The career structure in a kitchen can seem regimented at times and almost like a pyramid like most jobs. Its starts with the head chef at the top and can sometimes take a while to get to that stage.
Then below that you have your sous chef, covering for the head chef on days off and assisting to train the junior members of the team.
Then you have your chef de parties who should be able to run a section of the kitchen and usually able to jump around the sections. When I was working as a chef de partie I found it beneficial to work a stint on all sections of the kitchen including sauce, larder, garnish and pastry.
At the bottom of the hierarchy is the commis chef usually fresh out of college or with minimum experience.
The skills required to become a chef are determination, hard work, good food knowledge, health safety and hygiene as well as time and people management. These are all good skills and surely can be transferred to many other environments in life. I think being a chef is a much respected job as it can take a lot to get to the top and usually you have to sacrifice a lot of your time, effort and money to get there. When you make it to the top as a head chef there is much further you can go than that other than executive chef of which jobs seem to be few and far between. So what’s next?
These transferable skills should be able to be used in other industry related jobs such as mentoring, lecturing or health and safety officials or even chef recruitment. Once you’ve got to the top there is always ways to keep improving but as we all know this job can be taxing on your health physical and mental as well as your family and social life. So I guess we all come to that point in life where we want a better work/life balance. So it should be 100% possible to shift your direction in career once you have got to the top.
Jessica
Relief is keeping steady with the availability of chefs being OK.
If you do have any availability please PM me or email jojo@chefsinscotland.co.uk and if you also would like to book in for an interview to discuss relief we are keen to meet new chefs and chefs who we have not met. Please get in touch for our availability.
Dmitrij Cvilij is working at The Balcary Bay Hotel in Dumfriesshire along with Chris Daily, John Frame is up at The Scalloway Hotel in Shetland, Tim Morris just finished down at the Bridge Hotel in Buttermere, Ally Elder is at Lochnell Hotel, Mark Bellingham at Hetland Hall Hotel, Vytis Baltrunas is at Eden Court Theatre, Alan Baird at The County Hotel in Stornoway, Andre Burney at Sumburgh Hotel in Shetland, Gary McGirr at Tilmouth Park, Glyn Musker at Cumbria Park Hotel, David Ironside at Glencairn Care Home, Kirsty Hamilton and Grant Buchanan at The Drovers Inn in Memus, Lillian Clarkson at Burnett Arms in Banchory, Andras Rethi at Dryfesdale Hotel in Lockerbie, Ricky Agnew at The Old Manor Hotel and Graham Smith at Y Not.
Thanks to you all for your continued hard work and support.
Fine dining is defined in the English dictionary as “a style of eating that usually takes place in expensive restaurants, where especially good food is served to people, often in a formal way.” Cambridge Dictionary, 2016.
What do you perceive fine-dining to be?
Is it literally what it states it to be? Dining with fine food. But I suppose what each person defines as fine food is subjective and in each person’s own opinion.
Throughout the years dining in the UK has changed. The influence of Michelin and AA Rosette guides has really pushed fine-dining in this country. But some places aren’t in either of these guides and still produce excellent dishes with great service but is this not also fine dining? I do feel that it is a package and the concept of fine dining that we buy into. The quality of service, water and wine being poured and bread served to you. Canapes, amuse bouche although not always. The waiting staff being there when you need them, quality food served to your table at the right times and together. There are lots of little touches that should come with the fine-dining experience and usually the average person would only venture to these places on special occasions therefore there is that association with special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, promotions, etc. and fine-dining. So what I’m trying to say is that sometimes the food may not even be that good but because there is that association with the special occasion.
In 1967 the Roux brothers first opened La Gavroche which is still open today. They are often described as the "godfathers of modern restaurant cuisine in the UK.” Since 1967 prominent chefs in the UK have included Pierre Koffman, Marco Pierre White, Gordon Ramsay, Sat Bains, Andrew Fairlie amongst many others. They are surrounded by lots of other similar dining experiences in London, and the UK. As well as some more quirky and unusual such as Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck.
However this is not something for everyone. For me personally it is all about the food. The service must also be good but mainly the food should be of high quality. Regardless of whether it is a fine-dining restaurant or a pub, café or outside catering van.
Jessica
Monday 21st March 9am - 6.30pm
Tuesday 22nd March 9am - 6.30pm
Wednesday 23rd March 9am - 6.30pm
Thursday 24th March 9am - 5pm
Good Friday 25th March 9am - 1pm
Saturday 26th March - Closed
Easter Sunday 27th March - Closed
Easter Monday 28th March - 9am - 1pm
Back as usual Tuesday 29th March for the rest of the year until Christmas 2016
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