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One of the world's best chefs says reducing the working week for the staff at his restaurant to just three days is one of the best things he's ever done.
Speaking at the recent Food on the Edge symposium in Galway, Ireland, Esben Holmboe Bang of the three Michelin star Maaemo restaurant in Oslo, Norway said it was crazy how little chefs questioned the way they worked.
At Maaemo, staff now work a 40 to 50 hour week, spread across three days. Having started by cutting the working week down to four days, Bang says he noticed the difference immediately: "People were more happy, energised, excited," he says. So he wanted to take it further. "Chefs working three days a week are like Duracell bunnies," says Bang. "It's crazy we talk about sustainability and forget ourselves ... we rarely talk about, how are we creating a sustainable environment for ourselves?"
It was something echoed at the symposium by other top chefs, including Magnus Nilsson, and something we've seen put into practice at restaurants like Sat Bains in the UK and Attica in Melbourne.
Watch the presentation in full at the top of the page.
