Marc Almert

Welcome to Episode 3, Season 5 of “Monday Motivation – Felix asks”. It is Monday, July 26, and today, we return to Zurich, Switzerland, the financial capital of Switzerland, and the 5th most expensive city for international employees, stated in a Mercer article. 

I bet you are curious to know about the most expensive city for international employees as I was while researching for this article. The ranking is as follows; Tokyo (4th), Beirut (3rd), Hong Kong (2nd), and the first position is held by the capital and largest city of Turkmenistan – Ashgabat. 

But let us get back to today's guest, as he is one of these international employees and distinguished in the culinary scene in Zurich. I am glad to welcome today, the Chef Sommelier at the famous Baur au Lac & Baur au Lac Vins in Zürich, Marc Almert. 

Marc and I worked together at the Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten, where he served as the Sommelier at the two-star Michelin Restaurant Haerlin. In 2017, Marc moved from Hamburg to Zurich, where he cultivated his skill set and won some of the most prestigious awards in the industry. 

In 2019, Marc won ASI (Association de la Sommellerie Internationale) Best Sommelier of the World, in 2020 the Michelin Switzerland Sommelier Award. That same year, he became Sommelier of the Year by Falstaff Switzerland. 

During the interview, we talked about the start of his stellar career and his definition of hospitality. Marc also shared insights into how the team at the Baur au lac managed to overcome the lockdown and came out of the crisis stronger as a team. We also talked about mentorship, his advice to the younger generation and his favourite places in Zurich. 

Last, Marc shared his recommendation for the perfect wine during the summer season. 

Enjoy the read, and do not forget to #sharepositivestories. 

Question 1: Where did you start your career? What do you love most about your current role?

Marc Almert (MA): “In my hometown Cologne I spent three years training as a hotel specialist at the Excelsior Hotel Ernst. Afterwards, after a short Food & Beverage Management Trainee which took me across five hotels of the Selection Deutscher Luxushotels in all of Germany, I started as a junior sommelier in the (restaurant) Ente in Wiesbaden, before moving on to the Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Hamburg. In the meantime, I enrolled in several sommelier competitions and exams.

In my current role as Chef Sommelier of Baur au Lac and our sister company, Baur au Lac Vins, I love the variety of tasks that are part of my job. Travelling to visit our partner wineries and scouting for new wines, coaching our staff, doing service in our very different outlets – two-star-Michelin Pavillon, Brasserie Baur’s, banqueting department as well as our beautiful Baur au Lac terrace in Summer – hosting wine tastings and events and of course sharing the experiences I have had during the sommelier competitions with young sommeliers around the world. All this whilst being embedded into a stable team of colleagues that love what they do and having the freedom to make decisions thanks to our owner’s family trust and long-term perspective.”

Question 2: What does hospitality mean to you?

MA: “To me, Service is getting what you expect. Receiving a room key at the front office, having a glass of wine brought to you in a restaurant or boarding a train after you booked it.

“Hospitality on the other hand is what turns moments into memories, by creating a unique and unforgettable experience, hand-tailored to the guest and situation.”

Hospitality on the other hand is what turns moments into memories, by creating a unique and unforgettable experience, hand-tailored to the guest and situation. Yes, there are standards, but it is more about philosophy. Treating every guest, the way as if she or he were visiting you at home. Being empathic both with your guests and with your colleagues, thereby creating a great atmosphere but at the same time thinking about what exactly the needs of the person in front of you are right now. And then fulfilling these and adding a further small surprise or personal note. In other words, being a true host.”

Question 3: Can you please share an anecdote you experienced, that shows the variety and beauty of our industry? 

MA: “Hospitality staff is extremely social. Thus, the first lockdown due to Covid came as a real shock. Within mere days, we set up “Baur au Flix” to stay in touch.

The idea was to stay in touch via Zoom / MS Teams whilst at the same time using the time to build the team spirit and hone our skills. Colleagues from all departments took on the role of instructors, and up to twice daily we shared cooking classes, product knowledge, soft skills, yoga and sports with one another.

Once the lockdown was over, this mentality stayed with us, and people were working much more cross-departmental than before, and helping wherever it was needed, irrespective of their pre-pandemic role. This enabled us to secure jobs, stay efficient and even develop new concepts like an open-air cinema. And most importantly; to have more fun and variety at work 😊”

Question 4: Have you had a mentor in your career? Who was it and did she/he give you a piece of advice you still follow?

MA: “Luckily, I have been blessed with great mentors and superiors throughout my career. Two that helped me greatly are:

Sebastian MacLachlan-Müller: He was head sommelier of the Ente Wiesbaden, where I took my first sommelier job. He taught me the importance of teamwork as well as thoroughness when it comes to studying. Sebastian also enlisted me for the first sommelier competition, thereby setting me on a track which turned out quite well 😉

Aurélien Blanc: Restaurant Manager of Pavillon and Best Sommelier of Switzerland 2018. Aurélien has an amazing talent for creating wonderful experiences for our guests as well as handling challenging situations. I learn every day from his unique style of service, whilst remembering his favorite slogans “Fast, efficient, friendly” (when describing Michelin service) and “Grand Maison, pas d’hésitation!” (in our industry we should go above and beyond to please our guests).”

Question 5: What would you like to say to a hospitality/ tourism student/professional who recently started his/her career, at this right moment?

MA: “Think positive and remain flexible! We are all in the current challenges together, but the strength of our industry is that we stick together in our teams and networks and can adapt swiftly to changing market and work situations. The beauty of our industry is the passion and international people alongside whom we can work daily.”

Question 6: Do you have a book recommendation - this could be everything from a novel to an autobiography, etc. 

MA: “The book series by C. S. Forester telling the fictional life of Captain Horatio Hornblower. Not only a compelling series of novels with an interesting perspective on European history but also a great example of good leadership, integrity, and unwavering optimism despite failure, that was ahead of its time. Supposedly even Churchill read and enjoyed this.”

Question 7: Which other industry expert would you like to see to answer these questions as well? 

MA: “Matthias Kienzle. We worked together with great passion and success during his time as Director of Food & Beverage at the Baur au Lac, and recently he transitioned into the role of General Manager of the Althoff Grand Hotel Schloss Bensberg. Nathalie Seiler-Hayez, GM Beau Rivage Palace Lausanne and Monique Dekker, GM Park Hyatt Vienna & Area Vice President Hyatt Austria.”

Question 8: What is your must-try/ must-see (e.g bar, restaurant, sight etc) in Zurich? 

MA: “The public city baths (locally known as “Badis”) become lounge bars at night, something unique to Zürich. There is nothing nicer than sipping on an after-work-drink whilst enjoying the sunset over the Limmat from the Barfuss Bar, the Zürichsee from the Enge Bar or listening to the relaxing music at the Rimini Bar on Schanzengraben.”

Question 9: Which wine would you recommend for this summer season?

MA: “Well Rosé is still the obvious choice; however, I’d love to make more people aware of the challenging situation the South African wine industry currently is in. They require support and offer many fresh and exciting Summer wine choices at a fair price, amongst them the bubbly Cap Classiques, the fruity Sauvignon Blancs, and of course the crisp signature grape of Cape Wine Country, the Chenin Blancs.”

Marc, thank you so much for taking the time. I hope to see you soon in Zurich or here, at Lake Tegernsee. 

Happy Monday,

Felix