not really shore

Spoony2

Hi ( Id like to say sorry if my spelling and grammer is not great)

I've fopund a job i love. Im a chef i love the stress i love makeing fine foods i love seeing empty plates coming becak in with the fact that i cooked that food.

But it's the hour's it really naoys me i work between 10 and 12 hours 5 to 6 days a week and long hours yes everything in paradise has a catch.


i work long days dont have much of a social life and genrally dont get much of cahnce to meet women or live the kinda life i want to live,

ive thaught about catering in large buiness but then again you work to a tight buget and from what i know and have experenced catering chefs are pretty bad...

I do have the nessceary expeence to cook for up to 450 people quite happaly

any idea's ive been useing chefing in order to fill a gap in between what i really wnat to do.....

eth0_

Spoony2 wrote:

Hi ( Id like to say sorry if my spelling and grammer is not great)

I've fopund a job i love. Im a chef
....
ive been useing chefing in order to fill a gap in between what i really wnat to do.....

So you love being a chef but it's just a stopgap?

What do you really want to do?

I'm sure you know that working really long days is the norm when you are a chef, at least until you can open your own restaurant and employ your own chefs.

Why don't you try to do a course on starting a small business and maybe open your own place?

eirebhoy

I've a friend who works for Bank of Ireland and he loves the hours. The pay isn't the greatest though. I think he gets in there for about 6. There's just himself and the head chef. It's a complete doddle and after 12-1 all he's doing is small things like putting on a few chips. He could have had a job with better pay right beside his house but he just loves working there.

Every month or so they'd also have functions in the bank with the likes of Bertie Ahern attending. That's about a 16 hour day but when it's only once a month the overtime is welcome.

Pretty much no stress, good hours and free weekends.

keefg

eth0_ wrote:

So you love being a chef but it's just a stopgap?

What do you really want to do?

I'm sure you know that working really long days is the norm when you are a chef, at least until you can open your own restaurant and employ your own chefs.

Why don't you try to do a course on starting a small business and maybe open your own place?

eth0 is right. If you love being a chef then work your butt off now, put in the long hours while you are young enough to handle them. Once you have enough experience & money behind you, then you can open your own place, employ another chef to work for you so you can cut back on your hours.

the_syco

Spoony2 wrote:

But it's the hour's it really naoys me i work between 10 and 12 hours 5 to 6 days a week and long hours yes everything in paradise has a catch.

Worked in a kitchen peeling carrots, etc, and saw that if the place is big enough, it has enough chefs to give everyone two days off. My advice: if you have the experience, and look around, with the goal of having two days off a week.

If you don't, you'll burn out.

eth0_

eirebhoy wrote:

I've a friend who works for Bank of Ireland and he loves the hours. ..after 12-1 all he's doing is small things like putting on a few chips. He could have had a job with better pay right beside his house but he just loves working there.

No offense but those who cook in staff canteens can't legitimately call themselves "chefs".

The OP sounds like he has a real passion for food, and going to work in a canteen would be a step backwards for him.

Spoony2

eth0_ wrote:

So you love being a chef but it's just a stopgap?

What do you really want to do?

I'm sure you know that working really long days is the norm when you are a chef, at least until you can open your own restaurant and employ your own chefs.

Why don't you try to do a course on starting a small business and maybe open your own place?

Im nautrally and instinktie chef, and it is all nuatral ive never been taught anything i just look taste something and im like it needs this that and soem of that......

What do i really want to do id love to wake up every morning and put a suit on, and do something that require's me to eather run a buisness or own one id love to be able to travel every week to a different part of the world.
working on projects with deadlines thats what i love about the kitchen i love when its up to me to get something done and im told i can't and then i do, its like .... Im really sick i love stress and i think im sorta sick for that it just sends my adrenal gland into overdrive.... Just soemthing really rewarding not that chefing isnt, I just have the ability to tell any one ive evr worked for how it is id put my self first if I messed up on something and let me take the stick as I am a sous chef so i can asume reponcability.... Id love a job with high risk and huge rewards....

I dont think i could run my own restruant i no how chefs are and i no what goe's on u have to be there 24 hours a day with little spies every where

Spoony2

eth0_ wrote:

No offense but those who cook in staff canteens can't legitimately call themselves "chefs".

The OP sounds like he has a real passion for food, and going to work in a canteen would be a step backwards for him.

in my opinion yur not a chef untill youve got star on your jacket

jebusmusic

What age are you, if you dont mind me asking?

I'm 23, and am in the process of leaving a steady enough 9-5ish job in order to start working as a chef. As Keefg said, my aim would be to work my bollox off for 10-15 years, and then hopefully be in a position to own a restaurant or to be Head Chef in a partnership.

To be honest, I think your hopes kind of contradict each other. As in if you want a job with 'high risk and huge rewards' then it's not going to be 9-5 or easy. Doing something like that, say business or trading etc would be just as demanding and tiring as cheffing.

Why not look for chef jobs overseas, either in Europe or Australia/New Zealand? That way you could combine work, excitement, travel and new experiences in one.

That's part of my plan anyway!

Spoony2

jebusmusic wrote:

What age are you, if you dont mind me asking?

I'm 23, and am in the process of leaving a steady enough 9-5ish job in order to start working as a chef. As Keefg said, my aim would be to work my bollox off for 10-15 years, and then hopefully be in a position to own a restaurant or to be Head Chef in a partnership.

To be honest, I think your hopes kind of contradict each other. As in if you want a job with 'high risk and huge rewards' then it's not going to be 9-5 or easy. Doing something like that, say business or trading etc would be just as demanding and tiring as cheffing.

Why not look for chef jobs overseas, either in Europe or Australia/New Zealand? That way you could combine work, excitement, travel and new experiences in one.

That's part of my plan anyway!

hey dude

Im 25 been a cook for about 3 years.

welcome to the trade if you need any help with anything give me a shout. Can i recomend you do soemthing, if you have the time read confidentol kitchen bye antony baurdine itle be a book of booth insight into kitchens and what youle be expected to do chefing is liek being in the army except, more insane.

Its good you have a goal, persoanlly id never own a restruant, way tomuch trouble.

i dont mind working the hours but when your in a kitchen for 7 days stright 12 hours a day its a bit anoying. persoanlly i feel im confused about my genral direction in life.

Ive cooked in france the uk , switzerland and Italy, being honest its the sme routine that gets to mean ule no what i mean in about 8 weeks ...


But serously its one messed up job i hope you have a sence of humer .....

(I do ahve ides about what would liek to do but that requires investment.)

jebusmusic

Spoony2 wrote:

Can i recomend you do soemthing, if you have the time read confidentol kitchen bye antony baurdine itle be a book of booth insight into kitchens and what youle be expected to do chefing is liek being in the army except, more insane.

Hehe, cheers man. Already read it, it pretty much made me decide that Cooking was what I wanted to do! Been reading a lot of cheffing related stuff recently, Marco Pierre White's 'White Slave' is great!

Been doing a few shifts on my own time last week in a great restaurant also, chef is cool, really nice of him to give me some experience. Hopefully something might come of it.

Sounds like you need something hectic and stressful to keep you happy?!

At 25 you're not too old to go back to college as a mature student. Maybe something like a Business/Economics degree could be good?

That or becoming an Air Traffic Controller!

Spoony2

jebusmusic wrote:

Hehe, cheers man. Already read it, it pretty much made me decide that Cooking was what I wanted to do! Been reading a lot of cheffing related stuff recently, Marco Pierre White's 'White Slave' is great!

Been doing a few shifts on my own time last week in a great restaurant also, chef is cool, really nice of him to give me some experience. Hopefully something might come of it.

Sounds like you need something hectic and stressful to keep you happy?!

At 25 you're not too old to go back to college as a mature student. Maybe something like a Business/Economics degree could be good?

That or becoming an Air Traffic Controller!

Good man its my favourite kitchen book :D .....

il give his a goo if it huge i wont read it...

Good man just remember cookings fun and have the confidance to no what your doing I think thats the most important thing in a kitchen.. Ya never no he might take you under his wing....

Yep ive got Add and dislexia, so i like things that need all my attentiona nd are rally busy or i just dont feel for filled chefings good but Ive got other triats that are going to waste still would work in a kitchen.....


Yeah so that can be this years job, go to a carreer guidance counciler. Whats business and economic's ?

air traffic controller id be looking at bleeps and squeeks but thansk for your input. It's something to look into.....

eirebhoy

eth0_ wrote: »

No offense but those who cook in staff canteens can't legitimately call themselves "chefs".

The OP sounds like he has a real passion for food, and going to work in a canteen would be a step backwards for him.

What makes a chef a chef? You can be sure these 2 guys have tons of experience working in restaurants and whatever else. I'm really curious to know your answer to my question though.

Reading his post he's talking about the hours and that he'd like a social life so I made a suggestion.

I also know the chef from the howl of the moon niteclub. He only works a few nights a week and it's not a busy job. Is he regarded as a chef because he has orders coming in?

eirebhoy

eirebhoy wrote: »

What makes a chef a chef?

Anyone agree with eth0_ care to answer this question? I'd love to know.

the_syco

eirebhoy wrote: »

I also know the chef from the howl of the moon niteclub. He only works a few nights a week and it's not a busy job. Is he regarded as a chef because he has orders coming in?

I know a few chefs who "only" do a few nights a week, but it's cos they have a full time job elsewhere. Not saying this is always the case, but I've seen this happen in a few places I've worked in.

Spoony2

civi's call chefs chef's i personally call them all cooks ....


as for what m going to do i really dont know. i kinda fancy going to see a careers kindance person and doing a few test's etc i personally feel it would help .....