Tuesday 18th March 2014
There was some rain this morning on an otherwise mild morning.
Bentley the Basset and I headed out for our early morning walk at twenty minutes past eight, he having been fed and I having had a wash. I realised that this is the first time that it had been raining and Bentley doesn’t like the rain and we are back in soon, he to sit in his new, but slightly small bed up here in the office, whilst we work about him.
Johanna is on the phone to a potential new relief chef from Carlisle, he had sent in his CV overnight.
Mark, Operations Manager and now well into week ten, is on phone 1 and working away through in the next office replying to emails, chasing up interviews, adding jobs to trade website, taking jobs off our website and so on. 9.15am and as of yet, the phone has not rung, I am sure that it will do shortly.
It has been a slightly strange season so far, getting plenty of permanent placements made and the most ever adverts in a single week last week; 26 following on from 25 the week before. These are seriously good statistics and relief is ticking away well also, twelve new jobs out last week.
Out and About
Ally Bell, a younger lad from the Borders has been on his second relief job up at the Links Hotel in Montrose after doing a good stint up on Arran at Auchrannie last December.
Good to have a healthy Eric Day back on the go who is currently working up at Glencoe Hotel in the Scottish Highlands.
Gordon Smillie did a couple of relief jobs including Springkell down here just down the A74 at Ecclefechan and has now taken on the permanent head chef job at Clova and we wish him all the best and thank him.
Ian Barron, from Kirkcudbright, is a new kid on the block. Over twenty years in the last job and first time out has had his time extended several times over on Arran. Great start and welcome on board Ian. Chefs In Kirkcubright.
Mark Irons is up at Eden Court in Inverness, and hopefully settling in well. Mark took the time to come down and meet us in February.
We meet at 1200 or 4pm ideally Tuesday to Thursday at our offices in Moffat, although we can sometimes do a Monday and Friday also and very occasionally a Saturday lunch time.
Vytis Baltrunas is excelling over at Fortmartines almost a month in.
Andrew Nunn is also excelling up in Perthshire at East Haugh and had his stay extended.
Right, I could go on but new jobs are coming in to hunt for, so will get stuck into that and get this posted.
Many thanks for continued support and patience
Michael in Moffat
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The Ice-rink, where I played Space Invaders in 1980, where I went round the clock at Space Invaders in 1980, whilst others Curled or skated. The Ice-rink, where I stole a box of cheese and onion crisps. I drive past it now, not quite seeking redemption, but with no feeling of pride. The Squash Courts will never offer redemption.
Down into the town, where for so much of the last quarter of a century there has been guilt and anger for many, much more so than for me. Those who have faced death, those from around the world and in Lockerbie. The town has been painted black by the death from Pan Am flight 103 on that December day in 1988. I can write as I was there.
Down into the town, where there are now seven sheep. The “Seven Sheep of Lockerbie” to symbolise what was once a thriving market town. One of the busiest in Scotland. Perhaps, The “Seven sheep of Lockerbie” can stand for hope.
I was down in Lockerbie today at the Opticians. I then drove down to my parents’ house and sat with my father, the man beside whom I stood on the River Annan late at night as he fished for trout and salmon, although never as successfully as we had fished on the River Deveron in October 1974 when he caught five salmon one day, including two bonny five pound grilse with consecutive casts. I sat with my dad, the man who I played golf with on Lamb’s Hill at Lockerbie and the other teachers watched as I almost drove to the top of the first.
I don’t think that I have ever felt more proud to be associated with Lockerbie than today.
Yesterday, David Murdoch, a man, aged 35, from farming stock, took his moment, after previous trials and tribulations and played his shot at the Winter Olympics, played another shot with no scope for error. A Man with other young Men. He is now in the Olympic finals playing for a Gold Medal. You can do it David Murdoch. A Lockerbie Man.
Today, it was the ladies who played out for a bronze, two young ladies from Lockerbie. Anna Sloan and Claire Hamilton. The skip Eve Muirhead, out of Pitlochry, born on the 22nd of April 1990, my father’s 50th birthday.
Three Olympic Medalists from Lockerbie….guaranteed .
What colour? Gold please David. You can do it.
out and about
Six weeks off the stove, six weeks in the office.
I'm Mark the new ops manager here at Chefs In Scotland, enjoying getting stuck into a new side of the business. I have very much enjoyed speaking to many of the chefs and hoteliers that I have worked with or for in 4 years out on the circuit as a relief chef or as a seasonal head chef.
Relief is picking up pace slowly, amongst folks I know from round the way there's Sharon Shearer just back fro a successful few weeks at Scalloway in Shetland, Phil Smith a week into his stint at the Auchrannie on Arran. Sean Angus is away to Knockomie and Mark Bellingham is close to home at the Cairndale in Dumfries.
It has also been great to meet or speak to a couple of Chefs In Scotland stalwarts also out and about just now, Paul Waters at Dryfesdale and Gordon Smillie on his way down to Balcary Bay after a couple of days at Knockendarroch.
We're regularly meeting chefs in the offices here in Moffat many of whom are or we hope soon will be out on the relief circuit.
Michael is placing permanent chefs regularly, and I'm learning the art of into sous and chef de partie recruitment.
The nights are drawing out and spring will soon be coming. Looking forward to a busy season
14th February
They seek him there, they seek him here.
A good, solid, hard working, reliable head chef with a flair for cooking.
What comes first?
Without a couple of attributes, the head chef is nothing.
An ability to cook, this can be learned, although I do feel that some have a more natural flair and take on cooking than others. For seasoning, for the use of herbs and spices. When to put in and when to leave out.
Reliability. Again, without this the head chef is nothing. An ability to pitch up week in week out, work away and get the food out. Coping when others fall by the way, when you are a body down in the kitchen.
Numbers. We see them on the TV cooking for three or four and it is in contrast to the life of your jobbing head chef in a busy hotel or restaurant. Ten checks on, five checks on, or one check on. An ability to organise and deal with numbers. To get the food out within a decent amount of time. To move through and take more customers. To make the business money.
Leadership. A tough one this, working in a busy kitchen and leading, directing the other chefs, the junior chefs, the kitchen porter. Liaising with front of house staff. Directing front of house staff if need be. Working closely with a good front of house person can be such a boon.
Mathematical skills. Ordering, gauging how busy the hotel or restaurant will be. Costing, how much to sell a dish for to get the margins but will it still sell. Don’t want any wastage or to run out of veg on a busy Saturday night or worse, Sunday evening.
Kitchen cleanliness. This seems to get harder from what I gather, temperature charts, paperwork, different colour boards.
Keeping up with cooking trends, trying to have a life, a family.
An easy job.
Maybe. Maybe a vocation…for some.
Should have been a plumber Will.
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