Thursday 24th July 2014
Any issues with not being paid for a permanent or relief job, we will, time permitting call up on your behalf once but if that doesn’t get any joy the answer is:
Conform with ACAS Policy
1 call the establishment and ask them politely to make correct payment get holiday paid etc.
2. Put in writing to the establishment and send a letter recorded delivery asking for holiday pay payslips etc.
3. then call ACAS and give them all details and they will deal with it on your behalf.
0808 274 3311
Chefs In Scotland will not reply to questions on facebook. We can take details over the phone and put them on our “Chefs not paid” form but onus is on you to go through the appropriate procedures.
Elsewhere
We are kept on the go. Our server has packed in this week and whilst we wait a new one and get that sorted out we are curtailing the services that we can offer to relief and adverts only.
I finished up in the office yesterday afternoon at 4pm and headed over to Crocketford to help get the cottage ready for the booking this Friday. The lawn mower packed in and strimming was done until the wire became too short at which point I drove to Castle Douglas and got some new wire and a take away curry from Tescos (two sides and two mains for £6) and carried on cutting the grass and then into the kitchen where I took pleasure in washing the dishes and cleaning the fridges and cupboards. Brushing the small floor and sitting down with the main cleaner Angela whilst she had a smoke out the back. We got the cottage ready by just before ten pm and I drove back over to Moffat in time to meet Bentley the Basset who was barking in the dark.
Ian Paul who stays over in Dundanion House had kindly agreed to take him out about seven pm and he was pleased to see me.
Moving forward
We set our stall out this year and increasing turnover by 20% and the first measured quarter we hit the dizzy heights of 46% up on last year. The second quarter is going to come in at about 22% up.
We are trying to ease up as we move into August (phones permitting) and try and get our new server in place and get that side of things sorted and look to take on some new CIS help in the office. Callum Graham from Moffat has been a great summer helper but is looking for full-time work up in the central belt.
Mark Wildman is back up in the Highlands cooking in a kitchen and no doubt enjoying some of the music and craic of a night on the west coast and does so with our good wishes.
Johanna is back from any time off at the Moffat Gala and is knocking out relief jobs the length and breadth of the country.
Andy Mill had a suspected heart attack and we wish him a full and speedy recovery.
Richard Booth “Jimmy Ping himself” is working up in Tongue and has a 100% success rate this year on relief. Thanks Richard.
Patrick Pohly is with Crerar Hotels down at Scotlands and now up at Ben Wyvis Hotel.
Alan Kaye retains his grading of 1 and they seem to like him over in Aboyne. Many thanks Alan again.
David “Disclusure Scotland” Ironside moves from strength to strength as he helps Chefs In Scotland to diversify within the ever growing mature market. May be in line for a pint at the Masonic in Kirkcudbright and a debrief. Yes this does count as work.
Will Furlong is having a fine season with an eye on possibly becoming Disclosure Furlong himself. Many thanks Will. Nae need to be a plumber!
Roger Brown holds it together up on Shetland along with John Ferguson, Mark Bellingham and Scott Russell. Four on the island to go with a perm head at Brae Hotel.
Max Hogg is the best says, well we cannot say but he is very good when he is about. A few years down the line from being a commis in Aberfeldy.
Pawel Halicki, they have kept him on at Lauder and don’t blame them, another excellent chef who is a total credit to us and himself.
Dundee Apex, three of the men are helping out with increased business at the Commonwealth Games. Phil Smith, his mucker Alan Macpherson the excellent Michael Njoroge (silent N)
We get the occasional new trial on relief who falls at the first hurdle and sadly we cannot use them on relief again.
Bitter, no.
Many thanks for your continued support and patience
Michael in Scotland.
By Johanna Watson
Frank McDonald is over the water at the Western Isles Hotel with Head Chef Tom Devlin and getting on well.
Steve Moffat has finished up at The Rowardennan Hotel and is booked to go back up to Peterhead at The Waterside Inn with Will Furlong.
Scott Galloway still working away at The Cross in Kingussie.
Stuart MacColl will be finishing his 2 week stint over in Palnackie at the Glenisle and is the going up to Kintail Lodge for 4 days and then back down to the Borders for a 3 week stint at The Townhouse in Melrose.
Scott Russell will be into his 2nd – 3rd week up on Shetland at the Brae Hotel.
Stephen Findlay is currently out at The Burnside Hotel in Rutherglen then off to help at West Brewery at Glasgow Green.
Crawford Campbell with be finishing his 3 week stint at Crusoe Hotel and is awaiting his next mission.
Craig Williamson has joined the relief circuit and getting on very well at his first job over at the Loch Melfort Hotel near Oban.
Relief is still very busy and we have around 60 chefs out working all over Scotland and Cumbria
Thanks again for your continued support
By Johanna Watson
Alan Baird who we recently met here at our office in Moffat. he first went out last year to The Queens Hotel, Burts Hotel in Melrose, Falls of Feugh and The Western Isles Hotel where he stayed for a few months. He has now come back to us and is working down in Silloth at the Golf Hotel where he is getting on very well.
Another chef who we met this week Paul Hackland he is working down at The Dryfesdale Hotel in Lockerbie for 4 weeks where Lillian Clarkson is starting for 7 days stint tomorrow.
Craig McEnhill has been out to The Tongue Hotel, Falls of Dochart Hotel, Kintail Lodge, Ardvasar Hotel, Saplinbrae Hotel and has just finished a short stint at The Moorings Hotel in Fort William he has already be assigned his next job up in Montrose at The Park Hotel.
Tim Morris was working up at The Tongue Hotel as head chef and is now over in the Borders at the Wheatsheaf as sous chef and has been asked to stay for another few weeks.
New guy Russell Munro is out working at the Victoria Hotel on Bute where William Sillars will be joining him tomorrow for 4 weeks.
Maria Sullivan who has done a lot of relief work over the past few years is loving her stint at the Kenmore hotel.
Nick Nozeman is out at Loch Fyne Oyster over in Cairndow for 1 week and getting on well.
Douglas “denzil” Gillies is back working at The Onich Hotel with Dieter Hoffmann.
Thanks again guys and gals for your continued support
By Johanna Watson
Patrick O’Donnell after staying on an extra few weeks at the newly opened Skippers Bar & Bistro in Inverary he is now off to Ben Nevis Hotel in Fort William.
Kai Stutzkeitz is back up in Stornoway at The Cabarfeidh Hotel as Sous Chef.
Will Furlong and Davy Brown both working a 4 week stint up at The Albert Hotel in Kirkwall, Orkney.
John Ferguson and Mark Bellingham getting on well up on Shetland at The Lerwick Hotel and The Shetland Hotel with another couple of months left.
Sean Angus at Forss House as Sous Chef getting on well and staying longer.
Max Hogg doing well at Darroch Learg Hotel and giving good support to head chef John.
Eric Day after finishing at Poppies Hotel in Stirling he is now Head Chef at Park Hotel in Montrose working with Tony Carroll.
Martain Irvine is now off to The Falls of Lora after a wee stint with Graeme Kennedy and Philippe Alamichel at The Green Hotel in Kinross.
Phillip Blackburn is working locally at The Townhouse Melrose as Sous chef.
Steven Chandler getting on very well at Loch Melfort Hotel.
Alan Kaye is staying put at The Boat Inn at Aboyne where owner Eileen Hayward is singing his praises.
Steve Moffat has been at MacDonald Loch Rannoch Hotel, Park Hotel in Montrose and is now over at Loch Lomond at The Rowardennan Hotel.
Well done again guys and thanks for your continued support.
If you do not like the relief job you are in please do not criticise the establishment on Facebook. Please just get your head down complete your booking, thank the establishment and move on.
We get work in through a good reputation which we then give to you who do the good work.
Availability of chefs
Relief is very tight and changes by the day. Generally more chefs than jobs and expect this to remain so for next two to three months.
Perm head chef jobs.
For decent head chef jobs paying about £28,000 to £30,000 per year and particularly in central areas, there are quite a few decent, good head chefs about looking for positions, up to 2AA Rosette.
In more rural areas, you will have to provide accommodation, would suggest at no charge for the chef.
Perm Sous Chef
There are some chefs coming through, albeit the quality is a bit mixed. Would suggest paying £22,000 upwards will get some candidates. Would advise offering live in with overtime payable above 48 hours per week. Easier to get candidates in central areas. Particularly tight in Aberdeen, Shetland, and the Western Isles and the highlands.
Chef de parties
Good chef de parties are scarce. Suggest being innovative in your recruitment, ie pay by the hour, offer regular week-ends off. IE one in three. Suggest £7.50 to £10 per hour will get applicants, live-in.
Commis chefs
There are a few bodies about keen to come into the industry. Suggest paying minimum wage and giving a structured training programme.
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