2024-05-15
Joel Kannimäe, the owner of the food stand: adapting to changes and the new winds of Haapsalu cuisine
"Adapting to changes is essential in the HoReCa sector," says local food truck owner Joel Kannimäe. "Food trends are diverse and customer preferences are diverse. For me, success means satisfaction in both work and personal life." "The world of HoReCa itself absorbs the people it needs. Like a Black Hole! Oh, this world is exciting and fun, but also sad and even dangerous!” “When the situation is difficult: we'll try one way or another, we'll try to do it!” These are just a few inspiring thoughts that Joel wrote down for us.
If you are a person working in the HoReCa sector or just need a little inspiration, this article will give you plenty. In his answers, Joel shared how he feels about life, how he is currently focusing on developing his street food stall, adapting the menu with seasonal local produce, and many other „Oh wow“ moment-inducing thoughts.
What do you see as the challenges of the HoReCa sector in 2024?
Adapt to the changes. In a broader sense, it is clear that there are more customers in the summer than in the winter, but are there as many as, for example, two or five years ago? And if there are fewer or significantly fewer of them, then what to do next? The people of the HoReCa sector are, of course, an optimistic and forward-looking people. None of the restaurant owners I know directly complain that the turnover numbers have fallen and the economic depression is quietly tapping on the shoulder: it is important to keep pushing forward, even if one day at a time; try to stay alive!
Corona time made everyone's skin thicker and their mind more flexible. If the situation is difficult: we will try one way or another, we will try to manage! The same principle is now too: let's try to do it!
What are the food trends of 2024?
I'm a total noob when it comes to food trends. Just kidding: see what I'm doing and what I'm eating and you'll find out where the trends are headed! The fact is, of course, that chefs and food technologists guide trends or try to guide them, but rather, food trends are stuck in the customer's head. The restaurant landscape is very diverse, there is a choice for every taste: all kinds of national cuisines, street food places, fine and less fine places. You can treat yourself to ecologically pure vegan food as well as eat nicely served "soil" and "ashes". Try to find or catch this kind of a "trend"! It is trendy to order home sausages from a gas station by courier, but this is already one of the sadder trends that would not be worth following.
If "Abundantly, but economically!" doesn't work, then "Less is more!" always works!
Tell us your story, how did you get into the world of HoReCa?
This world itself absorbs the people it needs. Like a Black Hole! Oh, this world is exciting and fun, but also sad and even dangerous!
I've thought a lot about why I became a chef. There are several factors. On the one hand, I've loved eating all my life (a little foody, as I was as a child!) and on the other hand, I ended up on the edge of this Black Hole in my late teens. In other words, I worked as a waiter for a while, but I really liked the cooks. Dignified and important, masters in cooking. Then it seemed to me that any fool can bring a plate and a glass to a customer (then I didn't imagine that even waiters-waitresses can be professional, masters in their work!) but not every fool knows how to cook. The next moment I was already studying to be a chef and working as a chef. And suddenly you discover that you have already been doing this job for 20 years! Others don't really know how, and don't want to either! Love for one's profession creates professional honor: feeding people some nonsense is not part of my arsenal. Everything has to be maximally good, perhaps sometimes you are not too satisfied with this maximally good (self-criticism rather deepens as the years go by.)
People in the HoReCa sector are exceptionally awesome! A bunch of bad guys who to go to a "battle" with in the morning. Hundreds and thousands of crazy and fun and tough kitchen battles with best buddies! I think everybody is an adrenaline addict!
And then the dangerous side: the possibility of burnout is quite high! I've been on the verge of burnout a few times, I don't recommend it! Instead, I recommend recognizing this dangerous moment and distancing yourself from it. Even through trouble, try to take a break from work for a while (it's hard, it's hard to take a break!) and focus on something else for a while.
What is the biggest lesson/ lessons of your 10 years?
Life has taught me that you have to believe and hope, but at the same time you have to act! And the goal must be something to act on, otherwise there's no point in doing it. I have also learned to trust myself more, I rely on others less than before. This self-confidence will probably grow with the increase in experience. And if you trust yourself, there is much less empty working, life is more peaceful.
What are your most memorable achievements?
The concept of success is again very subjective. To set financial success aside for now, I do feel that I have been successful. I have learned to cook a little and the customers are mostly satisfied. Successful in his field.
And the family is too! I have also been successful in that my wife has not left me and gone away with the children, if you consider the fact that most of my life has been spent in different kitchens rather than in the company of my family. This is, of course, the curse of this profession: too little time to be at home and devoted to the family. Although! Over time, after all these years, the situation has improved considerably, but the balance has not yet been reached. Work in this direction is ongoing!
How do you put together a summer menu? How do you choose raw materials?
At the moment, I am little by little pottering with my street food stall. I will specifically not change the menu from winter to summer. It actually changes itself, almost imperceptibly! I've spoiled myself over time in a good way: seasonal local produce is available when it's available. Personal seasonal appetites are what customers have to deal with. If in the winter there are sprats and pickles, now there are pike and perch and walleyes. Bear’s onion, for example, has another week or two, and then already in the new year! I don't put anything in the freezer so that I can offer a good thing all year round. The pike burger, for example, is currently in such demand that I can hardly fillet as many pike and produce cutlets as there is demand! It wasn't there in winter, beach fishermen didn't go to sea! Soon, for example, there will be a local salad between the burgers, and then already a summer tomato, etc. Until autumn again and a different menu.
A small food stall is slowly developing into a restaurant-like food place. Maybe we can move into the room soon and do a little more food stunts! Time will tell!
How has Haapsalu changed in the last 5 years?
I am an ardent fan of Haapsalu! I'm from around here and Haapsalu is like my "home town", the town closest to home.
I remember when I lived in Järva County and sometimes I rarely got to Haapsalu, I was amazed every time that "Oh! What has been built here!” and that "Oh you, how beautiful this or that street or park is made!" Currently living here myself, the changes are less noticeable, but still noticeable! The city is getting more and more beautiful!
