employees towards energy saving Marketing and Information Activities Awareness of the necessity to inform the clients on activities towards sustainability in the kitchen Ability to identify the information media most suitable for their kitchen regarding the above activity Ability to draft annual information concepts on the foci adopted for their kitchen and to select the most suitable information media The project enables a strong interconnectedness among professional unions, educational institutions, thematic working groups and networks, provincial governments etc. in the 4 project countries and beyond them. So, new actors and training participants can be continuously attracted. This will allow for the generation of new best-practice examples and expert information exchange nation- and EU-wide. As the training is exceedingly practice-oriented, it can be integrated in the standard training of chefs and executive chefs in Europe, once the first practical benefits (i.e. after project implementation) are available on a pilot scale.
NOTE: “chef” is used for the colloquial “cook”, “executive chef” for the colloquial “kitchen manager” Context/Background: An average large-scale kitchen in the communal catering (schools, staff restaurants, hospitals, nursing homes etc) in the project countries processes annually approx. 200 t of food corresponding to ca. 700 menu meals daily. E.g. in Germany, 18 million citizens depend daily on the communal catering, in Austria 2.5 million, in Italy 5,5 million, in Czechia 1.63 million alone in the schools. In monetary terms, alone for Italy, this equals an annual turnover of 6 billion Euro. This immense turnover of food, together with the ensuing waste amounts and energy consumption, calls for maximal resource efficiency in public large-scale kitchens and its proper outward communication. However, executive chefs and chefs of public large-scale kitchens are currently not or hardly at all trained in sustainable foods use and menu design, waste prevention, energy efficiency and communication&marketing. Objective: To design a training (training materials and training concept) for ex-cathedra teaching and self-study for executive chefs and chefs in public large-scale kitchens in Foods Use, Sustainable Menu Design, Waste Prevention, Energy, Communication&Marketing, in English, German, Czech, Italian Partners: All 4 partners have long experience in training and implementing innovative projects with large-scale kitchens regarding the 5 Modules. Their specific expertise is: AT/lead: Ressourcen Management Agentur (RMA): energy efficiency, waste prevention, sustainable foods use, sustainable menu design CZ: University of South Bohemia-Faculty of Agriculture: organic farming, organic foods use and value chains, sustainable menu design, school large-scale kitchens DE: Thüringer Ökoherz eV: sustainable lifestyle in terms of foods use, strengthening of ecological agriculture and organic food IT: Associazione Italiana Agricolture Biologica (AIAB)-Liguria: organic foods use, PR with administration and general public on organic farming, communication, marketing, school&kindergarten kitchens Activities: 1.Drafting curricula for vocational training of chefs and executive chefs in energy efficiency, waste prevention, foods use, sustainable menu, communication&marketing in public large-scale kitchens (IO1) 2.Workshop design & test (IO2): development of a training concept and testing IO1 and the training concept 3.Translation of the English IO1 into the 3 national languages: German, Italian, Czech 4.Adjustment of IO1 to the national specifics of the project countries 5.Expert consultations to ensure the training quality 6.Incorporation of the experts’ feedback into IO1 after items 2 and 5, finalisation of the workshop design 7.Dissemination of the training among target groups, stakeholders, multipliers 8.Ensuring sustainability of the training after project conclusion 9.Ongoing contact to the national authorities towards a certification of the training within EQF/NQF Results: The achieved results consist of: •IO1: 1728 slides, 888 pages script, 1289 pages handbook, 446 pages training folder for the 5 Modules; extra checklist (Energy, but applicable to all Modules); all in English and for Austria, Germany, Czechia, Italy •IO2: a training concept and implementation guide in 4 languages (EN/DE/IT/CZ) •2 brochures, 4 newsletters per country, info flyer •8 information events; extra events: 1 Austria, 4 Italy •3 expert meetings (Austria, Italy, Czechia), 5 expert consultations (Germany); extra expert/dissemination meetings: 1 (7 participants) and 8 expert consultations Austria, 5 Czechia •LOIs by multiplying users for implementing the training: 5 Austria, 2 Germany, 1 Italy, 4 Czechia Longer-term Benefits/Impact: These benefits and impact form 3 categories: Educational: In view of the lifelong learning principle, the key staff of pubic large-scale kitchens, executive chefs and chefs, are enabled to acquire knowledge, skills and competences upgrading their professional value and improving their position at work or at the labour market. Environmental: Ecological benefits by applying the new knowledge in large-scale kitchens are: reduced food waste by 20-30%; reduced other waste through prevention: by 10-20%; reduced CO2 emissions by energy saving, using local and organic foods and fresh cooking instead of convenience products: by ca.30%. Socio-Economic: Positive economic effects after implementation of the training in large-scale kitchens are reduced waste disposal costs: up to 10-20%, energy costs: by 10%. Up to 75% monetary savings are achievable through freshly prepared meals instead of using convenience products or cook&chill, with better food quality. Strengthened local value chains by use of local produce/labour is another benefit of long-term effect. Also, marketing activities can bring 10-15% new customers approving of and loyal to such measures, and thus ensure the sustainability of these public large-scale kitchens.