Blog

Chinese New Year is just one of the culinary journeys our students have enjoyed. Every Friday our Chefs and culinary students create themed lunches to showcase speciality dishes from around the globe. So far our students have enjoyed Swiss, Indonesian, Chinese, Italian and French delicacies. There is always something to satisfy even the most discerning palate. 

Every year Luzern celebrates the tradition of Fastnacht. The events of the five day festival uphold a 15^th Century tradition marking the last days before Lent. During the Carnival Luzern residents dress up, shake off the winter ‘Fugg’, and turn the City into a centre of music and dancing. Fastnacht begins with Dirty Thursday at 5 am when the local dignitaries observe the proceedings in the city square from the town hall. The canon firing confetti marks the start of the fiesta. For some that is the last sleep they will have for many days. Our IMI students threw themselves into the festivities wholeheartedly, donning traditional dress and dancing into the early hours as you can see from the video. The festival is characterised by brass band parades and the amazing and vibrant costumes.  Despite the hundred thousand visitors, there is rarely any trouble at these events which is attended by families and partygoers alike. 

As part of their studies at IMI, students learn about food sourcing and the importance of fresh ingredients. At IMI we source as much as possible from local farms. The fish is fresh from the lake and the milk straight from the farm.  Our students visited two local farms and a grocer who prides himself in only selling organic and local produce. The students finished their trip by learning to milk a cow. Milk does not come fresher than this... watch our video to see how they got on!

Those who are lucky enough to eat every day at IMI already know first-hand that our Chef Shaun Leonard is a master-craftsman, however it is always nice to have that recognised. Once again our multi-award winning Head Chef and Senior Lecturer won the Gold Medal at the prestigious CCCL Swiss Culinary Competition. A huge ‘congratulations’ to Shaun and all his team. 

The Careers team under the expert guidance of Ms. Greta Musu have been busier than ever this term with even more industry leaders looking to recruit on-campus at IMI.  Ritz Carlton, Swissôtel, Frenchman’s Creek, Kempinski, The Landmark, London, Marugal, Rezidor and Sandals are just a few who have come to IMI for Career Day presentations and recruitment drives. The shortlisted candidates are notified at the end of a tough day of one to one interviews, computer testing, analysis and finally a panel interview. Congratulations to our many successful students. A great year so far – keep it up. Always remember that Ms. Musu is available for interview coaching and CV review whenever you need it. 

St Valentine’s Day provided a perfect opportunity for the hospitality and events students to plan a themed celebration. It was a hugely successful day. As well as the traditional hearts and cupids, the romantic team offered dedicated songs and chocolate gift boxes to dewy eyed couples.  St Valentine himself could not have been disappointed. 

In early January, the campus came to life after the Christmas break with a visit from our partner school in Malaysia, KDU.  We were, as always, both touched and impressed by the enthusiasm and knowledge shown by the students. Despite the cold temperatures and blanketing of snow, the students made a tour of Luzern visiting the many exclusive watch and jewellery stores lining the historic waterfront in Luzern. There were visits to chocolate and cheese factories and it would seem a great deal of shopping if the number of bags returning from Luzern were any indication. But of course it was not all shopping and excursions. The students also found time to learn about Switzerland as the home of the hospitality industry. They attended lectures and talks by IMI and KDU staff.  At the end of their visit the KDU students made a fantastic presentation incorporating music and videos to summarise the wonderful time they had spent at IMI and all that Luzern has to offer. You can watch their presentations here.

The dawn of the Chinese Year of the Dragon was celebrated on 27^th January on campus at IMI with a Chinese New Year Lunch. This event was hosted by IMI Food and Beverage team working with the Culinary students. Our Chinese students were also called in to consult and support the event, to advise on the menu and music. As you can see this was a wonderful event combining traditional Chinese music, imaginative decorations and of course delicious food. 

AS the KDU students left, the term began in earnest with the arrival of the first students for the January term. The students came by ‘plane, train and automobile’ from all over the world, over 40 different nationalities convening on the campus in Kastanienbaum. Those coming from warmer climes had happily read the suggested clothing list provided by IMI and were ready for the beautiful covering of snow which greeted them as they arrived. Those who weren’t quickly found their way to Oschner clothing so that they could get out and enjoy the winter fun in Luzern. In the first week the students were taken on a tour of the city by Chris Saynor, one of the IMI Marketing and Welcoming team. They learned from him about the chequered history of the stunning Chapel bridge and its Tower, the centrepiece of Luzern, voted Switzerland’s most beautiful city. They toured the nine towers, the Lion monument and visited the old town with its myriad of boutique shops and restaurants. Then they had a few days before the term started to explore the possibilities around the campus. Many tried ice-skating, snow shoeing, skiing and langlaufing. 

This week we were visited by the head of the Lions Club in Luzern, Mr. Rudolf Stäger.  The Lions Club is an organisation dedicated to meeting the needs of communities on a local and global scale. Their aim is to create and foster a spirit of cooperation and understanding among the peoples of the world, promoting good government and good citizenship. There are over 44,500 clubs worldwide and over 1,368,683 members in 191 countries around the globe. Mr. Stäger and PR manager, Daniel Schlege, were returning to the campus to thank our students for their contribution to the Lions Club Gala Dinner held at IMI in the Summer. Our students were instrumental to the success of the evening. They catered for the event and provided immaculate service, which so impressed the fifty members of the Lions Club Luzern that they came back to give each participating student an 'award of excellence'. Congratulations to all involved.