Hospitality – Socially relevant, ecologically relevant, relevant for health, and relevant for the system. The connecting bridge from agriculture to people, at the intersection of producing and serving the most relevant consumer good: nourishing and healthy food.

We are coming together to show that the answer to the current crisis is cooperation: shared commitment to shared values, appreciation for gastronomy as a pillar of entrepreneurship and culture, and continuing efforts to establish Berlin as a culinary hotspot. Starting by putting focus on the diverse people and professions who make up Berlin’s gastronomy ecosystem.

With our first digital initiative #facesbehindplates, we are bringing attention to the many faces of gastronomy affected by the coronavirus crisis. For this Instagram flash mob, we invite restaurateurs all over Germany to post portraits of people who were directly or indirectly involved with gastronomy on their Instagram channels. Anyone is invited to get involved: employees, owners, suppliers, producers, artisans or freelancers.

Germany’s hospitality industry accounts for 3% of gross domestic product (GDP) generated by over 2.4 million employees. The automobile industry as a comparison accounts for 4.5% GDP, with 800 000 employees, in comparison with well established lobbying powers. As our business is dependent on guest traffic, we are particularly vulnerable and hard-hit during this pandemic.

In contrast to primarily economically-focused interest groups, our collective will focus on shared values, organized campaigns, and a look into a desirable future: close cooperation instead of competition in order to make topics such as sustainability, product quality, inclusivity, gastronomy’s cultural and social contributions more visible, and, finally, to push the development of Berlin into a European and global food capital.

With our first campaign, #facesbehindplates, we want to show who makes gastronomy what it is – all the faces, families and businesses behind the experience we daily offer.
For us it’s not about complaining, rather instilling an appreciation for the immense social and cultural contribution that all these people make together every day.

Especially in recent years, the Berlin gastronomy landscape has developed into a fantastic ecosystem that allows people to work and earn a living in many different professions but also established direct, valuable and sustainable relationships with farmers and producers. Furthermore, it supports responsible handling and cooperation with employees and partners. We want to contribute to a better German food culture, which may be able to compete with cities like Paris or Copenhagen soon. With our Instagram flash mob, we want to transform the abstract importance of gastronomy for the German economy into something very human and tangible.