So I'm a new cook who just got promoted to the pantry, which duties include salads and sandwiches, etc.. The trouble i'm having is not freaking out when multiple tickets start pouring in. What can i do to structure myself a little better so that i get things out in a timely matter. I've also been training the last couple of nights with two different guys who have different ideas on how to prepare my setup and even their recipes are different. The fact that i know very little spanish, and the guys who are training me don't know much english is also having an effect on my learning curve. If your listening, please help..
Welcome to Chef Talk, Kingston. Since your post is better-suited to the Professional Chefs forum, I'll move it there. You'll get more responses than you would here in the welcome forum. I encourage you to come back to the Welcome forum to tell us a bit about yourself.
Good luck, and we hope you enjoy being part of this community.
man I have been there. just remember to focus on what you can do. you only have two hands and can only prepare a limited amount of food at a time. when tickets start pouring in just remember to start with the oldest ticket, be steady and accurate to start, the time it takes you to prepare the sandwich or salad will improve with time. as far as the recipe you are to follow. try to get the sous chef, or a culinary manager to go over the recipes with you before one of your shifts. most importantly organize your space that best suits you. i always worked left to right, top to bottom. so i would start with my bread then the dressings, then the lettuce ant tomatoes, and so on. good luck
The tickets aren't going anywhere. And they WILL keep coming. Ticket times are all that matter.
Like he said, oldest first. But you can't stress if you hear the ticket machine just rolling and rolling. It's not going to make any of them disappear if you freak out.
Breathe deep. And just tell yourself it's time to make sh*t happen!
The most important thing I can tell you though, as someone with quite a few years of experience - you WILL find your own system. It just might take time. Ask for pictures of the plates. Take a menu home.
These little things make a huge difference bro 8^)
You have been given some good advice here and once you know your station better you'll find a setup that works for you. As for the tickets.. well they just come and come and come and there's nothing you can do about it but stay calm and work on them in the order they come in. Freaking out is nothing but a waste of energy for me... it does nothing to reduce ticket times and everything to make your life miserable. Things cook at their own speed and the bottom line is.. we cannot put out raw food so take a deep breath and focus.
When I worked at the cafe we had this customer who always complained about the wait time and finally the owner had enough and told him that the cook (aka me) had four burners on the stove and four places on the press and if they wanted raw food we'd be happy to help them and if not, Mc Donald's is at Main and Dundurn. Interestingly enough that person never complained again...
Man, I was running a line at 17, and I totally understand. It's all about learning a system. I always try to look at every ticket as it comes in. You'll know whether you can get it out quick or not. If you can, sell it. Get it out of your way and you'll have less to stress about. Also, I like to group a few things together. If you have three similar tickets, then try to time them so they come out together. It's always easier to set up three of something, and send it than do each separately. Also, timing is important. Obviously, if you have a cooked sandwich with a cold salad, they will not take the same amount of time. Try to learn how long each thing takes so you can set up your tickets more efficiently. No one says that the oldest slip has to sell first, but when you get lost... it's the best place to start regaining your ground. Finally, give it some time. Learning to deal with a new menu is tough, once your comfortable with what your making, the system will almost develop itself. Another hint... ask another cook. Doesn't have to be in your restaurant. I'm sure there is a few decent people in your area that will let you watch them work if you explain your desire to learn. If your near eastern MA, I'd be glad to give you some help. Good luck!
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