While Germany has weathered the pandemic almost as well as any country in the world, the country’s government has nevertheless declared that the nation’s restaurants must stop in-house service for the duration of November to try to stem the tide of the disease.
The Sommelier Union Deutschland is calling on its members to stand in solidarity with the restaurants that serve as both their employers and hosts. “On behalf of my colleagues, I’d like to emphasize that restaurants, the event economy and hotels are taking a massive hit on behalf of the community… Which makes it all the more crucial that we support the affected industries wherever we can,” wrote Peer F. Holm, president of the organization.
He encouraged the members of his association to order food “to go” whenever possible — allowed under the current restrictions, as well as to buy the wine recommendations of their favorite sommeliers. He also encouraged his members to buy and give restaurant gift certificates, as these provide restaurants with the short term capital they need to survive.
Following the motto “From Members – For Members,” the Union has also set up a section of the website for members to place relevant items for sale at no cost. This can include restaurant gift certificates, wines and other product packages. In this way, the holiday season can be a little brighter for both seller and giver… and the wider food services industry through the cold months.