On Monday I returned to the office after 2 full weeks off. It was the most time off I have had off in a while and it was nice to come back to work with a fresh pair of eyes feeling very refreshed. I was visiting family in New Jersey. While I was there, I was keen to see some of the sights in Manhattan. For a foodie like me a trip to New York wouldn’t be anything without visiting Carlos’ Bakery in New York and the original one in Hobboken also. The cabinets are full of cannoli’s, cookies, biscuits, huge cakes of all colours and flavours and the staff were very friendly. It was quite an experience.
On the second day I visited the Empire State Building and we went up to the 102nd floor. The sights from here were astounding but the height is not for the faint hearted. It was interesting seeing the whole of New York from the very top, it was just dusk, and the sun had set by the time we got to the top. The best time to go I would say.
During the time going in and out of the city I found most people to be very nice and friendly which seems to be contrary to popular belief. There is a very severe homeless situation in the city and its very sad to see so many people who must sleep rough every night especially in the bitter cold.
I have a new love for bagels since returning home, while I enjoyed the sweet ones I preferred the savoury ones. Quick breakfast or lunch on the go and very filling. If you are visiting the city be prepared to walk as there is so much to see and do. I ticked nearly everything off my list including the Empire State Building, seeing a basketball game, Statue of Liberty, 9/11 memorial. The 9/11 memorial for me was beautiful but very sad. The names of everyone who lost their lives on that day are written all around the water.
We also went to Carlos’ bakery, saw a Broadway show, ate a traditional New York pizza, shopped at Macy’s, visited the Rockefeller centre and the iconic Christmas tree, drank in Oscar Wilde’s bar, drove past Grand Central Station and ate a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner.
Food recommendations are:
Cheesecake factory for amazing Raspberry and lemon cheesecake, Mexicue which is just a couple of blocks from the Empire State Building and they make a great Margarita! Blue Smoke (great traditional BBQ style meats), John’s Pizza place. There are about 5 pizza ovens all over the restaurant and the atmosphere is great. Oscar Wilde’s is a great bar for cocktails and is beautifully decorated for Christmas too. Shake shack for burgers and Chick-Fil-A for the best chicken sandwiches. We ate a lot in and around New Jersey including The Huntley Taverne (unfortunately not actually owned by my family!)
All in all, a great trip and I would highly recommend the city for anyone who is looking for an action-packed holiday, not one for too much relaxing!
Fancy learning some interesting facts on Moffat?
It’s hard to believe that I have been with Chefs In Scotland for a year now. It has gone by like a flash. Looking back on my first day in the office I often laugh at how nervous I was because it feels now as if I have always been here. From starting off with doing general references and calling chefs to where I am now is crazy. I found it easy to settle into the office as Johanna and Jessica made me feel very welcome and have supported me daily since then. I continue to have meetings with Michael every so often and it’s good to catch up and talk about how I am doing in the office and to talk of ways in which I can better myself and thrive.
After a full year in the office I feel like I have achieved a lot. The thought of trying to place a chef was very daunting when I first started but now it feels like second nature. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not always as smooth and plain sailing as I sometimes wish it would be but its all part and parcel of the job which is why enjoy it. You never know what you’re going to come in to daily which is why I love it, something new and challenging every day!
Over the last year I have managed to build relationships with many establishments and help when they are in need of a chef. It is such a rewarding feeling when you manage to help an establishment get a chef, it feels like a sense of relief knowing they are all sorted.
It has been a huge change in my life starting at Chefs In Scotland. I started working in a hotel for 5/6 years as a waitress to then working in retail for a year. I felt that after a year in college I had come to a standstill career wise and needed something to change it up a bit. I had spent a full year in college and decided that after qualifying in my course it wasn’t the right career choice for me. I noticed the job opportunity for Chefs In Scotland advertised on Facebook and sent my Cv across straight away. I was then invited for a 3-hour trial one afternoon and was given the task of doing some invoices and references. I must say, a year on and invoices are still my favourite. I then started on the 1st August 2018 after a family weekend spent in Blackpool. During my first week I was eased in and started to send some Cv’s out, but it wasn’t until the 13th September that I managed to successfully place a young chef at a high end hotel situated in the Lake District. It was a great feeling and felt like a huge achievement after only being with the company for just over a month.
Now here I am a year on, and I can happily say that I have finally found the career path in which I wish to continue in. Here’s to the next year…
Jade
Relief remains tight as expected for the time of year, we have 82 relief chefs out working, we are still managing to get relief chefs booked with 24 so for this week.
We have 25 relief job booked out so far for this week, 78 relief chefs out in total.
If you would like more information on relief and how it works please email your CV to jojo@chefsinscotland.co.uk or call 01683 222830.
Relief gives you the chance to see Scotland/North England, get paid by the hour, learn in different kitchens and be able to be more flexible.
We have lots of positions available just now all over, if you want more details just get in touch.
We also have lots of permanent and seasonal jobs available if you are looking for a change you can email your CV to recruitment@chefsinscotland.co.uk or visit our website and apply for positions directly www.chefsinscotland.co.uk to get automatic emails of new jobs please register with CIS for Chefs https://www.chefsinscotland.co.uk/content/account/
Here are a few chefs we have out at the moment
Sarah Pozzi is over in Mull and the Tobermory Hotel/Galleon Restaurant
Sebastian Luszczynski and Allan Baird are at The County Hotel in Stornoway
Eimantas Radzeicis is new to relief and is up at the Tongue Hotel
Paddy Welsh and Paul Sellers are both at the Dryfesdale Hotel in Lockerbie
Another new relief chef Kaspars Lapins is at the Ceilidh Place
And another new chef Marcin Rozwadowski is at Ballathie House Hotel House
Thanks to all our relief chefs for your continuous work and support 😊
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