What do a bartender at Radisson, Fat Harry and the village of Qala have in common? Hardly anything really except that they all feature prominently in the latest edition of MHRA magazine and symbolise the success and fun aspect of the hospitality sector.
Judith Grima, a bartender at Radisson St Julian’s, features on the cover of the magazine. She reveals the real reason why she joined the hospitality trade: working in hotels has, in her own words, given her “the thrill of meeting new people and the fun of learning about different cultures”. Judith, at 24, is a great advert for the hospitality industry. This is the message MHRA likes to pass on to everyone who is considering a career in hotels and restaurants. It is a rewarding and exciting career even if, like all other things in life, it has its occasional downs.
Another article features Isabelle Debattista, the brains behind Fat Harry, which incidentally is not an obese man but a lovely pub in Bugibba, which has a twin at Malta International Airport. Isabelle Debattista is part of the family that 30 years ago opened Mirabelle Restaurant and then started developing Fat Harry. MHRA magazine charts the story behind this great concept and finds that, with the right mix and the proper strategies, new concepts do work and are fun.
Qala also features prominently in this issue of the magazine. The square in this rural village is turning out to be an attraction for the young and not-so-young residents and visitors to Gozo. Read about the catering establishments that have mushroomed in the picturesque village square and the mayor’s plans to turn Qala into a tourist destination without spoiling its individuality.
Another feature in this issue is about another young person making his mark in the hospitality trade. This is Christopher Gingell Littlejohn, director of Sales & Marketing at the InterContinental. In his interview Chris talks about the concept of getting world-renowned chefs for a culinary feast and the new ways of marketing the idea of food and the hotel in tough times when one needs to be even more imaginative. The idea behind the InterContinental’s campaigns is that they are interactive, a little risqué, but, above all, a bit of fun.
At the end of the day, the raison d’être of hotels and restaurants is to provide fun to their patrons. By delving into these human stories, even if the people reviewed are unsung or unknown, the MHRA magazine wants to tell everyone in or out of the hospitality trade that the secret behind all success is to provide fun. Fun is not a lack of hard work; but that hard work can be fun for the employee and fun for the client.
The April edition of MHRA magazine also has an extensive listing of all that was done by MHRA in the previous quarter and a message from the president and the CEO about the way forward for the tourism sector.
MHRA is distributed to all executives in the hospitality trade and is published by Crest Ltd on behalf of MHRA. If you would like to receive a copy of the magazine please e-mail [email protected] or call Crest on 2010 3000.