Well relief has been very busy having to turn a few jobs away.
Introducing new rates and mileage has went smoothly so far no complaints.
Patrick O’Donnell after running his own restaurant in Argyll wanted some more relief work so he got to go to Shetland to work in the Brae Hotel working until their new head chef started yesterday Donald Craig placed by Michael. He is now booked to go and work as head chef at the newly opened Skipper Bar & bistro in Inveraray where Michael Stanilands is working.
Ally Elder is on some leave from off shore and has successfully completed 2 jobs with 1 to start on Tuesday at The Kenmore Hotel in Perthshire where he will be also working with Eric Day.
Craig Whyte is filling in a week at The Queens Hotel in Oban with Gary Goldie and Will Hay.
We met Davy Brown this week and is booked and eager to go to The Golf Hotel in Silloth on Wednesday the 7th of May.
Paul Burns has a couple of days work at Lochbank Care Home and then 8 days to cover Eddie McDermott’s holiday up in Portsoy at The Station Hotel.
Steve Moffat after another stint at The Caledonian in Oban Steve went to Inch Hotel for 2 days, down to Dryfesdale Hotel in Lockerbie and is booked to go to The Ardvasar Hotel on the Isle of Skye.
Mikko Koskinen excellent work at The Castle Hotel in Huntly, now over at The Victoria Hotel in Rothesay and is already booked out for June at Nevis Range (I hope you don’t mind heights Mikko)
Thanks again for all your support
If you can all email me with a copy of your basic or intermediate Hygiene Certificates as we will be in time emailing these over with the hotel confirmation
Have a great weekend :)
Thursday the 24th of April
I hope everyone had a great Easter Weekend
Henry Samms starting the year in Montrose at the Links Hotel then going to Rainbow Casino in Aberdeen who were very impressed with Henry, onto Loch Bank Care Home and is now in the newly opened Chester Hotel.
Edvinas Stankaitis is back and straight out to the Green Hotel in Kinross and is now up at The Harris Hotel.
Lillian Clarkson after having some surgery she is back fighting fit and currently at the Grey Gull Inn.
David Ironside is just finishing a busy stint at Grannie’s Heilan Hame Park Dean Holidays in Dornoch and is then going back to the Cumbria Park Hotel a little closer to home in Carlisle for 2 weeks.
Kai Stutzkeitz has done another wee stint up on Shetland at the Lerwick Hotel and is currently working over in Rutherglen at the Burnside Hotel.
Eric Day has been off for 1 year due to a back operation is back in full swing firstly going back to Dryburgh Abbey Hotel over in the Borders then to Glencoe hotel, Inch Hotel in Fort Augustus were very pleased with his 4 day stint. Eric is now at Loch Tummel Inn as Sole Chef starting a 4 week stretch.
Alex Henry came to see us again back in February he went to do a few days at Rowallan Castle Golf Club in Ayrshire then celebrated a BIG birthday in March after that he has worked a few stints at Glensander Quarry and is booked again next week in between he worked at The Park Hotel in Montrose.
Well done guys and girls
Great to have you back Lillian
Rates as of the 1st of May for our well known and reliable chefs – hourly rate up by £1 per hour and mileage will be 30p per mile
The rain came this morning and the waves hit the shore all sluggish and grey.
up by the Dutch bakers where I bought a loaf of "barra Gallega" for 95 cents, the tramp sits with his box.
He has a look of resignation and a quite dignity, he does not beg, just looks a little sullen and bemused.
Am I to give him a packet of fags, a loaf of bread, or is that to patronise?
or should I ask who will give me bread, who will patronise me?
walking round these now familiar roads, these now tired looking tapas bars, Armange at Los Buccanoros does not remember me, looks jaded and does not seem to care.
Do I see myself in the tramp in Afmange at Los Buccanoros?
Questions and spring birds sing in the wet Saturday in south Spain, their voices are sweet and simple.
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
Applications are now open for Professional MasterChef 2014
If you’re an aspiring chef, don’t miss this opportunity.
Seven exceptional winners have already been crowned and now Professional MasterChef is back and looking for it’s next champion.
Long established as one of the top professional competitions in the country, this new series is once again looking for chefs with the ambition to reach the top of the industry and the talent to cut it in the world’s best kitchens.
Professional MasterChef will continue to push contestants to prove they have the ability and passion to cook at the highest level as hopefuls battle to impress the Professional MasterChef Judges, as well as some of the country’s greatest chefs, until only the very best remain.
For any chef who aspires to one day sit among the greats, this is the only competition to be part of.
Applications are open now at
Deadline for Applications: 4th April 2014
For more information contact:
masterchefprofessional@shine.tv or call 0207 299 7717
Entry Requirements include:
RSS