Promotion :)

[tsblo]

Its been 4 years, on the line, I have handled every station in my restaurant.
Today the chef called me in, and I was a little nervous, as last night had been busy, and there were a few mistakes made.

When I went to speak to him, he informed me that the current sous chef, has decided to retire, and he wanted me to fill the position.
I'm elated.
2 years from culinary school, and 3 years after my apprenticeship is finished, and I've reached my first chef position.

Now its just up to me to learn the tittle.
Anyone else remember the rise through the ranks, from cook to chef?

[joebot]

Originally Posted by tsblo

Its been 4 years, on the line, I have handled every station in my restaurant.
Today the chef called me in, and I was a little nervous, as last night had been busy, and there were a few mistakes made.

When I went to speak to him, he informed me that the current sous chef, has decided to retire, and he wanted me to fill the position.
I'm elated.
2 years from culinary school, and 3 years after my apprenticeship is finished, and I've reached my first chef position.

Now its just up to me to learn the tittle.
Anyone else remember the rise through the ranks, from cook to chef?

Congrats and cheers bud! In a simiar situation myself, one day was working my tail off making sandwichs for sodexho and then I ran into a chef that I had met an ACF meeting back at le cordon bleu in 2004 that is working at the local Kroger and got me a job as sous in a new chef program that they had started! In january he'll move on and I'll get his position along with more pay! and all just two blocks from home . So in short you just have to work hard, keep your head up and be patient.If you're passionate about cooking and food, good things will happen for you ! And ohh yea ...and never stop learning !


JB

[Montelago]

First Sous job I ever had was kind of a fluke. I was working the pantry in a nice restaurant for about 6 months, and always stayed after to get some time on the hot line with the real cooks. I was always bugging Chef to let me make stocks, sauces, anything I could just to learn. One day Chef had a disagreement with the A.M. Sous and kindly asked him to leave. He then walked into the kitchen and pointed to me saying, you're it. Be here at 6 A.M. with a notebook and pens. And you better have detailed recipes written for a chix special, fish special and meat special. Oh, and a soup of the day. Needless to say I was scared to death, but I was determined not to fail, and I didn't. Though stressful, I made it through and worked for that chef for another two years. I still talk to him to this day. Great Chef.

[shroomgirl]

I'd worked as a waitress in college at a "scratch continental" restaurant for 4-5 months....the chef was freshly out of CIA and just did not have the same chops as his wife, who worked at the sister restaurant. After a disasterous overdone lamb in coffee sauce (who thought up that one?!!) for a Wine and Food Dinner, the chef was asked to leave.......the owner who'd been prepping and working front of the house (he was partner's at La Tourelle in the beginning) took over the kitchen. I started coming in to help him prep, on my time.....the kitchen was where I wanted to be in the first place. Well, after a few days I'm proud to say my large income days FOH were over and happy days cooking in a 3 man kitchen began....after a month or so they hired a new chef who was wonderful....puff from scratch, pates, stocks, changing menus....just a joy.....it did not last nearly long enough, within 9 months I married and moved to a very small town in Southern Louisiana.

20 years later and in a whole other city, I dated one of the men who had organized the disasterous lamb meal.....we didn't discover that connection until 5 years later.....the world gets smaller and smaller.....

[Just Jim]

Not my first Chef job, but my current situation.
I had been a Sous a couple of times, and the Exec. at a hotel, when I found myself out of work, and took a line job at a historic hotel in the area.
One of the local chefs with a great reputation was hired on as the new exec the week before my 2 weeks notice was to end.
I was leaving for another sous position, but almost changed my mind to stay and work for this guy because of his reputation.
In the end, the new opportunity was to much to pass up so I moved on.
A few years later I heard he was going to be the exec at a new Indian casino in the area, and I once again was holding a line position, so I went and applied.
I didn't fill in a job title on the app, and he asked me what I was applying for, pointing to the stacks of job descriptions at the job fair.
I told him to just put me wherever he thought I could do the most good for him.
Keep in mind that I was at that time a line cook, and the one time I met him before I was also a line cook.
I was shocked to see that he hired me as a sous.
A few years later the exec sous moved on, and I was promoted to his position.
It's now 5 1/2 years with the company, and my exec just moved on, and I am being offered the position.