The world of fine dining, celebrated for its epicurean delights and choreographed service, is often a reflection of effective leadership and efficient teamwork. Two individuals who are prime examples of these key aspects are the dynamic duo, Julie Cattelin and Matthias Cattelin. With remarkable journeys that sprawl across some of the most prestigious Michelin star restaurants around the world, from France and the United Kingdom to Japan and the United States, they both have etched their flair and expertise in leading teams, managing operations, and consistently delivering impeccable service.
The global reach of their careers, coupled with their extensive knowledge and excellent skillset, paints a striking picture of tenacity and dedication. Their unique ability to adapt in varied work environments and effectively collaborate showcases their capacity and mastery in their respective roles. Both have managed to successfully navigate through the challenges of the industry, and through their respective trajectories, Julie, a service expert, and Matthias, a wine aficionado, serve as wonderful testimonials to the art of leadership, teamwork, and the pursuit of professional excellence in hospitality.
Whether it is training staff, overseeing operations, managing wines, curating experiences, or even participating in competitions, Julie and Matthias have consistently raised the bar. This, in essence, encapsulates their inspiring story of leadership and teamwork.
The epic career kick-off
Julie Cattelin stepped into the hospitality industry immediately following her school years. Her ardor for fine dining and sharp attention to detail inspired her to carve her own niche in this demanding sector.
Julie’s passion for hospitality was ignited from an early age when she found herself entranced by the intricate ballet performed by service staff in restaurants. She said, “I was always passionate to see the service ballet in every restaurant, and I was curious to know and learn how it works.” Fueling this curiosity, she enrolled in two culinary schools for over five years, where she discovered her penchant for service. To quickly advance her skills, she took up various roles in different establishments across France.
Julie’s professional journey saw her tackle a range of roles in various Michelin-starred restaurants. These experiences provided ample opportunities for her to express her skills and fine-tune her knowledge. She began leading the front of house team at the Palm Beach Hotel Restaurant, a Michelin-starred establishment in Corsica. She then landed a position at the Gravetye Manor, a Michelin-starred restaurant in the UK, where she was quickly promoted to head waitress.
“I was in charge of the team. The restaurant was doing breakfast, lunch, and dinner service. Having a large front-of-house team to manage was the beginning of a great challenge for myself,” she recalls.
After a successful stint at Gravetye Manor, Julie took her skills and expertise to La Maison dans le Parc in Nancy, where she managed service as the restaurant transitioned under new ownership to eventually earn a Michelin star. Reflecting on her time, she conveys, “I was responsible for overseeing the restaurant and managing the team, as well as welcoming guests. The role was intense, but I was eager and enthusiastic to give my 100% every day. Working with a young team and managing them presented a unique challenge, especially considering that we were opening a new restaurant in the aftermath of the pandemic.”
Julie focus remains on meticulous service, fine dining, and providing remarkable experiences for her guests. Even now, she brings her unique blend of leadership, dedication, and commitment to her current role.
Overcoming obstacles across international landscapes
Julie Cattelin’s professional narrative is punctuated with periods spent in the international landscape, notably in Japan at La Tour d’Argent and at the Quince restaurant in San Francisco. These stints were not just geographical changes for Julie, but challenges to her adaptability and leadership. Conformity to a new workplace can be complex, a culture different from one’s own can amplify this complexity multifold. Julie, however, navigated these waters with fluidity. Most remarkably, at La Tour d’Argent in Tokyo, she was the first woman to work in the front-of-house team – a testament to her passion and leadership skills.
According to Julie, these international experiences weren’t simply about accumulating a diverse knowledge base. It was about forming robust bonds with her teams and building a bridge of trust and understanding. “Each new location we ventured into presented its own set of challenges, particularly when assuming a leadership position. The team often needed assurance that they could trust their new manager, which inherently tested your skills. We consistently had to prove our worth and demonstrate why we were in the positions we held. Our foremost mission was to lead the team to greater heights and promote improvement across the board,” she says, beautifully capturing the essence of her leadership philosophy.
Julie’s aptitude for leadership didn’t go unnoticed; her roles frequently entailed supervising diverse teams and steering large-scale operations. This was most evident during her tenure at Quince restaurant in San Francisco, part of a large hospitality conglomerate. Her experience there allowed her the opportunity to analyze the resources needed to successfully manage multiple restaurants, enhancing her ability to adapt and lead in new environments.
Mastering team management
Matthias Cattelin’s deep-seated passion for the hospitality industry was evident from the start. Beginning his career right out of school, Matthias threw himself headfirst into the world of fine dining and luxury hospitality. His first position at Noble Hotel provided him not only an introduction to the industry but also a steep learning curve that laid a strong foundation for his future.
Quickly rising through the ranks, Matthias evolved from a commis to exploring the realm of sommelier. Embracing the art and science of wines, Matthias further honed his skills and expanded his wine knowledge while working at spots such as L’Oasis and Chester Grosvenor. A combination of grit, relentless dedication, and a relentless pursuit of knowledge led him to the esteemed position of Head Sommelier at La Maison dans le Parc.
Looking back on his journey and progression, Matthias recognizes the significance of leadership and its pivotal role in nurturing talent. Internalizing this belief, he took on mentoring and training roles, sharing his wisdom and experience with the next generation of hospitality magnates.
Matthias is a firm believer in fostering a culture of learning and growth within the team. As he shared in an interview, “Everyone in the hospitality industry starts from somewhere, often as a food runner. If we’re managers today, it indicates we were runners yesterday, and our runner today could very well be a manager tomorrow. This industry’s progression is cyclical, reminding us of our roots and the potential growth that lies ahead for every member of the team.”
His leadership approach balances empathy and pragmatism. Understanding his team’s perspective, recognizing their unique strengths and potential, and communicating effectively are crucial elements of his management style. This balanced approach has earned him the respect and dedication of his teams, making him an effective leader and team player.
Through creating strong standard operating procedures (SOPs) and developing comprehensive training materials, Matthias ensures that his team is well-equipped to deliver the best service. His methods simplify and streamline operations, enhancing efficiency and uplifting the team’s performance. Above all, Matthias is a leader who continues to learn and adapt, ensuring his team remains at the forefront of the ever-evolving world of hospitality.
Adapting to challenging work environments
Indeed, like Julie, Matthias Cattelin also illustrates excellence in leadership and teamwork through his diverse work experiences. Blending his passion for wine with his sommelier skills, Matthias has tackled challenging work environments, such as those at the Domaine de Murtoli in Corsica and different restaurants within the Quince and Co. group in the USA.
At the Domaine de Murtoli, he juggled between three distinct restaurant operations, managing the wine program for each. The dynamic landscapes of these eateries, each providing a different local flavor, required adaptability and a deep understanding of the local wine culture – a feat at which Matthias excelled.
The Cattelins’ combined experience in various international settings, especially during their stay in Japan, was, in Matthias’ words, “difficult to adapt, but at the same time, our best adventure.” He elaborates that “With only five members of the team fluent in English, we were compelled to adapt. This language barrier added another layer to our challenges, but it also gave us a chance to become more resourceful and innovative in our communication and management strategies.” Their resolve to overcome the language barrier demonstrates their adaptability – a key factor in effective teamwork and leadership.
This adaptability and leadership also shone through when they organized offsite events in Nancy. Matthias shares, “The most challenging aspect, I’d say, was managing the team, mainly because they weren’t comfortable with the space. Being an offsite event, perhaps only for a dinner, we had to essentially relocate our restaurant for this specific occasion. Our primary goal was to foster confidence within ourselves and reassure our team despite the unfamiliar environment.”
Both Julie and Matthias’ experiences highlight their unquestionable leadership and teamwork capabilities. Their ability to manage, train and reassure teams during challenges affirms their effective leadership and teamwork skills.
Supercharged professional growth through training and development
Both Julie and Matthias have not only proven themselves as competent leaders, but as solid educators committed to enhancing the skills of their respective teams. This dedication to creating a learning environment has resulted in a collective advancement in not just individual skills, but the overall service provided by their teams.
Both have worked seamlessly at Gravetye Manor. Julie’s leadership and training skills shone here where she took up the mantle to lead the front-of-house training, enhancing service standards and driving the team to match her own high-performance levels. From intricate details like the presentation of cheese carts to creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for the guests, Julie was instrumental in upgrading the service quality and ensuring an unforgettable dining experience.
In similar fashion, Matthias utilized his passion for wine culture to enrich the team. As someone who considers himself a lifelong student of fine wines, Matthias was eager to pass on his knowledge to his teammates. His role extended beyond serving wines. He was responsible for conducting regular wine tastings and seminars, helping the staff refine their understanding of wines from different regions. The knowledge transfer empowered the team to make educated wine pairings for diners, adding depth and complexity to the culinary experience.
This leadership commitment to fostering a learning environment intensified due to their interpersonal relationship as a married couple. As Julie recounted, “New team members invariably bring fresh ideas to the company, having worked in different places, each possessing a distinct vision of hospitality. This is even more significant now, as the pandemic has drastically changed the landscape. Thus, it’s always beneficial to listen to the team. As for Matthias and me, our personal and professional lives are intertwined. We’re married and have always worked in the same place, crossing that boundary between work and home daily. This unique situation offers us a distinct perspective and, just like with our team members, it’s another wellspring of ideas and insights.”
Their ability to manage both professional challenges and personal dynamics testifies to their leadership capabilities. It reveals their mindset that continuous learning and improvement are integral to professional success; a belief that has shaped their exceptional careers.
Navigating through post-pandemic changes
Following the challenging aftermath of a global pandemic, Julie and Matthias Cattelin led the grand reopening of La Maison dans le Parc in May 2021. Their dual leadership roles added a unique layer to their partnership as spouses, underpinning the foundation of teamwork and understanding that steered their Michelin-starred journey.
Julie managed the front of house operations as a Service Manager, while Matthias flourished in his role as the Head Sommelier; however, their roles often overlapped as they approached the restaurant’s journey as a team, blending their expertise in hospitality to ensure harmonious operations.
This remarkable duo had to navigate unprecedented challenges in their restaurant reopening. …“We faced considerable challenges at the beginning. we continued wearing masks for six months… everyone still held fears about COVID. Despite these difficulties, the team was very understanding, and our shared experiences strengthened our bond. We stood united in the face of adversity.” Julie recalls.
They had to incorporate stringent health measures, from mandatory mask-wearing to vaccination checks, to maintain safety in their establishment. This often led to difficult interactions with noncompliant guests, adding to the stress of rebuilding their business during an uncertain time.
Despite the pressure, Julie and Matthias remained staunch on their stand of prioritizing safety over service, a decision they believe cultivated an air of respect and understanding within their team. Their leadership encouraged teamwork and solidarity that helped them overcome the challenges they faced in their operations.
Regardless of the apparent adversities, their relentless spirit never waned. Their motto “one team, one dream” marinated their work culture, fostering a resilient team that would go on to achieve Michelin status for La Maison dans le Parc. This, coupled with the removal of COVID-19 restrictions, sparked a renewed sense of enthusiasm within Julie and Matthias, preparing them to guide the restaurant into its next promising chapter.
Shaping the future
Both Julie and Matthias Cattelin have taken on mentorship roles in their careers, using their deep well of knowledge and experience to inform and inspire the next generation of hospitality professionals. Beyond their day-to-day roles in high-end, Michelin-starred restaurants, they continued to foster a commitment to leadership by participating in student examinations between 2020 and 2022 and several service competitions in France. Their primary aim was to influence the new generation of leaders and share the knowledge they have accumulated over their impressive careers.
In their eyes, this mentorship extends their leadership roles beyond their work environments. It serves as an avenue for them to share their passion for their industry, demonstrate the high standards they hold themselves to and instill that same motivation in the young professionals they interact with.
In describing this enriching experience, they’ve articulated their dedication to supporting the development of competitors and future industry leaders. To quote Julie and Matthias, “Having the opportunity to participate in this competition provides a real chance to engage with the new generation of professionals. Those participants who have dedicated the time to study and train for it truly demonstrate their passion. As experienced professionals, we are delighted and honored to provide feedback on areas they could enhance. Maintaining keenness on techniques and skills and passing them on is vital not just for the competitors, but for us as well. The most rewarding part always comes at the end when we get the chance to interact with the students and other industry professionals. This exchange enriches everyone involved, fostering a vibrant and forward-thinking community.”
Their leadership roles extend to impacting future generations of hospitality industry professionals, ensuring the standards of excellence they’ve worked so hard to uphold continue to be enacted and maintained. And while their journey has taken them across the world, they remain committed to helping shape the future of their industry, nurturing the next generation of leaders, and contributing to the enduring success of the hospitality industry.
Expert advice for aspiring hospitality leaders
In their pursuit of mapping out their own journey in the world of gastronomy and hospitality, Julie and Matthias Cattelin have notably kept the spotlight on effective leadership and empathetic teamwork.
Julie Cattelin, commis turned service manager, embarks on her leadership journeys with an innate need for continuous learning and improvement, all fueled by her starry-eyed love for the fine dining scene. Her knack for understanding the complex world of hospitality and translating that into concrete terms for her team is truly commendable. “To properly manage your team,” she notes, “feeling and exuding confidence is crucial. You must assist and guide your staff, being a good listener. Surprisingly, the most challenging part isn’t managing the guests, but the team. You have to work with a variety of profiles, attitudes, and moods – patience is key here. By demonstrating patience and understanding, you can foster a harmonious working environment that not only improves staff morale but also enhances the overall guest experience.”
Matthias Cattelin’s journey is marked with similar instances of leadership and moments of learning. As a wine connoisseur who effortlessly curated the wine list from scratch for La Maison dans le Parc, Matthias exhibits the traits of an effective leader — patience, perseverance, and a growth mindset. Like Julie, Matthias values the importance of teamwork and investing time in nurturing talent among his team. In his pursuit of knowledge, he has strived to provide comprehensive wine training to his team, thus cultivating a space for constant learning.
At the heart of Julie and Matthias’s leadership philosophy is a shared love for their craft and an unending desire to foster a dynamic and open learning environment for their teams. Embodying the true essence of leadership and teamwork, they have propelled their team to greater heights and have themselves emerged as guiding lights in the hallowed corridors of Michelin-starred restaurants.
