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09.02.2026 14:25

Young people drive change in the restaurant industry

Alice Laasonen, who has succeeded in competitions for young chefs, wants to change the restaurant industry’s work culture. She calls for better onboarding at workplaces and a stronger sense of safety.

”I’ve known I wanted to be a chef since I was very small. At four years old I walked with my mother past the three-Michelin-star restaurant of Paul Bocusen in Lyon, France and said I would go there to work. My mother just laughed.

A little over ten years later I was an intern in the same restaurant and prepared dishes for my parents, who had come as customers.

My enthusiasm for food is innate. My parents aren’t in the restaurant industry, and no one pushed this career on me. Through my French mother, a rich food culture has, of course, always been part of my everyday life.

I graduated as a cook from Perho in 2024. I didn’t spend much time on the school bench; I studied independently. I skipped kitchen classes while preparing with my fellow student Daniel Romi for the Finnish and Nordic championships for young chefs.

We took home gold from both.

Perho’s support was significant for us. We were given access to the school’s training kitchen and ingredients.

During my studies I also assisted chef Johan Kurkela at the World Championships.

The competitions were tough experiences, since I was working at the same time. We trained in the mornings and I went to work in the evenings. I was exhausted. In hindsight, careful advance planning would have saved time and effort.

I don’t regret taking part in competitions. They’ve given me a lot. I believe that success in competitions also opened doors to my current job at Cafe Savoy.

Here I’ve been given a lot of responsibility. I haven’t just been peeling potatoes. In addition to prep work and making dishes, I onboard new employees and trainees.

The atmosphere in Cafe Savoy’s kitchen is much more relaxed than I expected. We laugh often.

The best thing about being a cook is being able to give customers a new experience — to bring them joy and pleasure. I also enjoy the creativity of the work: combining flavors and assembling a beautiful dish.

I want to change the restaurant industry’s work culture. Many in the younger generation feel the same.

The hardest part is going home on time. Often there is still work that could be done when your shift is ending.

There have been some pretty ugly headlines about the restaurant industry. Unfortunately, parts of the business match the headlines. Newcomers can be shouted at, female workers aren’t always listened to, and orientation often gets left halfway. It’s assumed that you’ll stay for overtime.

I want to change the work culture in the restaurant industry. Many in the younger generation feel the same. We have a life outside of work.

I want everyone to feel safe at work, and for proper orientation to be a given. People should be able to go home in good spirits when their shift ends.

Supervisors are key fir a change. I also want to keep advancing in my career. One step at a time. First as a shift manager, and maybe one day as a head chef.

I don’t want to start my own restaurant — I don’t want to be married to my work. I still want to have a family someday. I also plan to travel: France is my second home and China is my country of birth.

I have, however, dreamed of a hobby-style small business. In my spare time I bake cakes. They could be sold through a small business of my own.

Who?

  • Alice Laasonen works as a chef at Cafe Savoy in Helsinki.
  • She won gold at the Finnish Young Chefs Championships 2023 and at the Nordic Championships 2024.
  • She enjoys baking cakes, mushroom foraging and roaming in nature.

Text: Anu Vallinkoski
Photos: Anna Autio

Keywords:

hotel and restaurant industry supervisors in hotel and restaurant industry

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