i recently earned the position of sous chef at a brand new restaurant whose kitchen is run by a chef i worked with at my previous job.
i've been working hard to make my way up the ladder in kitchens for over five years now, but i've never been in a position like this before and i need some insight as to whether i'm getting a taste of what it's really like, or if i'm just getting royally shat upon.
my chef had me give notice at my last job in time to have about a week and a half off before we began. construction fell behind and i ended up being out of work for a month and a half, but worked for the new restaurant for free; costing out food with chef, putting together recipes, cleaning, unpacking wares, painting, etc. we finally got into the kitchen with about a week to execute everything. we make everything from scratch from the stocks to the pasta to the bread. our meat for sandwiches is from chickens and turkeys that we roast in the kitchen. all in all, it's very involved.
we were to have over two weeks but ended up with less than one and i worked all morning and all night with no break and no day off through opening for twelve days. we had one prep girl hired to work with us, but she has no idea what she's doing. she cuts herself on a regular basis, can't follow a recipe, can't make a soup, etc.
in short, i've worked twelve days straight, no days off, no breaks, way over 90 hours a week (i'm scheduled for 55) and routinely whored out by chef in front of my subordinates. we've been tweaking menu items and if she doesn't like my ideas she makes faces when i talk, calls me stupid under her breath, speaks about me instead of to me when i'm two feet away, and insults me to the owner's children, all while yelling at me about the importance of professionalism. when i took the job i was assured that we would have a ticket line, shelves for plates for when we served (they're in stacks on the prep tables), stations, a kitchen staff, a big enough char broiler, a meat slicer and other vital tools. we have none of these things.
i came down with the stomach flu and showed up to work anyway, only to vomit all morning in the bathroom. when i surfaced she asked if i could take something for it and i told her that i couldn't keep anything down. she yelled "****" in my face and stormed past me into the kitchen. she was a vegetarian for a long time and subsequently says she doesn't know how to cook meat and needs me for that. we have no one else who knows how to cook meat. so if i'm sick, they're ****ed. but i can't hardly be throwing up the entire time that i'm preparing food.
am i being difficult? a baby? or is this just what it's like? i'm not in a city by any means, so i haven't had an experience like this-- this is a first for the area. but i don't sleep, i don't eat, i don't take breaks-- i just show up to work to bust out as much food as i can and be berated in front of other employees all the while.
i understand that the sous chef is middle management, and therefore thankless work, but i was also under the impression that chef and sous chef are to appear as a united front, and that no one should ever be aware if there is stormy weather.
somebody help me out, here.
ps: i have tried to talk to chef about my concerns and she refuses to allow me to speak and walks away.
i've been working hard to make my way up the ladder in kitchens for over five years now, but i've never been in a position like this before and i need some insight as to whether i'm getting a taste of what it's really like, or if i'm just getting royally shat upon.
my chef had me give notice at my last job in time to have about a week and a half off before we began. construction fell behind and i ended up being out of work for a month and a half, but worked for the new restaurant for free; costing out food with chef, putting together recipes, cleaning, unpacking wares, painting, etc. we finally got into the kitchen with about a week to execute everything. we make everything from scratch from the stocks to the pasta to the bread. our meat for sandwiches is from chickens and turkeys that we roast in the kitchen. all in all, it's very involved.
we were to have over two weeks but ended up with less than one and i worked all morning and all night with no break and no day off through opening for twelve days. we had one prep girl hired to work with us, but she has no idea what she's doing. she cuts herself on a regular basis, can't follow a recipe, can't make a soup, etc.
in short, i've worked twelve days straight, no days off, no breaks, way over 90 hours a week (i'm scheduled for 55) and routinely whored out by chef in front of my subordinates. we've been tweaking menu items and if she doesn't like my ideas she makes faces when i talk, calls me stupid under her breath, speaks about me instead of to me when i'm two feet away, and insults me to the owner's children, all while yelling at me about the importance of professionalism. when i took the job i was assured that we would have a ticket line, shelves for plates for when we served (they're in stacks on the prep tables), stations, a kitchen staff, a big enough char broiler, a meat slicer and other vital tools. we have none of these things.
i came down with the stomach flu and showed up to work anyway, only to vomit all morning in the bathroom. when i surfaced she asked if i could take something for it and i told her that i couldn't keep anything down. she yelled "****" in my face and stormed past me into the kitchen. she was a vegetarian for a long time and subsequently says she doesn't know how to cook meat and needs me for that. we have no one else who knows how to cook meat. so if i'm sick, they're ****ed. but i can't hardly be throwing up the entire time that i'm preparing food.
am i being difficult? a baby? or is this just what it's like? i'm not in a city by any means, so i haven't had an experience like this-- this is a first for the area. but i don't sleep, i don't eat, i don't take breaks-- i just show up to work to bust out as much food as i can and be berated in front of other employees all the while.
i understand that the sous chef is middle management, and therefore thankless work, but i was also under the impression that chef and sous chef are to appear as a united front, and that no one should ever be aware if there is stormy weather.
somebody help me out, here.
ps: i have tried to talk to chef about my concerns and she refuses to allow me to speak and walks away.