Is this normal to treat your apprentice like this?

It doesn't sound as though that particular kitchen has put much consideration into where you should be starting. Were they short staffed? If so maybe they were just desperate to get a body onto that station. I would not judge the whole industry by that one experience. That being said, do not expect it to be easy. The pay is low, the stress is high and its a helluva lot of fun. There are still chefs out there who yell, and though some may do it cause its what they see Ramsay do, there are many who do it because they are just THAT passionate about food and demand nothing short of perfection. I find you learn the most and quickest from these chefs just because you have to, though you may not want to spend your whole career working for one.

Whenever I have found myself in a restaurant I didn't particularly think was doing it for me, I would think to what my father has told me over and over -- that you can ALWAYS learn something from a new experience, whether it be what to do or what not to do.

I have always thought ahead to when I will open up my own place or lead my own brigade and ask myself what traits from the current chef I am working for do I admire and what should I keep in mind is particularly demoralizing or unnecessary and in the mean time just keep my head down and do it the way he/she wants it to be done.

I personally think it is ludicrous they stuck you on the grill your very first day with no training on the station. Stick with it, you'll find a place you really mesh with. That's one of the best parts of this industry -- your co workers pretty much become family. I've never felt closer to fellow employees in an office. On that same note, I think it's because I could never really be myself in an office; kitchens are pretty tolerant of eccentricities and personal quirks so long as you pull your weight.

I hope you can glean some sort of advice and encouragement through all that jibberjabber. I also started late (26yrs old) and have never been more satisfied.

Just wanted to say, your Jibberjabber was very inspiring, words I myself plan to take to heart in future endeavors.

So thank you for that post ChefBoyarG.

I see 2 schools of thought here.

First you could have been thrown in to "sink or swim" and to see just what you are made of.

Second, you tell us that you are training to become a "Chef's apprentice." Just by using that word we already assume that you are being trained to take command.

The fact that you were ridiculed frowned at and made fun of tells me that the place you were at was not that professional a place.

Professional cooks don't act that way towards on another. If they saw you having problems, the correct way to handle this would be to take you aside and explain things so you can have a better understanding of your job.

You saw a bad example of our industry and I regret you had to go through that.

Just curious, which restaurant in Australia are you referring to? If you don't feel like naming names. What city and cuisine was it?

I am going to say yes.

Depends a lot on the chef. My ol' chef used to ask me everyday "Still wanna be a chef?" Which is stupid question when you're still there, after a 16 hour day, at the end of a 70 hour week.

So yeah, the "Sink or Swim" method is quite popular from my own experience, usually, when they determine you're not entirely worthless, you'd usually get shown the ropes a bit more thoroughly (Boxing metaphor right there).

Personally though, I've always felt that if you're out of your league, or you don't know what you're doing, there's one piece of advice that never fails: Ask!

This is most commonly shared with new dishwashers, eg. the "People-won't-be-mad-if-you-ask-but-they-will-if-you-break-stuff" speech. And if you get told off for that, leave and don't look back. Find a place that's actually willing to teach you.

You'll get thrown in the deep end more then once, you'll get told off, scolded, yelled at and corrected more times then you can even imagine. Don't let it get to you, basically what every chef is telling you even when he's in your face, trying to trade spit with you, is "You fucked up, this is what you did wrong, please correct it next time" - It might not always come across as that, but it's basically nothing more.

I think we've all had days where we've come home and thought "Never again, first thing tomorrow I'm finding something else to do", few of us do. Be it the chef de cuisine that's having a bad day and taking it out over everybody else, or a lousy service where didn't prep enough, and find yourself having to do everything a la minute (My personal favorite, and something that always gets the juices flowing). We still get up every morning and labour through another day, because as ChefBoyarG said, the kitchen is your family, and you don't let your family down.

What you've experienced is not unusual, I don't recall hearing about someone in your situation (and age) being treated like that, but it does happen. Still, keep soldiering on, but be engaged, don't just take it lying down. Ask questions, do your best and communicate. If you still don't click, well - move on, don't look back. I've been to several places, where, for one reason or the other, I'd just never fit in. It does happen quite a lot in this industry, because you work so many hours, in tight spaces with each other, it's really important that you're comfortable with the tone in the kitchen and the other chefs. Otherwise you're never going to be happy. Don't worry to much about your first day, or even first week, or 3 weeks for that matter. You're going to acquire skills, and everything will get easier, and fast. Worry about the people, why did they do what they did - If it was with malice intent, or just to fill a spot, then think hard about if you want to stay there.

That's my two cents, the work environment trumps the actual work, especially in your situation, where you are still unsure as to what you've gotten yourself into.

Uhm, that menu?  It's a step up from McDonald's.  So yes, in a place like that, perhaps it's normal.  Find another place.

I've never understood the thinking behind throwing people into the deep end and the "sink or swim mentality" in terms of training, especially for a job where customers are eating and paying for the product you're putting out.  I can understand if the entire staff walked out on the restaurant and all you've got left are a couple of green cooks and a few hundred covers to do, but not under normal circumstances.  First of all, as a chef you're willingly sacrificing the quality of a diner's experience by either making them wait (due to the poor guy overcooking a steak three times in a row) an abnormally long time for food or sending them sub-par food just to "teach" a cook a lesson or to humble them or to break them down.  Chefs like that aren't deserving of respect and I'd quickly plan an escape route.

And Pete, thanks for posting that poignant post, I think it sums up what I hope most, if not all of us feel.