“The Middle East is home to a multitude of high-end restaurants and world-renowned culinary destinations. Given our expertise in human resources innovation and our emphasis on enhancing the gastronomic experience through the team, we could definitely bring significant value and prestige to this region”
The talent acquisition process in the gastronomic industry goes beyond finding the right person for a vacancy. It is about identifying passionate, committed, adaptable individuals who align with the restaurant’s culture and values. By selecting individuals who have a positive impact on the entire organisation, an exceptional gastronomic experience can be achieved.
Start-ups are key drivers for transformation and modernization processes, and BAYA seems to be the great revolution for the world’s gastronomic sector. BAYA represents the perfect fusion of the finest professionals within the haute cuisine, incorporating experience, sensitivity, purpose, ability, theoretical and practical knowledge, as well as a strong work ethic and passion for this field.
The company, founded by Lydia Ibáñez and Ángela Royo in 2019, aims to inspire change and accelerate the necessary transformation for the future of haute cuisine, which entails innovative people management. The future of haute cuisine is not about inventing new techniques but focusing on sustainability, authenticity, and achieving Sustainable Development Goal 8. The vision and values that BAYA upholds embody the future of high-level gastronomy.
José Berrocoso, our lifestyle editor, sat down with Lydia Ibáñez and Ángela Royo, to pick their brains on how to keep one’s sights set firmly on talent acquisition and retention.
Every morning, these two very talented women, Lydia and Ángela, wake up with a smiled, excited to go to work and contribute to the change in the gastronomic sector, making a significant impact and having the responsibility of improving people’s lives. They highlight their team. “They are simply wonderful: we share harmony, have fun together, learn from one another, and laugh daily. We have no doubt that we will achieve success and bring value to both individuals and restaurants, helping them adapt to change”, says Lydia in a conversation. For Ángela, the other woman leading this project, “our workdays are filled with enthusiasm, collaboration, and enjoyment. We are confident that we are making a positive impact in the gastronomic industry and we continue to move forward towards our goals with determination and joy”.
CityPages Magazine: Tell me about your current business. What are you doing exactly?
Lydia Ibáñez: Baya is a company that is committed to the selection, acquisition and retention of personnel for high gastronomy restaurants that want to adapt to change. Our main objective is to ensure that all high gastronomy restaurants have quality professionals who bring real value to both the restaurant and the final dining experience. We want to maximise the luxury gastronomic experience and make the most of the human factor.
To achieve this, we take care of selecting, recruiting and fostering a loyal community of professionals in the industry. Our purpose is to contribute to the change, and our proposal for restaurants is for real professionals to bring maximum value by personally getting involved in projects and having a significant impact on successful business management. On the other hand, we offer professionals the opportunity to work in restaurants that prioritise their staff and genuinely care about enhancing their best version and promoting their growth.
BAYA aspires to become the largest community of gastronomic professionals worldwide. Our professional pool is our treasure, and we are committed to continue growing and strengthening our network of professionals passionate about gastronomy.
CPM: How did you come up with your business idea?
Ángela Royo: The idea of creating BAYA emerged several years ago, driven by us (Lydia and Ángela). Although we didn’t know each other yet, we both worked in the gastronomy sector and had witnessed the significant challenges in terms of people management and the lack of professionalism. We both knew that a project was needed to help companies offer a better dining experience and find the best professionals for the finest restaurants. Over time, we realised two serious problems in the industry. On one hand, high-level restaurants were not staffed with truly passionate and committed professionals. On the other hand, we observed talented professionals leaving the sector due to poor working conditions and a lack of work-life balance. These issues directly affect the dining experience, as a significant part of the value that a high-quality restaurant can offer is lost if the staff doesn’t feel love, passion, and a special sensitivity towards the customers.In the early years, BAYA focused on creating visibility and carrying out communication actions, specifically in regards to the front of house area. We also created selection processes to identify those we call “AMELIERS”: people whose craft is to care for, love, excite, and serve customers in high gastronomy restaurants. To be the best, qualities such as passion, vocation, emotional intelligence, and generosity are non-negotiable.
That’s how the BAYA project was born, inspired by one of our favourite ballets; Bayadere. Just like in a good restaurant, front of house, ballet requires perfectly executed choreography: the way one walks, the way one serves, the choreography when approaching tables… Every detail matters and contributes to creating an exceptional experience for the diner.
At BAYA, we emphasise the importance of creating a community to which we can bring value, inspire, and promote change in the industry. We knew that we had to address people management as a strategic aspect for the success of business models in the future. The industry needed a change, and it was the opportune moment to do it together, with talented professionals and a group of strong women who believed in the project and were willing to personally engage in the professionalisation and improvement of the industry.
Today, we have a strong team composed of dedicated individuals in communication, social media, talent acquisition, customer loyalty, and talent management. Thanks to our work, we have managed to recruit and position strong professionals for renowned restaurants such as Clos, Toki, ABAC, Casas Colgadas, NADO, ORIGEN, NATURA, and LA TASQUERÍA, among many others, in countries like Norway, Finland, Spain, England, and more.
CPM: What was the moment when you realised BAYA might actually become successful?
LI: We realised that BAYA could be successful right from the start. We were aware of an existing problem in the industry that needed to be addressed, and we always had complete confidence that we could achieve it. The key lay in finding the right business model for the market, which required validating many aspects and making constant adjustments. Thanks to the Lean Startup methodology, we pivoted, improved, learned, analysed, and continuously questioned ourselves.
AR: We always knew we would succeed because we identified the problem in the industry and knew that there was a genuine demand for solutions. The challenge lay in turning it into a sustainable business. During a trip to Korea amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, we revalidated the industry’s challenges and realised that 98% of restaurants highlighted the lack of staff and talent as their main issue. Throughout that validation process, restaurants sought our assistance and expressed their desire to hire us. It was at that moment when we realised we were ready to firmly establish our business model.
CPM: The recruitment process is about much more than just hiring the right candidate to fill a role; it’s about finding someone who will have a far-reaching positive impact on the entire organisation. How does it apply to the gastronomic industry?
AR: In the gastronomic industry, personal recruitment is of vital importance due to its labour-intensive nature and the direct impact that employees have on the customer experience. Finding the right people for each position involves not only detecting technical skills and experience in said professionals but also considering other key aspects. First and foremost, it is essential to seek individuals who are passionate about haute cuisine and committed to their craft. These individuals go beyond simply performing their job; they strive to provide an exceptional experience to diners and contribute to the overall success of the restaurant.
Additionally, in the gastronomic industry, talent acquisition must take into account adaptability and the ability to work in a dynamic and high-pressure environment. Restaurants are subject to demand fluctuations, menu changes, and special events, so it is crucial to find people who can efficiently handle these situations and maintain a high level of performance.
To ensure that each person brings their best version, we implement an “employee experience plan.” This plan is based on three fundamental pillars: a good relationship between the manager and the professionals, a positive work environment, and personal and professional growth for each employee. We develop a strategy that we document in a roadmap with measurable key actions aligned with the professional’s personal objectives and the company’s goals. Monthly, we analyse this strategy and evaluate the results achieved by each individual. This allows us to make adjustments and adapt to the specific needs of both the restaurant and the professional. Collecting data enables us to analyse, visualise, and simplify the reality of each individual in relation to the restaurant, aiming to enhance their best version. In this way, we ensure that each team member develops and contributes optimally to the overall success of the organisation.
CPM: You have worked with restaurants across most of the Globe, including Corea, Costa Rica, Switzerland, France, Spain, United Kingdom… what about the Middle East?
LI: The Middle East is renowned for its focus on luxury and excellence in the gastronomic experience. The region is home to a multitude of high-end restaurants and world-renowned culinary destinations. Given our expertise in human resources innovation and our emphasis on enhancing the gastronomic experience through the team, we could definitely bring significant value and prestige to this region. Our approach of carefully selecting talented and dedicated professionals, along with implementing personal and professional development strategies, would fit seamlessly within the context of the Middle East, where quality and exceptional service are highly valued. We are committed to working with luxury restaurants and assisting them in finding and nurturing the best professionals to deliver unique and memorable culinary experiences.
Furthermore, our experience in team management within a dynamic and high-pressure environment would enable us to adapt to the specific demands of the region and ensure optimal performance in each restaurant. In summary, we are thrilled at the opportunity to collaborate with luxury restaurants in the Middle East and bring our knowledge and expertise in enhancing the gastronomic experience through the team. We believe that we can add tremendous value and prestige to this region and assist gastronomic establishments in reaching new levels of excellence.
CPM: And working with so many amazing restaurants… What was your last great discovery, which restaurant would you recommend?
AR: Although we have the opportunity to visit prestigious restaurants around the world due to our work, we can also enjoy the simplest things, such as a bacon sandwich, a potato omelette, or a homemade soup prepared by our grandmother. However, we recently had a haute cuisine experience that pleasantly surprised us.
The restaurant RavioXO by award-winning chef Dabiz Muñoz, in Madrid, was our latest great revelation. Its dumpling concept offers a culinary journey around the world with extraordinary flavours. Although we initially had some reservations, it turned out to be completely impossible to resist. From the first bite, we were completely captivated and excited by the unique flavours and combinations we experienced. It was an experience that left us amazed and ecstatic with pleasure.
If you have the opportunity, we would highly recommend visiting RavioXO and enjoying this astonishing gastronomic proposal.
CPM: What is next for BAYA?
LI: The future of BAYA focuses on people and working towards bringing innovation and professionalism to our industry. We will collaborate with diverse clients from around the world, both helping them and learning from them. Over time, our team will grow, consisting of the best, most talented and competent professionals who will lead this change.
AR: Furthermore, we have plans to expand our areas of business to ensure that restaurants are fully sustainable and future-proof. This involves implementing practices and strategies that promote sustainability in all aspects, from resource management to the development of responsible gastronomic experiences.
We are committed to transforming the gastronomy sector and strongly believe in the power of people and collaboration to achieve it. We will continue to advance our mission of driving change and securing a prosperous and sustainable future for the haute cuisine industry.
