Worst things about being a Chef - Page 2

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bazza 

 

Just an observation here regarding coeliacs; Has anyone ever served a male coeliac??? In my experience they all seem to be women. That is in no way meant to be a sexist remark, it is merely what I have observed.  

Yes, a male good friend is a celiac.

Now, with regards to vegans, I have yet to come into contact with a male vegan, I'm confident that one must exist somewhere, I've just never been exposed to one.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeteMcCracken 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bazza 

 

Just an observation here regarding coeliacs; Has anyone ever served a male coeliac??? In my experience they all seem to be women. That is in no way meant to be a sexist remark, it is merely what I have observed.  

Yes, a male good friend is a celiac.

 

Now, with regards to vegans, I have yet to come into contact with a male vegan, I'm confident that one must exist somewhere, I've just never been exposed to one.

I've met one. His girlfriend made him do it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by durangojo 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kingzilla 

Wow, so many common problems we all share....  

 

Literally I hate being a Chef,

 

When every time a new health inspector comes bossing us around yet we can do nothing but kissing ***,

 

When something brakes and trying to find an honest handy man and realize you just got ripped off,

 

When your team steals behind your back,

 

When getting sued by employee who are still working in the same kitchen,

 

When I have to deal with cooks flirting with other waiter sometimes accidently seeing them in the storage room,

 

When I have to work on my families special occasions like birthdays like my son's first birthday, not only breaks my heart but my family as well

 

When I realized every time after work I am only getting older and wondering how long I got more in me to stay in my position fearing I might become like one of those 20 plus years cooks

 

and yet not made enough money to begin with.

 

Every time I go on sites like Craigslist looking for career change and realize it won't be easy,

 

I really hate when I get interns or someone who is like a lawyer telling me how they envy my position and how passionate they are willing to give up their high paying salary so they can

 

be like me.

 

Why did I ever become a chef in the first place, most of all I hate/envy celeb Chef's like David Chang who really in my opinion got very lucky who isn't a real Chef but interns telling me how

 

great a Chef he is.

 

you seriously need to either take a sabbatical or quit the food industry altogether...everything you listed pretty much comes with the territory of being a chef, which i must ask, "why did you?". is there anything good about being a chef for you?...there are plenty of talented chefs out there who are either not employed or in a job below them(hopefully temporarily) because of economic reasons, so move over and let someone else drive the bus!

joey

I personally can't speak for Kingzilla but my story is that I didn't get to this position by choice.  I'm currently the acting chef as mine was recently fired but even then, we have a pretty high turn around for people who fill that gap.  In my 5 years, I've worked with 4 in the same unit.  Each worked the place differently as they saw fit and in doing so, my responsibilities kept fluctuating...or rather, the onus was on me to do things the never did before or had no idea about like inventory, how we did our ordering, or the nooks and crannies of our catering menu and procedures.  So 5 years of all that, I pretty much involuntarily learned how to run the place.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeteMcCracken 

Now, with regards to vegans, I have yet to come into contact with a male vegan, I'm confident that one must exist somewhere, I've just never been exposed to one.

I met one. Guy and his girlfriend, both vegans came into a BLACK ANGUS STEAK HOUSE where I was working. I damn near threw a pan. WHY would you, being a vegan, go out to dinner at a STEAK HOUSE? I am still baffled about it. We made them a salad with oil and vinegar (no cheese or croutons) and some steamed broccoli.

I personally don't mind serving people that come in right before closing. I work for a small mom & pop style restaurant where most days I am the only person in the kitchen. It has happened many times that people will come in after we stop serving but I will still take their order. The way I figure, it's job security. If they have the money and are willing to pay I am willing to spend the extra 20 minutes. I know the owner appreciates it not having to turn away people, and I know they will remember it and come back. (it's happened a few times) I do draw the line tho, if the griddle is off, and I am in the middle of cleaning up then I say no, but offer them something that requires no "cooking" like a chicken salad sandwich or a bowl of soup if we have any left.

My only gripe is stupid people like the vegans at a chain steak house. I don't get those where I am now. Honestly, the only vegans in Texas that I have come across live in Austin, and thank GOD I don't work there!

Ha ha vegans dining at a steak house wow that is a challenge, Would you go to a vegetarian restaurant for a steak? I personally don't mind dealing with dietary requirements I think it makes you more creative and I also don't like turning people away. When I first started in this business my customer base was 5% vegetarian, ten years later at my current place it is 15% and I always try to accomodate.

Last orders at my place is 9.00pm and we are paid up to 10.00pm so there is always room for a late ticket, never bothers me.

What does bother me though, is when I tell FOH that something has run out and they don't communicate it to each other. I may have a check with 12 covers including the item that has run out, I have to call FOH back and it delays starting that ticket making the kitchen look bad. At the end of the day it is FOH who give bad service and bad service means bad tips.

I started out in the kitchen at very young age opening my own small kitchen with a friend mostly delivering foods to surrounded businesses.  I loved it, we even made good money, then we sold it with a good profit after operating for two years.  My friend went to college, I went to kitchen and loved it.  Everyday I looked forward to learning a new skill, perfecting my skill and watching food network on my days off, dreaming big.  I was just like those interns or hobbyist who are passionate about working in the kitchen, and seeing them now made me feel bittersweet.  I started my own restaurant raising funds from friends and family, business was a success and everyone wanted a piece of the pie.  My investors wanted to get more involved then my comfort zone.  They started controlling my payrolls, cutting here and there.  I had a balanced working team until my most relied members parted off looking for their own ventures, my investors loved it so they can hire cheaper less qualified employees.  'Oh you the Chef you can train them and we save money'. After coming back from a vacation I had realized they fired my GM to save money, so I ended up with no GM, the FOH started to break apart, 'Oh you have to learn to manage the FOH as well'.  Soon enough it no longer became my own business, I was working for them and worst of all I can't just quit, I got too much to loose.

When every time a new health inspector comes bossing us around yet we can do nothing but kissing

• Why is it every time a new inspector comes they change the rules, 'Oh he/she (previous inspector) was wrong, you have to do it this way and since you weren't following the proper   code I have take a point off'  I can do nothing but smile and say yes I'll follow you master.

When something brakes and trying to find an honest handy man and realize you just got ripped off,

• I bet this happens to almost every private kitchen, I mean I used to have a great handy man until he passed away from an accident.  Since then I am having the hardest time finding honest skilled handy man.  Even after an interview, sometime they just make it worst and you end up with a higher bill or end up replacing the whole unit.

When your team steals behind your back,

• I really don't want to take extremes placing someone or my self digging through all the trash before they get thrown out of the restaurant, but it really sucks when you accidently catch someone stealing from you and makes you wonder 'is anyone or everyone stealing from me?

When I have to deal with cooks flirting with other waiter sometimes accidently seeing them in the making out in the storage room,

• Get a room away from the public please keep it private, I don't mind workers hooking up heck that's how I met my wife but common sense please.

When getting sued by employee who are still working in the same kitchen,

• I had a cook who sued me over an injury that never happened my kitchen, it didn't pass the workers comp after an investigation.  I knew he was injured after a street fight he got involved at a bar which my other cook had witnessed, I tried to help him out paying part of his medical bills only to be sued later for reducing his shifts.

When I have to work on my family special occasions like birthdays like my son's first birthday, not only breaks my heart but my family as well

• This just sucked, one of the reasons why I wanted to open my own business to have more control with my life and better financial control.

When I realized every time after work I am only getting older and wondering how long I got more in me to stay in my position fearing I might become like one of those 20 plus years cooks

• I once met a Chef when I was just starting out, he was the King and now sadly he is just a cook at a local night club, what happened I don't know, I didn't have the guts to ask him. That was really hard to swallow for me.
• I bet a lot of us fear this, many of us are really under paid for the amount of passion and hours we bring in to the plate, some do make a great living but after years of working in this industry even having my own restaurant, I feel like an actor who barely made it in between.  I am ambitious but that just don't seem enough... that's why I really envy/hate (more jealousy) the Chefs/Acting Chefs who made it.

Every time I go on sites like Craigslist looking for career change and realize it won't be easy,

• The grass is greener on the other side.  It is what it is, I love what I do but at the same time I am just being human

I really hate when I get interns or someone who is like a lawyer telling me how they envy my position and how passionate they are willing to give up their high paying salary so they can be like me

• I guess I am burnt out but sometimes it gets under your skin.  Maybe its an envy where they stand is probably the best place to be, dreaming.

Why did I ever become a chef in the first place, most of all I hate/envy celeb Chef's like David Chang who really in my opinion got very lucky who isn't a real Chef but interns telling me how

great a Chef is.

• It's kind of like when you turn on a radio and hear the same tune playing over and over again until you start getting sick of it, that's how it was for me and DC.
• I became a Chef because the same reasons why many of passionate Chef has decided to become a Chef, it takes a lot of work and hard work, I salute to all the hard working Chefs.

I never had a problem with late clients as I viewed them as extra sales, but I really can't stand when my investors show up before/after closing bossing me around and my team to cook for them until whenever they want to stay.  Restaurant is a food business but also I learned its a people business, I guess just knowing how to cook and managing a kitchen is not enough being a great Chef/Owner, now after writing this I see a bigger picture of what I need to learn and manage my own business. 

This thread has given me a chance to release my frustrations and start fresh again, I hope it lasts, haha. thanks.

EAU DE KITCHEN     

I don't understand this health inspector thingee.  If there's a code, there's a code, it's not up to interpretation.  If they want something, I always do above what they expect, (ie hands free hand sink, mop sink, everything on wheels) and I in turn expect that  they don't come back for another 6-12 mths, which has always been the case so far.

In a way, I guess I'm lucky, as I only have one business partner, and I sleep with her every night....

Late guests? Don't care. if you're in my door 15 seconds before we close... we're open for you.

Cooks and servers gettin' it on? Hell, we all work crazy hours and our social lives suck... no **** we hook up with people in the industry. I would, however, prefer it if the participants were discreet about it.

Holidays? Special Days? Lose your attachment to them, or get another job. It's really that simple.

Vegans/Celiacs/Vegetarians? Love 'em. LOVE them. Love cooking for them. Yes I know many male vegans, I was one for many years. Yes, I feed many male celiacs on a regular basis. Maybe lose the attitude regarding them, and you might surprise yourself as to how many will make you a regular stop.

The one thing about this business that pisses me off? Is that every other cook in the world thinks they're better than every other. Every line cooking, quail-chested knuckle dragger in the business spends all their time *****ing about how ****** their boss is, and how they could do better.. further to that is "cook ego". What the hell is that about? We cook food for a living. We exist simply because people are too lazy to cook for themselves. Period. This isn't rocket science. This isn't heart surgery. We aren't saving lives or making fantastic new discoveries. We cook. We chose to do it. We're blue collar workers in an entry level trade. Suck it up or **** off.

...and thieves. I consider myself a decent boss. I listen. I give my emplyees their requested days off when possible, I help them move. I drive them home some nights when we work late. Right now, I'm chasing down two of my cooks to pay me back... both came to me with sob stories about how they can't get an advance (workplace policy... no payroll advances), but 1) couldn't make his rent and 2) needed to get back to another city to get his stuff. So l gave them both personal loans. Both of them ripped me off, and both seem to think it was their right to do so. Apparently because I'm a chef and I can afford it.

In short... what sucks about this business is the majority of ***** that work in it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrairieChef 

The one thing about this business that pisses me off? Is that every other cook in the world thinks they're better than every other. Every line cooking, quail-chested knuckle dragger in the business spends all their time bitching about how shitty their boss is, and how they could do better.. further to that is "cook ego". What the hell is that about? We cook food for a living. We exist simply because people are too lazy to cook for themselves. Period. This isn't rocket science. This isn't heart surgery. We aren't saving lives or making fantastic new discoveries. We cook. We chose to do it. We're blue collar workers in an entry level trade. Suck it up or piss off.

 

I'll up you on this.  The unit I work at is also for Toronto's Chef school George Brown College.  Now the food I provide for the hospitality caf (because they don't have the facilities to make any hot food) has to sell at $5 with a max 36% food cost.  Well guess who are my worst critics, the chef professors who seem to expect items on the menu like salmon.  They have high expectations and have probably filed enough complaints to have me fired 2x now.  Problem is the "cook ego" is a "chef's ego" from a man who ran the King Edward kitchen whose refusing to hear the fact that we no longer have a chef who he wasn't happy with to begin with, and is refusing to note the fact that what I sell reflects what I can get and for the price set by them. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrairieChef 

 

 

...and thieves. I consider myself a decent boss. I listen. I give my emplyees their requested days off when possible, I help them move. I drive them home some nights when we work late. Right now, I'm chasing down two of my cooks to pay me back... both came to me with sob stories about how they can't get an advance (workplace policy... no payroll advances), but 1) couldn't make his rent and 2) needed to get back to another city to get his stuff. So l gave them both personal loans. Both of them ripped me off, and both seem to think it was their right to do so. Apparently because I'm a chef and I can afford it.

 

In short... what sucks about this business is the majority of dicks that work in it.

Yeah, I "helped" a p/t  employee move too once.  Stupid (deleted) took the keys out of the purse of one of  f/t waitresses on an on-site gig and took off with the catering truck.  Showed up 3 hrs later at my kitchen mumbling something about coffee cups, I had to rent a freaking mini van to send lunch out.  I sat the (deleted) down and ask her why she took off with my van, never heard so much B.S. in my life.  Then it dawned on me, it was the end of the month, so I asked her if  "she got all the big stuff moved".  She started to smile, then clammed up and got downright nasty.  Took me to the Labour board too, wanted to get paid overtime for stealing my van.  I won that one.

But you're wrong, it's not because you're a Chef and can afford.  No, no, it's because you're an employer, and all employees have a right to screw the employer any way they can.  It's because they pay taxes or something...or maybe it's because the Gov't (?) issues out cheques every month to businesses, or, well, you know, something like that.  But it's a right...or something like that....

Biggest knee slapper I ever had was a two day wonder dip-wad who figured out the job sucked, wanted to quit but if he did the time wouldn't count on his un-employment record.  When I wouldn't fire him (told him just not to show up if he didn't like the job) he came running back with the impression of a milk-crate on his fore arm, wanted me to fill out a W.C.B form (Worker's comp bd) stating that he was injured on the job.  Pulled out a digital camera, took a picture of said fore arm and aked him to come back in another 10 minutes so I could take another picture.  He took off....  Tried to file a claim about irregular working hours but even that woldn't fly because he'd have to work at least a week... 

OK. Since we're talking about thieves ....................

I ran a pizza place. When your order was written up, the receipt carboned onto a menu. If you collected 20 menus you could have a free pizza. Nice enough plan, it worked well. Anyway, four employees figured out that they could scam the customer and me at the same time, while getting money to buy "nose candy". They would write up the order without the receipt or menu, just do it on paper. They would take off $2 telling the customer that "we just ran out". Then they pocketed the money. They would do this enough times to save enough to buy a "score". Now at a pizza place that would pump out 600 pies on a good Friday or Saturday night, this wasn't such a tough thing to do. Anyway, again, I walk in on a guy in the washroom snorting lines off the back cover of the toilet. I did something kinda tough but stupid and then dragged him out into the kitchen. After discussing how he would tell his "assault" story about me to the police, and I would tell his "drug" story about him and his friends, we called it a day. He and the 3 other guys would not ever come back, and I would not kill any of them. I ended up firing almost the whole staff and closing for almost a week. It was not a very profitable month. 

Nope, can't even come close to that one...

But-tum....ah..well... You never did explain how you earned the nickame "Ice man"............

I know this is a thread about what you hate, but could everyone watch the language please? A good example of how to do so would be foodumps judicious use of the word "(deleted)".

"ICEMAN" was my call name in the service.      (before Top Gun came out)

 Headless.. you may be serving my daughter if you are still there in three years!  She's decided George Brown is where she wants to study baking and pastry arts. 

This thread has me thinking about our 30 year vet in a different way.  He is an example of what this business can do to someone if they make the wrong choices in their life.  I'm sure in his day he was very good but somewhere along the line that got sucked out of him.  Don't get me wrong, I am still less than impressed with his work and I still think he is sexist but I do see why he is the way he is.  He has lost everything.. marriage, home, family, and for what?  To have 30 years in the business under his belt and not a thing to show for it but a damaged liver from all of the drinking he does. 

The think I hate the most this week is.. freaking eggs!  Yolks that break on the way out of the shell, poached eggs that separate when they are touched, yolks breaking again when the eggs are either flipped or plated..  you name it.  I had a heck of a time this past weekend on eggs.  We suspect the eggs are on the old side (even though they come in "fresh" daily) but that doesn't help when I am up to my ears in egg orders and it takes me three or more goes at it to get one single plate out.  Not fun.

I've met one.  He worked at the same studio as my husband for a while.  He seemed like a nice enough guy and the reastaurant we were at for the Christmas party did provide a vegan option on the menu for us. 

my biggest gripe would be owners/partners.

the people with too much money and not enough brains.  trust the people with the experience...its ok.  i promise.

"we need something huge to eat, we should have a contest!"

yeah....that will drum up a lot of business.

"i gotta cut your food budget this week cuz im going out of town...can you make it on $400?"

sure, if you want us to run out in a few days.  go right ahead

"the damn kitchen staff isnt paying for their food!"

we make a staff meal....and didnt you come in and wine and dine 10 friends then comp it off?

holidays dont bother me.  its not being able to have off when i really need to.  for example, my fiancee (as of last week!) broke her leg...she normally takes care of the house since i work all the time, but since she's couched, its up to me.  apparently its wrong of me to leave for a few hours (after 10pm AFTER the kitchen is closed)

on a lighter note: i LOVE being slammed.  an endless row of dupes on the slide...shuckin n jivin, banging out plate after plate.  love.that.sh*t.

What I hate..........

As a chef, being the front line of fire from customers that really just want to b*tch because they can. Not because the food was wrong. Such as ..." This salad dressing tastes like it was from a bottle" when I know and my staff knows we made it fresh.....or...."This is not a ribeye steak, this has to be a strip steak" when I hand-cut the ribeyes myself. THEN...they e-mail the "powers-that-be" to complain. Has anyone here noticed how the advent of immediate communication has brought the stress level up several notches??

 Those people who send emails to head office drive me crazy.  I have to agree, this era of immediate contact has added a new level of stress to every job, not just ours and the general public knows what power they hold in their hands.

I hate the people who complain that their over easy eggs aren't cooked... hmm.. the yolks are supposed to be runny.. if you want them not to run order them over well or fried!

Going through that right now actually, someone nameless from GBC Hospitality has been complaining about the quality of the food served at the caf...at $5/serving.  Specific quote "food is not up to par with my expectations".  I don't know what this person expects for $5 from a cafeteria, especially when the food needs to be made all at once and delivered across the street made by someone unqualified (on paper).  Especially when around the same time last year, food provided by the school for us to sell based on a menu written by "unnamed" was not selling as well as what I pump out with much more limitations.  Evidently, the student population's standards and expectations are quite low.  My "lack" of performance has garnered a couple visits to my boss...I guess I'm fired.

Quote:

Originally Posted by stl243 

on a lighter note: i LOVE being slammed.  an endless row of dupes on the slide...shuckin n jivin, banging out plate after plate.  love.that.sh*t.

I love getting slammed too.  Makes the day go by faster when you are busy.

while it has been hard, i have managed to get in the habit of leaving my professional life at the door.  when i walk into my house, work ends.  maybe a few phone calls...but i focus on being home.  when you carry it around all day the weight adds up and starts to wear you down.

home time is home time, work time is work time.

I hate having to work w/ the boss/owner's wife. Usually everyone hates working w/ her too. She comes in once/twice a week, never has anything good to say or compliment anyone, she "cleans up" or reorganizes everything that everyone is familiar with the way it was and she brings down the entire crew. You know it's really bad when the boss/owner has a different attitude on those days too. He doesn't like working w/ her either. They've got a big head like they are the best at everything, and you need to do things "her way". They suck at the job, and not in any good way either. I hate having to work w/ boss/owner's wives.

I hate corporate head office types. Personally I haven't had any problems with our field consultant but apparently the KM did this week and she is out for blood and is going to do a thorough audit on us next week.  We are ready but I know she's out for blood so tomorrow I am going to make doubly sure we are doing everything by the corporate book and then some. 

Long ago, I heard an expression: "Those that can, do. Those that can't, teach. Those that can't teach, manage.

Maybe needs adding too? Those that can't manage, inspect?

 I think you're right Pete.. she can't manage so she inspects!  Still I'm not looking forward to having my head served to me on a platter by her so I am going to make doubly sure the book is being followed.  It's a corporate thing too.. public health and the customers are happy so we must be doing something right...

A couple things I hate about beaing a chef is

-having a Friday or Saturday off and no friends to hang out with because they all work in the industry.

-being woken up by the sound of your dog chewing the pair of dansko you just got 2 days prior.

-after meeting new people and they find out I'm a chef, they ALWAYS say "oh I love to cook" or "my best friends' uncles' fathers cousin former roomate is a chef", 

As for all of the comments about the guests arriving 2 minutes prior to closing...that same last guest, could end up being your first guest on another day because they still felt welcomed at closing.