YES. A chef’s job is stressful. And apparently childbirth is too. But as in both cases, the end result is rewarding. Working as a chef in a kitchen is not a job, it’s a way of life, it will make you or break you and it takes a certain breed to withstand the pressure, unsociable hours, and attention to detail. For the faint-hearted and sensitive I would strongly advise to stay away from this as a career choice. A kitchen can turn from a quiet moment to a war zone at the flip of a coin and when it does, the s–t certainly hits the fan.
You will cut yourself, burn yourself and more than likely be shouted at a few times. Make sure you have a deep passion for cooking and an even bigger desire to become a successful chef, before you endeavour upon entering this wonderful world of culinary delights.
Am I trying to put you off? NO. I am just being honest, as I have been there and come out the other end. In the next few chapters, I will show you how to avoid being stressed and how to make working in a kitchen as a stress-free as possible.
Why is food service so stressful in a Kitchen?
As a head chef, running a kitchen is no easy task. You not only have to rely on good management, front of house staff, Suppliers and then of course your kitchen staff. It is also your responsibility to make sure all your equipment is working, and health and safety regulations are always adhered to. The clock is ticking, and service cannot be delayed. If any of the above are not on par, you are heading into trouble.
Always remember the 4 pppp”s.
The biggest contributor to a stressful service is bad organisation. Rule of thumb in any kitchen falling victim to the 4 pppp”s. Poor Preparation leads to Poor Production. There is no excuse for this to happen and it can make all the difference when it comes to service.
Running a kitchen can go either way depending on how organised you are, not only as far as your own service set up is but also how you organise your staff. Most importantly is having the skill to delegate and having a responsive team with you. To successfully achieve this, you need to gain respect from your colleagues, they need to be confident in you and respect how you work.
Sometimes you will need to be cruel to be kind (within reason) Be nice to your work colleagues, if they smoke, let them have a smoke, don’t chastise them, give them some slack but don’t let them take the p-ss. Ask their opinions on things, give them the chance to make suggestions and feel like part of the team, but also let them know when it comes to service and you ask for something, make sure it is ready.
Why do chefs get so angry and bad tempered?
Yes, Chefs do get irritable, bad-tempered and angry, but isn’t this normal behaviour for anyone constantly under pressure, tired, and overworked? When a customer asks for a blue steak and when it arrives, they suddenly realise it was too undercooked for them, so they send it back blaming the Chef.
With another 30 people waiting impatiently for their food, there comes a time when pressure needs to be released and unfortunately this will normally happen at the heat of the moment and it does not take much to light the fuse when the pressure is on.
In my many years as a chef, I have seen even the calmest most chilled out chefs lose it at some point. Unfortunately, it is the only way for some chefs to cope with the pressure and is a warning sign to anyone trying to put more pressure on to back off. it is also a way of letting their team know this is not the time to make any mistakes.
To say all chefs were bad-tempered all the time would be like saying a prison warden treats his family the same as the inmates when he or she arrives home. People behave differently in different environments and it is a well-known fact that chefs are great socialites and fun to be with outside a kitchen. A good chef will have a split personality, great fun to be out with but a completely different person in the working environment.
There is always pressure in a kitchen and when people work together for long periods of time there is inevitably going to be some fall outs. If you make a mistake and do happen to be on the receiving end of a rollicking, take it on the chin and don’t make the same mistake again. Never take things personally. There is no excuse for abuse or unnecessary shouting and swearing in any environment but working in a kitchen there is a higher expectancy of being shouted at than in most workplaces, this is the nature of the job unfortunately and the old saying still stands, if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
put a smile on your chefs face
5 ways to deal with stress in a professional kitchen
1. work clean and tidy
Make sure you work clean and tidy. Wipe down your work surface regularly and that does not mean get a cloth and wipe everything off the table and onto the floor this is something I see chefs do so many times and then trample it all over the kitchen.
Not only should your section be clean but your personal hygiene too. Clean chefs’ whites, an Apron, nonslip safety shoes and a chef’s hat. Your personal presentation speaks volume about the kind of chef you are.
How would you feel if you were sat in a restaurant and the chef came out with dirty chefs’ whites? It would really make you wonder about the quality of the food he was preparing for you.
2. Be organised
From the moment you start your shift, check your stock. have a clear mind of how much you will need and always prepare a little extra just in case. There is nothing worse than playing catch-up.
Be professional, check your products are fresh and clean, make sure the temperatures are correct and don’t leave food lying around. Organise your fridges, throw out any out of date or perishing stock, know where everything is so you don’t have to waste time looking for it when it gets busy.
The only way to be prepared is by being organised. A sloppy chef will always be behind when it comes to service and this will only be tolerated by the head chef for a short amount of time.
3. Work smart, not hard.
Don’t wait for it to run out before you decide to top it up. So many times, I have seen chefs scraping the bottom of the garnish pot just because they have not bothered to top it up and then realise, they have run out. Thinking it should be enough is not the way. make sure it’s enough and you will save yourself a lot of stress.
Prepare all your food to the furthest point possible without destroying it. Salad prep, cucumbers, tomatoes etc. can all be sliced and still be perfect for at least 3 hours if kept in the right environment (of course cut fresh is better if you have time). Cutting and slicing during a busy spell will slow down service.
Your attitude towards your work will play a great part in the quality of your final product. If your heart is not in it you are in the wrong place. Passion and attention to detail is the only way to achieve the perfect finish. Anything else would be compromising and that holds no place in the quest for perfection.
4. respect towards your colleagues.
Not everyone will have your sense of humour, currently you can find yourself working with many different cultures and it is wise to keep certain points of view to yourself. What you may find funny someone of a different culture could find offensive Even though there was no malice intended.
Don’t be ignorant and think you are the best. YOU ARE NOT. Be as helpful as you can without jeopardising your own section especially with new colleagues who are less familiar with the surroundings.
In this line of work, the chances are you will be spending long hours and sometimes days with your colleagues in more times than not you probably spend more time with them than you do with your family, so being respectful towards others will make it a much better environment to be in.
Some useful Gadgets.
5. Be professional.
No matter how much time you spend in your workplace, always remember you are work Leave your personal life at the entrance and pick it up on your way outing for someone and keep it professional. This not only applies to your work but your personal appearance and the way you present yourself.
What you do outside of work is up to you if it does not affect your place of work. Do not discuss your personal affairs with other members of staff who don’t really know you, it is more likely than not it will be used against you at some stage. Unfortunately, people are not always what they seem.
Be punctual and don’t walk in looking like the cat’s dinner. We all burn the candle at both ends sometimes but if that next drink means you are going to be late for work, dont have it or accept the consequences. If you enjoy what you do then being professional should come naturally and be a reflection of one’s self.
Related posts
Kevin Harrington is a keen photographer, blogger, and professional chef for over 40 years. With a passion for cooking and travel, Chefstravels was born. Thank you for visiting my site and I wish you every success in what you do.
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