So that is Johanna back from her holidays and we are now back up to full strength in the Chefs In Scotland office including Bentley the Basset-Hound. Michael is busy working on the Moffat Business and Training Centre with our local graduate Euan. They are busy working on the business plan, feasibility study and our MB&TC evening next week. We are holding a cheese and wine evening so local businesses can come and see the plans and drawings that we have for MB&TC and ask any questions they may have. We hope to get some more local support to push on with the project. I have been entrusted to get the wine and the cheese which will all be Scottish so any recommendations would be extremely grateful.
I have been getting my head around permanent recruitment after working on relief for a few days in Johanna’s absence. For this time of year the office is very busy, the phones are ringing merrily, adverts flowing in and relief is getting tighter by the minute. That’s 1 permanent placement made and 3 adverts so definitely getting there!
Johanna is busy working away on relief after being updated on all the comings and goings of our relief chefs, new and old and has already managed to get 3 relief jobs and 3 adverts today! So she has definitely got stuck right in.
The weather in Moffat is overcast and cloudy with potential rain and it is certainly starting to feel more like autumn. Now there is just over 11 weeks till Christmas it won’t be long until we are deep in snow and ice but hopefully a few brighter days on the cards before that happens.
For now back to chasing up some references.
Jessica
This week in the office we have been busy making permanent placements. We are up to 5 already and they have been all over Scotland including Glasgow city centre, Fettercairn, Montrose, Nairn and the Isle of Skye. They have been mainly junior chefs but there has been one head chef placement as well. So it does seem that the availability of chefs is improving.
The availability of relief chefs also seems to be improving as we get into October. Johanna is away on holiday in Spain this week. (Have fun Jo!) So if you do have availability then please give the office a call and speak to myself or Michael.
We go through a number of CVs every day and they all vary. So it got me thinking about CVs and how people go about writing them. How many of us use templates or other google tools on how to write a CV? At Chefs In Scotland we are more than happy to help or advise on CV writing. When the CVs come in there a couple of things I look for.
These are just a few things that I look for. CVs don’t need to be complicated just a simple statement of where you have worked and where you intend to be in your career.
So if you want assistance in writing your CV give the office a call 01683 222 830.
For now I must push on with a bit of relief on this lovely sunny day.
Jessica
So now we are into the first week in autumn and it certainly feels like it. I could see my breath as I came out of the car this morning and now the rain is coming down too. At Chefs In Scotland this week we are progressing strongly with permanent placements. We are up to 4 now including one head chef at a 2 rosette restaurant near Edinburgh so it just goes to show that there are chefs available but it seems to be mainly down to location and working terms and conditions.
We keep trying to explain to employers that the era of working an 80 hour week and only being paid for 40 is now gone. However I wonder how true that is. When a permanent position is advertised with us we ask how many hours roughly the chef would be working and over how many days. Some are honest and say 60 hours and sometimes 6 days. However the average is 45-50 hours over 5 days out of 7 and I wonder how many places stick to this. If the chefs are being paid overtime after 48 hours or are on an hourly rate they probably wouldn’t mind working the extra hours as needed by the business. But if you are paying your chef de partie £18,000 for a 50 hour week it only works out to £6.92 an hour which is not very much for the skill of a chef.
Relief is busy at the moment with the jobs already piling in for October So Johanna is working hard on trying to get those jobs out while the availability in September remains quite tight.
We have received more adverts for the North of England last week for a 2AA rosette restaurant in a 14th century castle 34 miles from Carlisle. So we have bought a map of England so we can see where all of these lovely places are. If you are interested in chef de partie or sous chef jobs in the North of England please send your CV in to me at recruitment@chefsinscotland.co.uk and we can get you registered.
For now we must push on and get chefs placed. This afternoon I will be chasing up references which are a vital part of chef recruitment. I always like to get at least two references as sometimes one can be good – excellent and another one average – poor. So this is the reason we ask for details of references. I understand that sometimes employers and employees don’t always leave on the best of terms but references are 100% confidential and they do give us an insight into the chef at work.
For now on this rainy day in Moffat I must get back to chef recruitment.
Jessica
By Johanna
Relief is still busy and we have a few jobs already for October.
Michael George is working at The Dryfesdale Hotel in Lockerbie where Jason Keenan is Head Chef.
Lillian Clarkson is at The Grant Arms in Monymusk before she was at The Ramnee Hotel in Forres.
Rosie Robertson was over at Cromdale outdoor centre working for 3 days.
Glyn Musker is back at The Archiestown Hotel working until the end of October.
Allen Jack still over on Islay at The Islay Hotel and getting on very well.
Martin Nel is back at the Crusoe Hotel in Fife.
Steve Nye has taken the permanent head chef position at The Eglington Arms, thanks for all your hard work on relief Steve.
Ally Elder’s time is coming to an end at Kastille in Turriff and is back off to Thailand.
Andrew Bruce is still over in the Borders at The Dryburgh Abbey Hotel.
Max Nisbet managed to fit in 5 days work at Glenapp castle between shoots.
David Ironside’s time is also coming to an end at The Kinloch Hotel on Arran.
Lots of great work from our relief chefs.
Thanks again everyone.
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