get a life

Greetings Chefs: I would like to get your input on a the subject of Chef life. I am mid 30s executive of a four star restaurant, self taught making great money in a great place bla bla bla. The thing is I have worked 50 plus hours a week, missed holiday's, kids events, have no real hobbies due to lack of time to develope them, and can't get the job out of my head even on day's off. I ve cooked for 23 years and have great admiration for the business...but i feel on the short end of the deal. I mean now that I am (self proclaimed) at the top I don't think it was worth it. In the past year I have been on T.V
on radio, spoken to hundreds of people in demonstration bla bla bla treated like a celeb. But it's just not what I thought it would be. So, here's my question to you young and old food pros out there. Think hard and define for me "Chef life" not really what it is (no bummer stories) but what your perfect Chef life is or would be. What are you working for? Money, schedule, fame, travel,
maybe your own restaurant, early retirement?

[Pete]

That seems to be the topic of the day. My cooks and I were discussing that very thing tonight (restaurant was dead). When it comes down to it I am in this business for one reason only. My passion for food. The money is never in line with the hours we work in a stressful environment, the schedule usually sucks, good luck becoming famous, and it sure isnt easy on your loved ones. I cant explain why I do this other than passion. When you start to list all the negative aspects of this job it does make you stop and wonder. But I dont think I could ever give up being a chef. Sure there are avenues to explore that may give some kind of life like personal cheffing or doing the corporate thing, but I love the kitchen and all that goes with it. Call me twisted, sick, or demented but right now I want to do nothing else. But I am also single and have no childern. I have also given it a lot of thought about what I will do when I have a family. I dont want to miss out on being a father and a husband. I know many chefs who have come to that same conclusion and have opted to enter the coporate chef world. Its still not a 9-5 job but it is a little easier on the schedule, the money is usually better, and at least its still not all desk work. Someday I too may travel that road but right now I will live my passion.

[judy]

My brother and I trained at the same college,same time.He went off to become a very successful chef at a very early age. In his late 20's he asked the same question you are doing right now.He went back to study and become a lecturer and now has his own consultency business, has time for his family travels extensivly,China next week, oh how one little bit of me envys him.On the other hand with the same background I have worked long and hard, I'd love a 50 hour week!, I owed my own hotel do exactly what I want in the hospitality field. I still get a great buzz when I walk into my kitchen and like you I think food non stop. At times Jeremy envys me.
Families dont have to suffer if you involve them with what you do and have great quality time when you can.
Follow your heart, the rest falls into place.
Good luck for the future.

To all the frustrated Chefs out there, I am at the point where I am planning to change my Carreer because I have been there and done that. Asia, Australia, cooked for royalty and V.I.P's many hours and hours, and for what.
$$$ surely not.I am now getting in to network Marketing , I have very good results with that Product and it is easy to recommend.
So if anybody out there is interested to learn more e-mail me on chef@tnq.com.au.
I will be working from home soon making a lot more Money than I will ever be able to make working as a Chef.
No more worries about People calling in sick or the Suppliers not Delivering what was ordered.
Have a great day Christian the Herbalchef

America is the land of opportunity.....If your ultimate goal is not to own your own restaurant.......the future is kinda dark....I don't know many old chefs....and I couldn't imagine working that hard for 40 or 50 years.....What other choice is there?

[CHEF-DG]

I used to have that- I want to be a pro and work my whole life like a dog attitude, but since I had my kids that has all changed. Not to mention the fact that I would have to be a fool to give up the job that I have had for the last 17 years. I work for a major hotel in NYC as the Banquet Chef. I work M-F, 7am-2pm, with occasional overtime especially around xmas. I have nights, weekends and all holidays off. It's a union job, so I also get paid for all these holidays, plus 3 weeks paid vacation, and sick days, personal, full medical coverage for the family, etc. Now looking at all this, who in their right mind would want to go into their own business and work like a dog? I am active in my kids life and it's the way that I would want it to be. When I was a kid, my dad had a delicatessen and used to work from 7am-midnight 7 days a week. We never saw him and never got the chance to play ball with him. Now he often tells me how jealous he gets when he sees all the time that I spend with my kids because he did not get a chance to do the same when my brother and I were small. Just remember---No one on their deathbed ever said that they should have worked more in life!

i hear you're pain brother.i'm 41 and have been in the biz 26 years. my recent history is similar, lots of tv,radio and writing a column in the local paper. is there something missing? at first i thought yes. but if you think about it, how many other people do you know get to do this kinda crap????? i can't walk in the local grocery without being stopped by half a dozen people! what a rush!!! sure i work 60 hours. so what??? my parents were professors,they worked alot more than i do and never got this kind of recognition. the only time i don't get to spend with my kids is fri and sat night. thier teenagers now, so they don't want to hang with me on w/e's anyway!! my mother always told me: it's not really work if you love what you do!

[ChefRon]

I dunno guys; I'm older than all of you and have done the celebrity thing too; but now I've come to realize that the greatest rush I can experience is in serving others. How many more children must be shot in school (or now, even in church?) before we realize that the buck stops with thee and me? I have accepted a job paying less so that I can afford more free time, enabling me to work with youth groups and troubled teens.

If you have free time, donate yourself to charity; get involved in your community, try reaching out to those less fortunate than yourself. You are the single most valuable gift you can give to someone. The rewards will far exceede your wildest expectations.

Make a call to Big Brothers or Big Sisters, look for a volunteer forum on the Net, visit a cook or dishwasher who landed themselves in jail, try reading a few books for the blind. Do anything, but please do something. If you are feeling depressed, chances are you are spending too much time on yourself. Put someone else first for a day, and watch the changes in you!

Halloween is rapidly approaching. Show off youre garde manger skills and carve or paint some awesome pumpkins, then drop them off at your local Children's Hospital oncology department. Your's may be the last Jack o' Latern many of those children will ever see.

Are you proud of your profession? Why not organize a group of chef's to do a charity dinner for a Children's Hospital, or to stamp out hunger in your community? The most valuable thing you will ever possess is the thing you learn to give away.