Masterchef Ireland 2011

beagle001

Right I remember some scandal about child porn at their cooking school a few yrs back thought it was her husband,so she married into the dynasty.

Bigcheeze

Birdsong wrote: »

all guests very opininated aren't they

Wouldn't be much fun if they described everything as "Grand" or "Not too bad"

C-J

Bigcheeze wrote: »

Wouldn't be much fun if they described everything as "Grand" or "Not too bad"

ya thats nice: . . .
or added their own sugar, salt or ketchup as my oh seems to do with EVERYTHING i serve up!! Such an insult! Then again you could add a kg of salt some of those dishes tonight and it'd prob make them taste and look better!

TheChrisD

After last night, I definitely don't want to even eat in the Shelbourne, let alone work there, now that I know what it's like in the back.

There's a difference between being a head chef and being an absolute bully...

Thud

making the lads shave was a bit excessive, Dylan himself is often stubbly, it wasn't like they had long beards, a beard net maybe, but their overall clenliness would have been more important, long hairs falling out or sweat drops would probably be more on an issue

amdublin

TheChrisD wrote: »

After last night, I definitely don't want to even eat in the Shelbourne, let alone work there, now that I know what it's like in the back.

There's a difference between being a head chef and being an absolute bully...

He had high standards which were outlined to in the beginning and then which he kept reminding them of during the course of the program.

It looked a bit hammed up for tv tbh. Also they only showed the shouty parts. They were in there for the whole day, he could have helped them multiple times but they didn't show that as it is not exciting tv.

Sgt Hartman

themadchef wrote: »

The chef might be coming across as a bit of a ....... but....

You need to work clean
You need to watch your wastage
You need to follow a recipe
You do not challenge authority
You keep your head down, do as you're told, get it out as specified by your head chef and get it out on time.

Do they want to learn or do they want to be wrapped in cotton wool to get the shock of their lives in the real world?

Kitchens are not play grounds folks. It's tough at the top.

If some jumped-up dickhead spoke to me in the condescending way that head chef was speaking to the contestants I'd certainly challenge him. I wouldn't be nasty but I'd definately stand up to him.
Personally I thought his attitude was partly to blame for much of the panic we saw yesterday evening.

After last night, I definitely don't want to even eat in the Shelbourne, let alone work there, now that I know what it's like in the back.

There's a difference between being a head chef and being an absolute bully...

I wouldn't want to eat in there anyway because of it's snobbish clientele;-)

themadchef

Sgt Hartman wrote: »

If some jumped-up dickhead spoke to me in the condescending way that head chef was speaking to the contestants I'd certainly challenge him. I wouldn't be nasty but I'd definately stand up to him.

Then you'd face the firing squad. As a trainee chef you are there to learn to work under pressure. People crack me up. You dont get hand held in these places, only the strong rise to the top and the weak get trampled. Tough, physically and mentally draining? Hell yeah. Not for everyone. That is mild compared to how some head chefs are. The more obsessive the chef generally the better the training youre going to get.

The kitchen is no place for wall flowers or people who like to think they know it all or cant take a bollocking. Feel free to tell the head chef what you think of him, but be sure to remember where you left your coat because he's not going to bother his hole trying to break you when there are ten more equally enthusiastic young chefs lined up to take your place.

Sgt Hartman wrote: »

Personally I thought his attitude was partly to blame for much of the panic we saw yesterday evening

You saw an edited version of the whole days events. Him being all cute and pampering would not have made good telly nor would it have been a true portrayal of normal, high pressure, kitchen operation.

beagle001

I'm sorry I disagree,
In the military this sort of negative leadership would not be tolerated and this is an organisation that values recruits and trainees where bullying is not a way to lead.
That chef was a little napoleon who intimidates his staff and believes he is the king of his domain.
I have followed the masterchef UK version for several years and of the many tasks where the contestants spend time with a top chef this behaviour is never shown.
These are leading chefs from the UK with established Michelin stars not some jumped up wanna be in the shelbourne hotel.
Enough said about him he obviously was playing to the cameras but it backfired on him greatly.

amdublin

beagle001 wrote: »

I'm sorry I disagree,
In the military this sort of negative leadership would not be tolerated and this is an organisation that values recruits and trainees where bullying is not a way to lead.
That chef was a little napoleon who intimidates his staff and believes he is the king of his domain.
I have followed the masterchef UK version for several years and of the many tasks where the contestants spend time with a top chef this behaviour is never shown.
These are leading chefs from the UK with established Michelin stars not some jumped up wanna be in the shelbourne hotel.
Enough said about him he obviously was playing to the cameras but it backfired on him greatly.

Did you see the docu on Dylan Mcgrath and mint a few yrs back. He was similar but worse!!

tinyk68

My biggest problem was that fact that they used instant eggs in the cakes. Did anyone else notice this? Am I being naive or is this common practice in kitchens. I would have thought they would use real eggs. After all this is supposed to be a five star establishment not McDonald's!

DebDynamite

I thought the head chef in the Shelbourne was grand He was right to bollock (if you could even call it that) whoever it was threw the sugar in the bin. That kind of waste is just stupid. If you work in a real kitchen you have to make profits of a certain % so you can have no unecessary waste.

Thought it was a bit odd the 2 lads had to shave when Dylan has a permanent beard though!

RGDATA!

TheChrisD wrote: »

There's a difference between being a head chef and being an absolute bully...

honestly, if you think he was a bully based on that performance, you probably don't even want to know about what goes on in the kitchens of half the places you do eat. not everywhere, but shelbourne guy was fairly standard in my experience, and i did that kind of work for a few years.
his haircut was ****ing shocking though

Neil3030

I don't see Pearce or Shane lasting the pace.

The final 3 will be Christine, Mike and either Brigin or the Scottish one. More likely the latter.

RGDATA!

Thud wrote: »

making the lads shave was a bit excessive

that was a load of **** alright, ridiculous.
er chef, you seem to have some sort of scalp condition, perhaps you should shave your entire head yourself before touching any food? either that or take youself to the barber and tell him you're sick of looking like an asshat.

Neil3030

RGDATA! wrote: »

that was a load of **** alright, ridiculous.
er chef, you seem to have some sort of scalp condition, perhaps you should shave your entire head yourself before touching any food? either that or take youself to the barber and tell him you're sick of looking like an asshat.

Rules are rules, if he only wants clean shaven chefs in his kitchen, that's his prerogative.

However a heads-up would have sufficed. I suspect waiting until they showed up to tell them was just for the cameras.

gbee

I though the head chef in the Shelbourne was grand. As a few have mentioned already, if this mild mannered Head Chef offended you, then you really don't understand the typical kitchen.

P. Breathnach

Neil3030 wrote: »

Rules are rules, if he only wants clean shaven chefs in his kitchen, that's his prerogative....

That's bollocks. It has nothing to do with the work, so imposing a rule like that constitutes bullying.

Would you defend a rule that he not have women in the kitchen, or blacks? Rules are rules, you say.

The irony of Dylan being bearded (well, sort of bearded) and being allowed access to the kitchen has already been noted.

amdublin

Don't know why people are going on about the head chef

Dylan was no angel in docu a couple of years ago about Mint.

And ever since Gordon Ramsay I thought tv watching people would have got used to the face that head chefs are seriously up their own @rse :rolleyes:

themadchef

P. Breathnach wrote: »

That's bollocks. It has nothing to do with the work, so imposing a rule like that constitutes bullying.

Would you defend a rule that he not have women in the kitchen, or blacks? Rules are rules, you say.

How does it constitute bullying exactly? He has a brigade of chefs who work to his standards, therefore his his standards apply across the board. He wants his chefs clean shaven and dressed neatly. Anyone who cant be arsed to shave in the morning before coming to work in a kitchen, well whats to say they washed at all? Or maybe they wash their hands, maybe they dont. Where do you draw the line? He has a line that he takes and i dont blame him for not allowing TV chefs to cross it while his own team is made toe the line.

Making a big "your not shaved, get out of my kitchen" statement was completely for the cameras and intended to catch some of the lads out or they would have had a sheet of "acceptable practice, dress code" before they walked in the door imo.

The second part of your post im not even going to rise to.

beagle001

That chef is clearly a knob end of story.

amdublin

beagle001 wrote: »

That chef is clearly a knob end of story.

Claarly.

But it is pretty much par for the course as chefs go....Gordon Ramsay being one. Kevin Thornton on a program on rte a couple of years ago about people trying to get a dream job another. And Dylan himself on the Mint docu.

I am not sure why you are so sensitive about this particular chef :rolleyes:

Ps. Derry O'Rourke comes across like a nice chef bloke on any tv shows I've seen him in. But the majority are pretty much same as the shelbourne guy.

beagle001

Not particularly sensitive about this guy at all,I just do not apreciate his leadership qualities.
Look at the real top chefs on the UK version they are professional and also you never see them acting like a fool like this guy.
He Is a nobody in comparison to Michael Cane or Michel Rou and was out to make a name for himself when this competition is not about him but the contestants.
It annoyed me as the industry glorifies idiots like him in Ireland when in reality he bullies to command authority.

gbee

beagle001 wrote: »

It annoyed me as the industry glorifies idiots like him in Ireland when in reality he bullies to command authority.

Maybe so, but he did not throw any pots or knives in temper fits ~ very calm very controlled ** To Be Honest ** he was not particularly excessive.

amdublin

beagle001 wrote: »

It annoyed me as the industry glorifies idiots like him in Ireland when in reality he bullies to command authority.

Who glorifies him I can't even remember his name

Neil3030

P. Breathnach wrote: »

That's bollocks. It has nothing to do with the work, so imposing a rule like that constitutes bullying.

Would you defend a rule that he not have women in the kitchen, or blacks? Rules are rules, you say.

Hands down the dumbest argument I have ever read.

And I spend a fair bit of time in the Soccer forum.

P. Breathnach

Neil3030 wrote: »

Hands down the dumbest argument I have ever read.

And I spend a fair bit of time in the Soccer forum.

What's dumb about pointing out that imposing irrelevant rules is unjustifiable?

Neil3030

P. Breathnach wrote: »

What's dumb about pointing out that imposing irrelevant rules is unjustifiable?

Your moronic comparison between a neat dress code and sexual/racial discrimination.

C-J

Boys put away the handbags! Seriously! A) Masterchef is not 'reality tv' in the normal sense, things are hammed up, edited, exaggerated and MADE UP to generate viewers. The beard thing was done as a publicity stunt to show that 'ooh these amateurs are up sh1t creek now with this fella', how would they have 'just happened' to have razors in their back pockets! Also he was pretty mild, if any other head chef got only 4 out of 8 pastries on time for service heads would ROLL!! And finally c) who actually CARES! Tomo is another episode so MOVE ON!

Callan57

I wouldn't be too interested in afternoon tea in the Shelbourne after that ... fiddly, piddly little bits of nothing on a plate .... give me a nice wedge of apple tart and cream any day. :mad: