From business strategy to the kitchen
Experiential learning is a key part of the MSc Wine & Hospitality Management programme’s approach, giving students the opportunity to tackle real industry challenges and gain hands-on experience in the worlds of hospitality, gastronomy and wine.
As part of the "developing a restaurant concept in a hotel" module, students were tasked with designing an entirely new dining experience for a hotel concept they had previously worked on during an earlier strategic operations project. Working in teams, they developed every aspect of the restaurant as if preparing for a real opening: concept identity, customer positioning, branding, pricing strategy, menu design, food and wine pairings, marketing approach and financial viability. The aim was to create a concept that felt both creative and commercially realistic within today’s hospitality market.
To inspire their projects, students visited several leading Parisian hotels during the semester, exploring how different hospitality brands approach food and beverage experiences. They were also mentored by hospitality and culinary professionals, including Chef Aaron Rosenthal - who previously worked in Michelin-starred restaurants and now develops pop-up concepts for prestigious Champagne houses - alongside Food & Beverage specialist Sylvain Boussard. The project culminated in an immersive two-day experience hosted by Les Cuistots Migrateurs, a Paris-based culinary company promoting world cuisines through the work of refugee chefs. Working in professional kitchen brigades, students created and prepared a signature dish representing their restaurant concept before presenting it to a panel of industry professionals, alongside a wine pairing and an investor-style pitch covering the overall strategic and financial vision of the project.
By combining creativity, operational execution and strategic thinking, this hands-on experience gives students direct insight into the realities of the international wine, hospitality and restaurant industries.
