Worst things about being a Chef - Page 12

How are about the pitiful pay, abusive culture which would be seen as work place harassment in any other industry, serious chafing(chefs bum, you so know what i'm talking about), corns, working 14 a day, donut floor staff who end up making more than the Sous Chef as they get tips, the insolvency of the industry(there are a number of good two-three hat restaurants on my resume that don't exist any more), burns, cuts, back problems(once you get to 10-15 yrs you'll know), not being able to afford to eat in the restaurants you work in, serving $2000 kg black truffles to "wankers"(professional industry term) yet having to cook that semi-off barra for staff lunch, working every weekend and public holiday yet no time in lieu or more $$$, coming home after a shift and having to watch info-mercial adds selling a ass master 2000 for four hours, and having our industry glorified and degraded by master chef etc. I could sooooooooo go on....

 whiny people

People turning off the timers because they make unpleasant noises ahahahahahaaaaa I'd forgotten about that.... *wipes tears from eyes*
 

And when you're ranting and cursing and raving as you try to salvage something that's just started to burn around the edges, you get that stupid cow look, and they go "why, was that something important?"

"No you dipsh__t!  I just like to hear them beep!!" 

I've never worked in a restaurant but i have been doing catering at college for almost a year and 6 months and what i can't stand is how over the top health and safety is like i hate how many times you have to wash your hands, how many times you drop something and have to re-wash it again, your whites are expected to be perfect yet when you get something like raspberry on it, it dries like ink but your moaned at about it when your told to make raspberry pie in the first place, not my fault lol, everything seems to be your fault when we didn't choose the menu. I hate having to pull off my hat and chef jacket and put it back on again after every break and the fact that other people try to dump their pots on you when you already have lots under your bench especially when making something where you have to separate every ingredient, sick of it and they purposely just leave it there even the support workers do so i have no choice to, if i didn't nobody else would, and every time someone uses the food processor near me who has to be wash it? me... oooh gets me so angry, and what i hate most about kitchens is people feel the need to act in a really childish and competitive manner like they are better than you. Most days i just give the class mates who do that an upward dirty look/ i don't care look then look back down again lmao, works every time, i wind them up too because they call me selfish for bringing my own scales because they wouldn't share the ones our lecturer provided so now they think I'm gonna take all their bowls and stuff when i come near them, they get jumpy and grab their bowls LMAO, i just keep a straight face the whole time but inside I'm laughing.

 

I'd suggest finding a different career field to go into.

Welcome to the restaurant industry.

Dirty looks don't go far. Speak up. No one likes passive-aggressive childish behaviour.

emm...can you not put an apron on over your coat when prepping/cooking?

Easy enough to remove it when you need to look spiffy.

 

mimi

So I've been Cooking for the better part of 15 years,  sure this industry is demanding and a bit crazy.  But for the most part entertaining if you cant stand the heat get your ass out of the kitchen.  Stop bitching about the stupid little things really when it gets down to it, it/'s all about the food is it not.  No one said this job would be easy, I'm sure no one ever will so if you don't like it don't do it.

Seriously!

People don't have to switch careers just because of a few things that annoy them, i just thought this post was fun hearing the stories they made me laugh so i thought is share what i hate. flipflopgirl noop we can't have an apron as were taught proper health and safety, it's white jacket, black chef beanie hat and any shoes as long as they are non-slip and comfy, they don't mind if you wear color ones since it's just college but i know companies want you to wear black non-slip comfy shoes, aprons are only meant to serving really, if we don't have a chef jacket or get too much food on our jacket when preparing then is when we can use an apron but on the most part we are taught to be really tidy, rarely do we ever get any stains on them but when we make something really messy like with tomato the stains will take a few washes to get out even with some of that really good spray or powder you can use. I never really show i'm annoyed though i'm good at covering it but if i'm annoyed i generally just stay quiet to not make an idiot of myself lol, sometimes ill slip up though and tell them to shut up but in a work place speaking up to them isn't gonna get you any where because they could tell the manager your being rude when it was the opposite way, just no winning that one as it's that person says vs that person says situation, when weighing out ingredients now i wait till every ones done and do my veg prep for the time being then when i'm gonna cook the veg off or whatever is when i get the herbs, sauces whatever. if you don't wanna join em just work around it, having your own pair of scales is the best as you can just scoot past everyone without a problem.

hey Brujo... one word for ya

Netflix

Could you help me understand what part of wearing an apron is unsanitary?
Been out of caking for cash for awhile now and curious as to what has made it dangerous.
I am never in my kitchen without one on and change it if it comes in contact with raw meat or egg.
So...please enlighten me?

mimi

All different kinds of things create all differents kinds of issues with all different kinds of people.   For some of us (me), it's just silly personal issues.  I hate aprons, I don't wear them because they make me look and feel even fatter than I am.  I don't need any psychological garbage interfearing with the job I do.

its against the law to NOT wear an apron in every city I've worked in. I'm not sure you really learned "proper" sanitation and safety if you we're taught aprons were unsanitary.
Edited by Twyst - 5/10/13 at 10:31am

I think the same of myself not wearing an apron. The chef jacket alone makes me feel boxy because I'm petite to begin with.

I've heard that using your apron to transport food (like fruits and veggies from the walk-in to your station) is unsanitary. Perhaps that's what the student (he or she) is confusing about apron sanitation?

No no i mean during food prep it's unsanitary to wear an apron unless you get tomato all over you then you have no choice, were taught to wear the chef jacket and that is what we should wear not aprons.

Unless you have just misunderstood what they are telling you, your school should give you a refund.  Wearing an apron is much more sanitary than going without one.  If your apron gets contaminated with something gross, you take it off, throw it in the laundry bag and put on another apron.   If you get chicken juice or something on your coat, you have to wear chicken juice around all night unless you bring multiple coats to work.   Which sounds more sanitary to you?

Save it.

This person has a problem with hand washing.

I don't think sanitation is a priority for (her?).

The worst thing about being a Chef is "we are always eating" and I have to spend 1 1/2 to 2 hours a day in the gym, 6 days a week to keep things together. LOL!

 

Chef La' Lou

 

Lol many times when i have gone to work i have skipped breakfast and en up over tasting things just for pure consumption XD. 

I remember decorating a fruit salad and tasting one slice of fruit from every fruit used just to be cautious ( that and i was starving ). 

Thank god i have a fast metabolism so im pretty slim. 

 

Best part is when one of the cooks in the kitchen over makes ribs and or chicken and we end up getting a taste of it. 

 

Lol aside from these little shaninigans the kitchen atmosphere can sometimes be very aggressive depending on what we have to produce and the amount of time we have. 

 

I will definitely say i hate it when im pressed for time and people constantly keep telling me to rush , it annoys me because i prefer perfection over perfect timing , but in the near future ill be able to perform both ways efficiently. 

working in a restaurant that has many peanuts and nuts on the menu and getting a " DEATHLY ALLERGIC TO PEANUTS CHIT" 

Where to start. When you get arsehole customers who think they're right when there completely wrong ie when you send perfect steak but there perceptions of cooking preference are no way near correct but you still have to go along with and waste expensive cuts