Bruno Rossignol
CATERING AND COMMERCIAL
MANAGER - EPFL
How do the most innovative F&B companies reduce
their environmental impact?
MANAGER - EPFL
How do the most innovative F&B companies reduce
their environmental impact?
Interview with Bruno Rossignol - EPFL
Discover how EPFL, one of the most dynamic and cosmopolitan science and technology institutions in Europe, located in Switzerland,
is committed to sustainable catering in its 34 catering outlets.
Bruno Rossignol discusses the challenges,
the methodology used and the lessons learned.
TRANSCRIPT - Translated from french
00:06
Franck-Eric Flegbo. We are here today at the “Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne” (EPFL), one of our long-standing clients, which we support in transforming its Food and Beverage activities.
Here at the FoodLAB, we will meet Bruno Rossignol, a Front Runner, an exciting man, who will help us understand how the most innovative companies are working to transform their Food and Beverage operations, reduce their environmental impact, without compromising the pleasure and taste in our dishes and glasses.
.... Shall we go?
00:56
Bruno, thank you very much for having us here today at EPFL.
In a few words, who is Bruno Rossignol and how did you get to Switzerland?
01:04
Bruno Rossignol. I am a cook with over 33 years of experience in the hotel and restaurant industry. My arrival in Switzerland was quite casual, I had to participate in the Olympic Games in Albertville with some teams, I ended up in Neuchâtel for a winter season.
I lived in Switzerland for a few more years and then traveled to more than 20 countries around the world for work. From time to time I came back to Switzerland, to finally settle down, meet my wife and start my family.
01:39
I also had the opportunity to further my education in Michelin stars restaurants, 4 stars and 5 stars hotels, and to complete many training courses. This led me to the University of Chemistry in Neuchâtel to understand my role in the cooking industry.
Later on, I taught for a couple of years at the Lausanne Hotel School.
I also work with Olympic athletes. Since 2004, I have been working with several Olympic teams at the nutritional level.
I spent two years at the HUG [Geneva University Hospitals*], where I worked on the closure of a kitchen and the reopening of a production kitchen.
Later on, I taught for a couple of years at the Lausanne Hotel School.
I also work with Olympic athletes. Since 2004, I have been working with several Olympic teams at the nutritional level.
I spent two years at the HUG [Geneva University Hospitals*], where I worked on the closure of a kitchen and the reopening of a production kitchen.
At the same time, I was also working on mastication, on cancerology, and then on the delivery of "Sustainable Ecology" meals.
02:20
Along the way, I also held an Executive Chef position for over 6 years at SV-Group, a 100 years old catering group, which was initially founded by a woman to provide food to soldiers on the warpath.
Here I am at the EPFL with the mission to overhaul all food aspects from scratch.
Here I am at the EPFL with the mission to overhaul all food aspects from scratch.
02:49
Franck-Eric Flegbo. This is a very inspiring and beautiful career path.
There were extremely important keywords, a very rich experience from the plate to your cooking skills.
It shows how nutrition has evolved today. How would you describe your role at EPFL today and the current project to a 5-year-old child?
There were extremely important keywords, a very rich experience from the plate to your cooking skills.
It shows how nutrition has evolved today. How would you describe your role at EPFL today and the current project to a 5-year-old child?
03:29
Bruno Rossignol. I would tell him that we, adults, have sadly adopted bad eating habits today. We teach kids good habits; we tell them to eat vegetables; we tell them to have a balanced diet; we tell them to eat dairy products, etc., but we did the opposite. We ate anything, in any season.
For once, we, adults, did not do the best thing and must get back on track so as to provide a better world for these children in the future. We will try to provide them with a sound and serene foundation for their personal development, for their health, for sustainability, and for the world in which they will live.
04:07
I will tell him we can no longer consume the way we did for the last forty years. We have unfortunately lived in a luxury that we could not afford, and that we must create a world in which he can continue to live and eat properly when we are gone.
04:22
Franck-Eric Flegbo. Wonderful explanation! What is the origin of this project at EPFL? What are the different organizations or parties involved in this project?
04:36
Bruno Rossignol. This project was not initiated by me. It started in 2017.
The [Swiss*] Confederation signs the Paris Agreements [Paris Climate Agreement*] and commits itself to looking into its own backyard.
It will work on its carbon impact, on reducing its CO2. It has to implement action plans until 2030 to set up measures that will help reduce its CO2 emissions.
The [Swiss*] Confederation signs the Paris Agreements [Paris Climate Agreement*] and commits itself to looking into its own backyard.
It will work on its carbon impact, on reducing its CO2. It has to implement action plans until 2030 to set up measures that will help reduce its CO2 emissions.
It will clean up its act until 2030, and then it will give the Cantons the task of taking over until 2050.
05:12
For this, it implements "climate" plans in different places, including the EPFL and other institutions it controls... that's how this project came about.
I arrived in 2019 with the mission of reforming all the food aspect here. To achieve this, we have to do a field analysis for the first six months.
I arrived in 2019 with the mission of reforming all the food aspect here. To achieve this, we have to do a field analysis for the first six months.
In other words, we will meet the students, the deans, the professors, the direction, and get an idea of what is eaten here: Where are we at? What is the current condition of the restaurants? Today, we have made a report on the first six months and as a result of this report, we have hired staff, start-ups from the School, external companies, and KPI's that have helped us to set up this catering strategy.
05:58
Franck-Eric Flegbo. It sounds quite scientific. We are actually at the EPFL, one of the world's most renowned scientific institutions.
Is there any methodology behind it? With whom did you lay the first steps of this project? How could we imagine starting it elsewhere?
06:22
Bruno Rossignol. Yes, there's a methodology.
As we analyzed the field, we drafted at the same time this 20-30 [2020-2030*] strategy. For that, as I mentioned earlier, we hired different companies and start-ups specialized in fields such as Nutrition, Waste, Purchasing, Fluids, etc...
06:45
When hiring and working with these people, we give them a basic mission:
• Optimize nutrition
in the future with NutriMenu,
• To calculate the waste with Kitro: we have a smart scale, we put our trash can with a camera on it. Everything that falls in this trash can is flashed and sends information. We use this information to: reduce our CO2 impact, reduce our waste, to optimize what goes in the dishes etc,
• With Beelong, we receive a monthly invoice from each supplier and each restaurant owner. This involves a lot of work for them, which has allowed us to assess the value of our CO2 impact on the catering industry,
• We also have Quantis who has joined our team and who wears two hats:
• Calculate the CO2 part of the fluids used in the kitchen and in the restaurants (more than 400 meters have been installed in the restaurants and kitchens of the School [EPFL]),
• Optimize nutrition
in the future with NutriMenu,
• To calculate the waste with Kitro: we have a smart scale, we put our trash can with a camera on it. Everything that falls in this trash can is flashed and sends information. We use this information to: reduce our CO2 impact, reduce our waste, to optimize what goes in the dishes etc,
• With Beelong, we receive a monthly invoice from each supplier and each restaurant owner. This involves a lot of work for them, which has allowed us to assess the value of our CO2 impact on the catering industry,
• We also have Quantis who has joined our team and who wears two hats:
• Calculate the CO2 part of the fluids used in the kitchen and in the restaurants (more than 400 meters have been installed in the restaurants and kitchens of the School [EPFL]),
• Combine all the figures from all the companies working with us.
07:39
I apologize for not naming them all, they are quite many, but Quantis has this double cap that combines all their figures.
They each have a specific mission: in Nutrition for NutriMenu, Beelong for all the CO2 impact and for purchasing, Kitro for all the waste issues, and others like Campus Express that we are creating and other systems.
They each have a specific mission: in Nutrition for NutriMenu, Beelong for all the CO2 impact and for purchasing, Kitro for all the waste issues, and others like Campus Express that we are creating and other systems.
07:58
As a result, we were able to develop our 20-30 strategy with them, put in place these resources. With these resources, we were able to implement our first catering policies here at the school. We have no more palm oil, we have no more monosodium, we have re-instituted seasonal calendars. You will not find asparagus here in the middle of January, no strawberries in February.
08:19
By establishing these policies and implementing them with the restaurant owners. We have established goals that we follow and support with the companies working with us today.
08:31
Franck-Eric Flegbo. Can we retrace the steps of this project? What is the evolution today, the needs in the evolutions, the food and nutrient desires of the students or the staff of the School? What is this evolution? How can we describe this evolution?
08:52
Bruno Rossignol. What an interesting question! As I mentioned earlier, we did an assessment of our premises, and we realized that we were completely "out" in terms of nutrition, waste, and purchases. And we realized one thing. In terms of nutrition, wastes, and purchases, we were completely "out".
09:05
Then as we met all our clients, we realized something else. I mentioned it in the example of the 5-year-old kid: What were the students telling us? They said:
• We will not eat like you have eaten for the last forty years,
• We want to know what you put in our meals. We wish to be healthy with what we will eat at the restaurant,
• The last answer was quite funny, it was .... We won't even travel the same way you did.
• We will not eat like you have eaten for the last forty years,
• We want to know what you put in our meals. We wish to be healthy with what we will eat at the restaurant,
• The last answer was quite funny, it was .... We won't even travel the same way you did.
09:30
That was interesting, and there was the economic value. For a student, this value is not negligible either. I remember a student who came from Belgium and told me "I have 40 francs a week to eat", so the economic value was also important.
09:42
I will explain to you later how we also worked on this impact with the School's administration. In addition, the staff members, who do not have the same wallets, also have expectations. They say, "the way we have been consuming, we know we did not always do the right things, but today we have to change. We must help you in your work, as well as in your dishes, and in your restaurants".
10:00
There's the price factor which is important, but also the health factor, is also very important.
That should be the first word. We conducted a study in October of last year. For the students and staff of the School, health is the first thing that matters:
• What will be served in my meal?
• Will I be healthy with what I've eaten?
• Is the food you serve in season?
That should be the first word. We conducted a study in October of last year. For the students and staff of the School, health is the first thing that matters:
• What will be served in my meal?
• Will I be healthy with what I've eaten?
• Is the food you serve in season?
10:25
Taste is important. I am a cook, and taste is very important to me. We cannot simply say: "We are going to work on the nutritional aspect and then on your cognitive functions to improve them throughout the day" without thinking about taste, color, and texture.
10:42
And the economic value, that's what I was saying, the economic value is very important, because we have two types of wallets here:
• Student wallet,
• Staff wallet.
Some are paid and others less. So, naturally, the value of what is served in the meal is the taste, the texture, and also money.
• Student wallet,
• Staff wallet.
Some are paid and others less. So, naturally, the value of what is served in the meal is the taste, the texture, and also money.
11:02
In the past, we asked our restorers to invest, to amortize, to work on visual merchandising, to train their staff, etc.
What we need to understand is that the catering industry is about high volumes and low margins.
40% of what is served in your meal is "Food Cost". To be able to increase this "Food Cost", we had to work on what we asked them to do in the first 30 measures(IP-Suisse, Suisse Garantie, 6% organic per year, etc.) At EPFL, we also had to work on this economic value.
We repurchased all of the school's equipment for 2.3 million. In purchasing the equipment, we recovered all the investment and depreciation from the restaurant owners. Despite the existence of other facilities where the finance department is responsible for the "food cost" of a restaurant owner.
What we need to understand is that the catering industry is about high volumes and low margins.
40% of what is served in your meal is "Food Cost". To be able to increase this "Food Cost", we had to work on what we asked them to do in the first 30 measures(IP-Suisse, Suisse Garantie, 6% organic per year, etc.) At EPFL, we also had to work on this economic value.
We repurchased all of the school's equipment for 2.3 million. In purchasing the equipment, we recovered all the investment and depreciation from the restaurant owners. Despite the existence of other facilities where the finance department is responsible for the "food cost" of a restaurant owner.
11:50
By making this mechanism, we have allowed the restaurant owners to work with seasonal products, regional products, local Suisse Garantie and IP-Suisse.
If we, EPFL, had not absorbed part of the cost of the entire "Food Cost", it would not have been possible.
As a result, we created a strong partnership between EPFL and us, saying "we will relieve you, we will take away this pebble from your shoe that automatically impacts the food cost, and you will put this percentage back in your meals, so you can work on the nutritional aspect".
If we, EPFL, had not absorbed part of the cost of the entire "Food Cost", it would not have been possible.
As a result, we created a strong partnership between EPFL and us, saying "we will relieve you, we will take away this pebble from your shoe that automatically impacts the food cost, and you will put this percentage back in your meals, so you can work on the nutritional aspect".
"We will try to provide them [the kids*] with healthy and serene foundation for their personal development, for their health, for sustainability, and for the world in which they will live."
12:23
Franck-Eric Flegbo. You really redesigned all the catering policies here at EPFL, the business model, by integrating all the different components in order to understand where we could improve, how we could improve the nutritional value, but also the financial value.
12:41
Bruno Rossignol. Yes, you said it all, Frank. You cannot simply say to your restorers, "Okay, we're partners, but you're going to pay for everything." We had to share the costs and say "today, you're doing part of the work, we're doing part of the work, we put all these companies at your disposal, we're going to grow together, we're going to relieve you of this part so that you'll find it even easier to work with all these products and increase the nutritional value of what you put on your plate, to come back to logical products in terms of seasonality, taste, texture, color, etc.".
We each had to do something along the way.
We each had to do something along the way.
13:21
Franck-Eric Flegbo. We talk a lot about food, about meals, what does Bruno Rossignol like to eat?
13:30
Bruno Rossignol. I am quite simple, I like simple things, I don't like complicated things, I have worked with a lot of Chefs, starred Chefs, best workers of France. I have had the opportunity to teach at the Lausanne Hospitality Business School, to work in crazy places around the world as well as for Presidents, Ministers, Ambassadors.
13:46
Lastly, I think cooking the simplest food is the best. I enjoy eating a simple piece of bread with 90% moisture that smells like sourdough. A nice cheese, a fresh seasonal vegetable.
Benoît Violier [Chef*] rightly said "a maximum of two flavors per plate". All the rest is useless and you have great Chefs in France who say that cooking is not complicated, it is "6 grams of salt, 2 grams of pepper".
I think everything is said. Guy Savoy [Chef*] said it all. Others have had wonderful phrases. But the less complicated it is, the more I appreciate it.
Benoît Violier [Chef*] rightly said "a maximum of two flavors per plate". All the rest is useless and you have great Chefs in France who say that cooking is not complicated, it is "6 grams of salt, 2 grams of pepper".
I think everything is said. Guy Savoy [Chef*] said it all. Others have had wonderful phrases. But the less complicated it is, the more I appreciate it.
14:32
Franck-Eric Flegbo. The quest for simplicity.
14:35
Bruno Rossignol. Simplicity, product, work on the product. If the product is good,
if you know how to work on it in its temperatures, in its seasons, in its textures, in its colors, to present it correctly in its seasonings, there is no need to complicate things. The more complex it becomes, the less interesting it is.
I had the opportunity to work, at the time of molecular cooking, on a whole bunch of things, I wanted to understand what was being done.
It's very complex, I had even published recipes where I mixed cotton candy and popcorn powder, tubes of foie gras.
It was great because we were working in a Chemistry College. There were identical polyphenols, they were explosions of taste. But in the end, it's all very complex.
if you know how to work on it in its temperatures, in its seasons, in its textures, in its colors, to present it correctly in its seasonings, there is no need to complicate things. The more complex it becomes, the less interesting it is.
I had the opportunity to work, at the time of molecular cooking, on a whole bunch of things, I wanted to understand what was being done.
It's very complex, I had even published recipes where I mixed cotton candy and popcorn powder, tubes of foie gras.
It was great because we were working in a Chemistry College. There were identical polyphenols, they were explosions of taste. But in the end, it's all very complex.
15:15
Personally, you give me a nice, well-made, seasonal salad with a little vinaigrette, I'm the happiest man at table.
15:21
Franck-Eric Flegbo. While preparing for this interview today, I came across a project that was highly publicized, the one you did with Dallmayr and the automats. Can you tell us a little more about it?
15:36
Bruno Rossignol. Of course! Let me summarize in a few words.
We couldn't simply say to our restorers, to our partners, "You are going to work on everything we ask you, to reduce our CO2 impact, to increase the nutritional part, to work with regional and seasonal products. We are going to re-train your people in cooking, in vegan and vegetarian cooking, etc." And, to the actor we had until now, whom I will not name, "you can continue to sell fat, salt and sugar".
It was not possible.
We couldn't simply say to our restorers, to our partners, "You are going to work on everything we ask you, to reduce our CO2 impact, to increase the nutritional part, to work with regional and seasonal products. We are going to re-train your people in cooking, in vegan and vegetarian cooking, etc." And, to the actor we had until now, whom I will not name, "you can continue to sell fat, salt and sugar".
It was not possible.
16:06
I had a plan to create a 100% local Vending Machine. Then I told myself that it must be very complicated to do. When I talked to people around me and did some research, I had nothing, or very little.
16:20
There were Swiss-German farming families who had already developed things but only with their products. And I thought that it would be good to have the suppliers from the French-speaking part of Switzerland, that they could put their products in our machines, with logistics behind and specifications already available from an Umbrella Organization, such as Vaud+. By the way, we worked with them afterwards.
16:39
So I went to see some people, two years ago, with whom we did not work at the end, unfortunately for them, and I explained them my project. They didn't really believe in the project and I felt that there was a little bit of slack in their response and I told myself that I was going to take the lead on this project because I believed in it.
16:58
I remember on a Saturday morning I passed by Vaud+, I was looking for a platform where I could find snacks, drinks, locally roasted coffees etc. with a specific requirement. And I realized that they had everything I needed. On Monday morning I was in their offices and presented the project. I told them that I would like to have a 100% local Vending Machine, that I would like to set up this project with them. With a logistic that would be set up with a logistician. I talked about the company I had met and that had not really met my needs and asked them if they were interested in the project.
17:33
They answered me: «perfect, we are interested, but first we will see about the financing". They came a week later, which is quite fast for people who work on the administrative side, and they told me "We still have funds available, we'll set up the project with you".
This is the first place where we created this Localomat. We created five kinds of 100% local machines with Vaud+ and a company called Dallmayr that had already taken this step at the Cornavin train station in Geneva, where they already put GRTA [Genève Région - Terre Avenir, Label*] products in their machines.
This is the first place where we created this Localomat. We created five kinds of 100% local machines with Vaud+ and a company called Dallmayr that had already taken this step at the Cornavin train station in Geneva, where they already put GRTA [Genève Région - Terre Avenir, Label*] products in their machines.
18:05
Adrian Rentsch [CEO Dallmayr Switzerland*] had already thought that, this machine as we know it, with certain products that we see today full of palm oil, saturated fats ... it has lived. Sugar, salt, fat, that's all we find. While around us there are still local people who are able to do better than that, at competitive prices and that we should be able to work with.
So we created this Localomat, with a vending machine offering 100% local bakery, confectionery, chocolate and pastry products. We have our baker located in Yverdon, we have our chocolate maker located in Vevey etc…
So we created this Localomat, with a vending machine offering 100% local bakery, confectionery, chocolate and pastry products. We have our baker located in Yverdon, we have our chocolate maker located in Vevey etc…
18:37
We have created these five types of Vending Machines: 100% local ice cream, coffee roasted in French-speaking Switzerland, with a total of 260 products and 37 suppliers. We have 76 machines for the moment in French-speaking Switzerland. Honestly, even if we have had 300 machines, we wouldn't have had enough.
18:55
We had a problem because of this nowadays shortage of components and materials, we could not get more machines, but today you can find them at the Geneva airport, you can find them in different big companies known all over the world, you can find them in different universities, in the cantons of Neuchâtel, Fribourg, Vaud, Valais etc.
19:19
The next step is a brand that will be called “So d’ici”. In less than a year, it has grown so much that the 26 cantons will adopt this machine through an Umbrella Organization called “Région Garantie”. There are eleven thousand products available in these machines within a period of 3 to 5 years.
19:37
It's a genuine success, we took advantage of the Covid at the School to set up this Localomat with Dallmayr and Vaud+, and today in the steering committee there are the three entities. Each one has different missions. We always analyze products, we change products, we rotate suppliers, and it is a real showcase for our local economy. And it needs it.
20:03
We also reviewed the whole nutritional aspect. We have products that have much lower sugar levels than those found in traditional machines, and 100% of the products are made in Switzerland. We even have Swiss "Coke", it is as bad as a cola (not to mention a brand) but it fulfills its mission because:
- It makes people happy,
- It is produced at home in Switzerland.
20:45
I'm thrilled for the suppliers, because they are people who we haven't seen until now. They are in a small niche and, thanks to this Localomat showcase, they will be able to develop their sales, they will be seen throughout Switzerland, the 26 cantons.
We could find Vevey chocolates one day in Saint-Gall or Schwyz, and other products that will come here in the canton of Vaud. It's a beautiful adventure.
We could find Vevey chocolates one day in Saint-Gall or Schwyz, and other products that will come here in the canton of Vaud. It's a beautiful adventure.
"Sugar, salt, fat, that's all we find. While around us there are still local people who are able to do better than that, at competitive prices and that we should be able to work with."
21:11
Franck-Eric Flegbo. Wonderful Success Story indeed, it's very inspiring, we really hear messages of hope in this change that is happening in our plates, in our glasses. And to see institutions driving the change, really investing, creating new products and including local farmers, is extremely inspiring.
21:39
Bruno Rossignol. It's important because they are the source of what we eat, if we don't help them a little bit we miss something. We will continue to eat the things we ate until a few years ago, whereas today we have to do a 180°. Basically, these are the people who will help us to be better in the future, in our plates and in our stomachs.
22:01
Franck-Eric Flegbo. Beyond this project, in a wider sense in your functions, how do you assess the success of this program on the horizon of 20-30?
22:16
Bruno Rossignol. We're measuring it in different places. We are already measuring it with all the KPI's that we have committed. It is clear that today we have a measurement, in real time, of everything that is consumed here at the School. I spoke to you about nutrition, the waste part with Kitro, the purchasing part with Beelong, and Quantis for all the Fluids part that we monitor. Today, at this very moment, we can go directly to the monitoring to see exactly where we stand.
22:42
So we have a very precise map of where we are today.
We also control the Satisfaction, it is important.
You can't just put out beautiful plates and products and then miss the point. I consider our students and EPFL employees as our customers and we must always be in contact. That's why we have created Steering Committees with them, Food-Cafés, various gateways: Instagram, Facebook, to be able to explain what we are doing and also receive their messages.
Because we may be doing something that they don't like and we will miss it.
We also control the Satisfaction, it is important.
You can't just put out beautiful plates and products and then miss the point. I consider our students and EPFL employees as our customers and we must always be in contact. That's why we have created Steering Committees with them, Food-Cafés, various gateways: Instagram, Facebook, to be able to explain what we are doing and also receive their messages.
Because we may be doing something that they don't like and we will miss it.
23:26
We hired a communication company called La Mercerie for this.
The world of communication is a real job and I don't have the time to do it and it's better to give it to professionals.
Mehdi, Yvonne and Alex are in charge of our communication here at the School, and they are the ones who create all these communication channels. Thanks to these communication channels, we were able to meet all these people, in addition to the meetings that we had made from the beginning.
The world of communication is a real job and I don't have the time to do it and it's better to give it to professionals.
Mehdi, Yvonne and Alex are in charge of our communication here at the School, and they are the ones who create all these communication channels. Thanks to these communication channels, we were able to meet all these people, in addition to the meetings that we had made from the beginning.
23:56
What is important is that, during those Steering Committees, during those Food-Cafés etc. they sharing with us all their opinions, their suggestions. And that's also how we evaluate the Satisfaction part, because we are also looking for customer satisfaction. That's how we measure our work.
24:18
As we monitor everything precisely, waste, purchases, food, etc., every year we review the objectives with the restorers. We support them, we don't give them objectives every year and simply tell them that it is up to them to fulfill the mission. No, they are supported by the companies that we have hired, we make assessments together, quarterly at least etc. and we review the framework with them when needed.
24:47
Each year in October, we reexamine the goals with them, look at what we need and create new goals to:
• Increase the nutritional value,
• Decrease our CO2 impact,
• Relaunch other projects with them.
We are in partnership. It is important.
• Increase the nutritional value,
• Decrease our CO2 impact,
• Relaunch other projects with them.
We are in partnership. It is important.
25:08
Franck-Eric Flegbo. It is really more than a scientific or strategic program. It's really a human relationship that you're looking for as well.
25:17
Bruno Rossignol. There is indeed that, and, as you know, the EPFL consists of 350 laboratories. It would have been a waste not to be able to use all this data. The EPFL is the owner of all its data, and that's important, we wanted it that way and we approached many professors, many deans, we explained what we were doing, all this communication took a long time.
25:36
Out of the 350 laboratories, as Christian Schwab, the director of the nutrition laboratories, says, there must be about 200 laboratories that have a common axis with what we eat here at the School. This was explained to various professors at the School, including Professor Salathé who works on the nutritional aspect, cognitive functions, etc.
25:58
We are going to give all this information, all this data, to our students, to our professors in the laboratories, so that they can work on it. It's an incredible source of information and it would be a shame to keep it only for the operational side and, as we are in an institution that does research, that trains engineers, we have created links, which has never been done at the School, between the operational world and the academic world, Scientific research, and this is what we are doing today.functions, etc.
26:26
We have a group of people with whom we discuss, we exchange, with whom we have launched projects, some of which will be launched in June, on the nutritional aspect and many other projects. Of course, we give back all the data to these different laboratories, to the different institutions of the School. It is a beautiful link that we have created and each restorer, in ta very near future, will have a mission with this type of laboratory to be able to converge the skills even more.
26:55
Franck-Eric Flegbo. Finally, this convergence from the plate to the exams, to the research, we now know that nutrition has an impact on our thinking, on our ability to come up with new ideas, on our scientific or sports performances, this project makes sense: within EPFL to establish this nutritional reflection to allow EPFL to continue to carry on its performance in scientific research at the world level.
27:36
Bruno Rossignol. It makes sense indeed. When we started this at EPFL, at the genesis of our project, I asked the question innocently, "Do you think we're in the right school to set up this sort of program?" and people answered, "Yes,of course!” we couldn't expect another institution to do this instead of EPFL.
27:58
Personally, I woul have imagine it in a hospitality school, in a hospitality institution where we could have started a program like that.
But in the end, when you think about it, we have such a cluster of engineers here, of brains, that we're in the right place. We have thirty-four restaurants here, a mountain of data that we can use, and behind that, a mountain of scientists that will allow us to be able to further increase and achieve some things that we will redistribute to the general public later on.
I think we're in the right place and, yes, today it makes sense to work here on the nutritional aspect because what we put in the stomach is the fuel to be able to be more efficient in the future.
But in the end, when you think about it, we have such a cluster of engineers here, of brains, that we're in the right place. We have thirty-four restaurants here, a mountain of data that we can use, and behind that, a mountain of scientists that will allow us to be able to further increase and achieve some things that we will redistribute to the general public later on.
I think we're in the right place and, yes, today it makes sense to work here on the nutritional aspect because what we put in the stomach is the fuel to be able to be more efficient in the future.
28:46
We have this project with Professor Salathé that should be launched this year where we want to analyze a group of workers for four years, how they eat at home, here at the School, with a tracking “ Food & You “. We want to create the perfect menu for the different moments that students, employees experience. The peaks of work, the periods of light work, the averages. We would like to create THE menu that you need during your exams, during your sports time, during your rest time etc., so that you are always hyper performing.
29:28
With all the information that we're going to have, with the analysis that we're going to do, with what we're going to put on your plate, what we're looking for is that, over the next three to four years, we'll be able to put the best on the plate for YOU.
It's like when we work with athletes, we tune you to the micron. What we'd like to do in the future is to adjust you to the micron, so that all day long you perform well with what you eat. For as long as you're here, you'll always be healthy, you'll always perform at your optimum, due to what you eat.
It's like when we work with athletes, we tune you to the micron. What we'd like to do in the future is to adjust you to the micron, so that all day long you perform well with what you eat. For as long as you're here, you'll always be healthy, you'll always perform at your optimum, due to what you eat.
29:54
Franck-Eric Flegbo. Performance and nutrition are linked in the sports world, but also in the academic and scientific world, and finally in our daily lives. I would like to thank the EPFL and Bruno for all this energy. The setting up of this program which I hope will inspire more than one.
What is Bruno's wildest dream?
What is Bruno's wildest dream?
30:21
Bruno Rossignol. I don't know if it's my wildest dream, but in regards to this project, I just wish sometimes that our political leaders would listen a little bit or hear that they're going to have to get over some political differences or leadership war, and really get to work if they really want to start changing something on the plates of the schools and restaurants.
These people really have power, and they have the capacity to implement this kind of program. But do they have the will?
My wildest dream would be to meet a group of politicians who would be willing to do this, who would have the will to do this, to put a pilot project in place.
These people really have power, and they have the capacity to implement this kind of program. But do they have the will?
My wildest dream would be to meet a group of politicians who would be willing to do this, who would have the will to do this, to put a pilot project in place.
31:07
We have been approached by the canton of Vaud, by different cantons. There is a nice approach with the canton of Vaud with different people, my most insane dream would be that they would say "yes, we are ready, we will change that and we will use the skills of EPFL, all that you have done there, to be able to put a pilot project in place and see how we will be able to institutionalize that part with you".
31:26
We have done a huge amount of work, my wildest dream would be that they would use this and say "we're going to stop feeding the schools the wrong way; we're going to put seasonal products, regional products, and nutritionally interesting products".
"the EPFL consists of 350 laboratories. It would have been a waste not to be able to use all this data."
31:42
Franck-Eric Flegbo. I hope that this dream will come true, it will only drive change in many other institutions, organizations. We will make sure that this interview reaches the right ears.
For all those who are listening to us, who have the desire, the ambition to start such a project, with the feedback that you have already had for a few years on this program, what would you advise them to do? How can we start?
For all those who are listening to us, who have the desire, the ambition to start such a project, with the feedback that you have already had for a few years on this program, what would you advise them to do? How can we start?
32:24
Bruno Rossignol. Finally it's quite simple, for managers the question is: what is your objective? What do you want to achieve? What do you want to give to people, to your students, to your employees, to your customers?
Imagine a goal and do a full field analysis. Where do I stand? That's critical, the field analysis with professionals in every department.
And once we have the "Big Map", once we know who we are, we can actually go into the field, we can actually put a timeline in place, we can actually set goals with the partners.
You have to make a self-introspection, if you're bad it doesn't matter, at least you know you're bad, you're aware of that.
Imagine a goal and do a full field analysis. Where do I stand? That's critical, the field analysis with professionals in every department.
And once we have the "Big Map", once we know who we are, we can actually go into the field, we can actually put a timeline in place, we can actually set goals with the partners.
You have to make a self-introspection, if you're bad it doesn't matter, at least you know you're bad, you're aware of that.
33:15
Once we are settled, we have cleaned all that, we know, then we can start to do something.
• Know how far you want to go, what you want to put into people's meals,
• Analyze who you really are. What are you feeding people with today?
I think when you've done that work already; you've done a big part of it. It takes months, it really takes months. And you can't be embarrassed to say that you're bad. That's what I told our management: now we are not good and, in the future, we will be even worse. But at least we have the honesty to say so.
If you've done all this field work, analysis, in every corner of your restaurant, you already have a big base to be able to improve in the future.
That's important.
• Know how far you want to go, what you want to put into people's meals,
• Analyze who you really are. What are you feeding people with today?
I think when you've done that work already; you've done a big part of it. It takes months, it really takes months. And you can't be embarrassed to say that you're bad. That's what I told our management: now we are not good and, in the future, we will be even worse. But at least we have the honesty to say so.
If you've done all this field work, analysis, in every corner of your restaurant, you already have a big base to be able to improve in the future.
That's important.
34:03
Franck-Eric Flegbo. Thank you very much Bruno, this interview whetted my appetite, I am looking forward to sharing a meal with you. Thank you and see you soon.
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*Interviewer's notes
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*Interviewer's notes
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