Bianchi and SV Switzerland
An interview with Product Management Director Claudio Schmitz
Freshest Food: Your website states, among other things, that you select your suppliers based on defined quality criteria. What criteria are those?
Claudio Schmitz: One of the most important criteria is certainly sustainability. For example, just this week I received an application from a small fishmonger, and when I visited, there was simply absolutely nothing that would meet our sustainability criteria. Working with this supplier was therefore not an option for us. Distribution is also an important point. The products must be orderable for as many restaurants as possible. That naturally requires the appropriate logistics on the part of our partners. And last but not least, we also regularly taste our suppliers’ products again and again—this is enormously important, especially for new products and new concepts.
What exactly do you mean by sustainability? It is a broad term.
With our sustainability programme ONE TWO WE (www.one-two-we.ch), we have introduced various measures to make our offering, procurement, operations and logistics more sustainable. For example, we started with the topic of “vegetarian” almost five years ago; we are the only caterer to hold MSC/ASC certification; and we are currently focusing on “animal welfare”—all with the aim of “CO2 reduction”. By 2015, we were able to reduce CO2 by 10%; by 2019, it will be another 10%. These are just a few of many examples.
Was that driven by political pressure? Or social pressure? Or because it is a trend? Or out of conviction?
We all have a duty to leave our descendants a world without ecological burdens. For us, it is therefore clear: as a company, we have a responsibility. That is why, as one of the first gastronomy companies worldwide, we set ourselves clear CO2 targets. We therefore work, among other things, with WWF Switzerland and other partners to implement the topic comprehensively and correctly. At present, we are gradually converting our range to animal-friendly labelled meat, in cooperation with the Swiss Animal Protection STS. This means we are once again taking a pioneering role in Switzerland. Sustainability at SV Switzerland is therefore not just lip service—we live it every day.
You now produce over 100,000 meal portions every day. That makes you an interesting radar system for changes in eating habits. Have you noticed anything extraordinary in recent years?
Eating habits are decisively influenced by social change. This gives rise to megatrends such as mobility, health, sustainability or collectivity. We respond by continually seeking and offering the best solution for each individual guest in the restaurant. At present, for example, topics such as take-away or regionality are at the forefront for us.
Does it make a difference to you whether you cook in a bank canteen or supply a kindergarten lunch service? Or in the end, does it not matter where the plate is?
There are very significant differences. For example, we distinguish between “sedentary work” and “physical work”. People eat differently: someone who does physical work is more likely to want something hearty on the plate, whereas a banker in the Zurich area is more likely to watch calories, has a different lifestyle and likes to try something new from time to time. Or in the school sector, for example, we differentiate between vocational school, upper secondary school or university. At a vocational school, you might eat there once or twice a week, whereas at a university people eat in the canteen more regularly. In addition, we know that a 15-year-old has exactly ten francs per day available for food. Above all, they want to get as much as possible for those ten francs. A 25-year-old student, on the other hand, has a slightly higher budget. And even among students there are major differences in eating habits—depending on the field of study and personal preferences. We take a very differentiated approach with our take-away concepts. About seven years ago I was head chef at The Dolder Grand; there it did not matter what the menu cost—it simply had to be the best of the best, and if it was not perfect, we did it again. In my current role, it is more demanding: we have a multitude of parameters to consider, and a multitude of end-customer groups, each with different parameters. Here, it is usually quite complex—which is just as exciting.
How involved is Bianchi, for example, when a new concept is developed?
First, we identify ideas internally and ask ourselves which topics we want to implement. Our partners need specifications that are as precise as possible so that they can take action. Just “fish” or “beef” is far too vague. But if, for example, we say: “OK, we need prawns from sustainable farming, calibrated 16/20, unpeeled, without head,” then that is a clear instruction and our partners can deliver precisely what we need.
Next year, for example, we have “Mexico” as our national cuisine theme. We developed the concept this summer, and next May the menus will be on the cards in our operations. That is how long a well-developed concept needs in order to be implemented just as well. Innovation is very important to us, because only in this way can we be better than our competitors.
What makes Bianchi a good partner for SV Switzerland?
Certainly the long-standing collaboration—there is a strong basis of trust. I have personally known the Bianchi family for over twenty years; things like openness, honesty and reliability matter. And we also expect innovative strength from our suppliers—for example, that they approach us when they have good ideas or new products in their range. Exchange is important to us, and with Bianchi it always works very well. Last but not least, we also rely on our suppliers working strictly in accordance with our sustainability guidelines, and with Bianchi we simply have the assurance that this is the case.
All images: SV Switzerland