The event is finished, but not the project! The follow-up of the project after the end of the event is as important as the event itself. Once all the emotion has cooled off, and in order to maximise the access to employment for the chefs, which is one of the objectives of the festival, plan individual meetings with the chefs first and then with the restaurateurs after the event.

It is after the event that the support to the chefs becomes really crucial. Each chef has a different situation and it is necessary to adapt your support, making it as personal as possible.

During this follow up, make sure that the chef’s CV is up to date (with his or her participation in the festival, including references). The restaurateurs and the local organisations will be your allies during this follow up. The Refugee Food Stories platform will also be a valuable tool.

They are now part of the Refugee Food Festival community! In order to make the organisation of future festivals as smooth as possible, it is important to organise an individual meeting with each restaurateur to talk about their experience. The recruitment process within the food industry is often done through word of mouth and hence, personal recommendations are very important. In this regard, the community of committed restaurateurs will be the main actors in supporting the chefs’ access to employment – it is therefore crucial to include them in the process from the very beginning.

To celebrate the adventure, at the end of the first editions of the festival, we invited all the restaurateurs, chefs and partners of the event for one last drink! It is also a great way to thank them all and make sure everyone gets to mingle, like chefs meeting the other restaurateurs for example. We organised these gatherings in one of the participating restaurants and it has always been an emotional moment!