Facial hair in the professional kitchen

I keep my hair short, pretty much a 0.  That's only because i'm losing it from wearing a hat all the time.

I won't complain about facial hair unless it's outrageous, I live in a cold environment, so I grow a beard in the winter, but I won't accept a stupid looking face.

This industry needs more respect, so don't show up to work looking like a short order cook, and we won't have any issues.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SquirrelRJ 

This industry needs more respect, so don't show up to work looking like a short order cook, and we won't have any issues.

Short order cooks are part of this industry and deserve as much respect as anyone else. Disparaging comments do nothing to elevate the respect level of this industry.

You shouldn't judge people on appearance. 

If you don't respect someone based on the appearance of their beard, then it isn't the industry that needs to change. 

I've worked in places where you couldn't have a 5 o'clock shadow. They were so strict, that during a double I was reprimanded for growing a beard during service. At my current job, we are very relaxed about grooming. Its pretty much fair game and that doesn't change the quality of the food we serve on any given night. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeepsouthNYC 

You shouldn't judge people on appearance. 

Really? Why not? Doesn't someone's appearance reflect how they present themselves to others? If a person is clean, neat, and well groomed, they will get a lot farther than one who is dirty, sloppy, and unkempt.

Respect is earned, it is not a birthright! One's appearance is not respected, it may be accepted or tolerated or, in exceptional cases, applauded but it is never, IMHO, respected. And then, in some cases, one's appearance may be intolerable or abominable  and demonstrates total disrespect for one's coworkers.

Facial hair may be a health hazard, that is why mustache and beard nets exist.

Facial hair may be a violation of the grooming code for a particular establishment. If that is the case, live with it or work elsewhere. Even in a right to work jurisdiction, no one has the right to demand employment.

Regardless as to appearance, one should expect to show up for work, clean, neat, and well groomed.

Now, in my establishment, you will abide by my standards or you are free to work elsewhere.

I have a very well kept "beard", more of a glorified 5o'clock shadow, and keep my hair back off my shoulders. Not breaking any rules.. . .hell, I 'll even throw my ugly mug(I was about 50lb heavier then too) out there so you can see for yourself(taken after out annual No Shave November benefit, I am a recent cancer survivor, so the long hair is going for donation to locks of love)

Here is before:

RAWR, lol

Not to mention, how many famous Chefs/TV Chefs have tatts, beards, long hair now-a-day, is it really THAT big of an issue? I mean, If ZZ Top was back there, I would hope that Billy would NET THAT THING UP, but seriously, the human race has survived pretty well without baby faced culinarians making up the staff as an entirety. 

People can have a beard, and long hair, AND BE put together, NET, CLEAN, AND WELL GROOMED. I fail to see what long hair, and a beard have to do with the talent/ability of a chef, bricklayer, author, or shoe shiner. What does it matter, if the end result reflects the poise, passion, balance, and skill of the person hired to do, what you hired them to do? Doesn't respect in the Food Service industry come from the results of the person, and what they are able to accomplish, whether it is to dial in food costs/elevate a menu or restaurant to the next level/head a dept that is failing, or falling behind. . . isn't that what a resumé and proven track record are for? Would you not hire them because of a beard, or long hair?

What about waitstaff that don't keep their hair pulled back, or in a pony tail? That is something I see FAR more often than anyone in a kitchen being un-kept, and it drives me bonkers. It seems that the more places I have dined out in the city, the kitchen crew, though salty, and surly looking in some places, are at least well groomed, well kept, and have it together. . . then, here comes Little miss so and so, with hair flying all over to the pass to pick up her plates for table X, walking through the dinning room, hair all akimbo, and nothing is said? WTF, mate?

I am by nature, a lazy bugger when it comes to grooming, I postpone my haircuts  to a maximum of  8 weeks if and when I can get away with it.

The only reason I don't wear long hair is because I hate washing it, hate hair dryers, have never used one and probably never will, and hate the smell long hair picks up in a kitchen. Oh, and I hate cleaning out bathtub and sink drains.  I can go weeks on end without washing my kinda short hair and still remain minty-fresh*. 

Basically I'm too lazy to invest the time long hair needs.

I do however, interact a lot with guests and have to keep myself somewhat neat and tidy.....

Basically, what I have found out over the past thirty years or so regarding facial hair is this:

It takes far less effort to shave once a day than it is to keep facial hair trimmed and neat

So you know of that routine called the "Three "S's",  Shite, shower, and shave?

Every morning I sit on the throne, grab my electric shaver, and within a few minutes am clean shaven enough to pass muster for the whole day. Don't need a mirror, no mucking about with razors, cream, cuts, or rashes. Decent enough to look halfway decent for the whole day.  

Hope this helps

* well, kinda/sorta. Uhhh, well, no, that's b.s. I guess.  Maybe...

I agree with Jon. I see no reason why a man cannot have a beard and be well groomed. I believe it's possible to also work sanitary if your beard is short enough or you wear the guard. So if you look proffesional and work sanitary there really aren't any reasons against one. Obviously there are people out there that don't work cleanly and look like a mess but lets hope they don't ruin it for the rest of us

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamBurgerDavis 

I agree with Jon. I see no reason why a man cannot have a beard and be well groomed. I believe it's possible to also work sanitary if your beard is short enough or you wear the guard. So if you look proffesional and work sanitary there really aren't any reasons against one. Obviously there are people out there that don't work cleanly and look like a mess but lets hope they don't ruin it for the rest of us

I have had some new hires that Look the part, talk the part, clean as a whistle, showed up in pressed pants and whites, but when it came to their working day interview, were some of the sloppiest dudes I had ever seen. . .and it went beyond the whole "oh I just don't know the layout of the kitchen, or where to put stuff", I mean, they were just PLAIN OLE MESSY! Regardless of the new environment, you can ALWAYS clean as you go, and have a rubbish bin near by. . . it's not rocket science, but you have to know something.

Some of the potential new hires, that stick out to me the most, and have since gone on to do great things, were the more "outcast" looking, bearded/sideburned/goateed, pierced, inked, dudes(and dudettes) that were humble, soft spoken, but were SOLID from the second they got their station set up, and worked as though they had been there for a decade.

You just can't judge a book by it's cover, and for me, regardless of what you look like, if you autograph your work with QUALITY, and your passion shows on every plate you put out ...I would rather have THAT, than some clean shaven guy with an impressive resumé, who can't even get me 10lb of mirepoix put together.

If they agree to wear a beard net, then I agree to let them have beard. If not  no they can't. I don't judge but  Thats the sop in many places in Palm Beach.

Pokin' the bear here...

You guys crack me up!

The amt of words in the average post are wayyy more than some of you key in a whole day, lol!

me?

Keep my hair pretty short, wear custom surgical head coverings in various stylish patterns, (caps look funny on girly girls and really don't care for hair in the buttercream) and shave the legs and pits prn.

Sometimes I will miss a few on the legs, so on those days wear jeans ;-)

ffg

* OOP! OT again! Ok, about my facial hair, have my brows waxed every couple weeks, so no problems there!

I have always been angry about the stigma against beards and goatees in the kitchen and have turned down a few offers because I didn't want to shave my goatee. (I will wear a beard net if asked and keep my head shaved). What makes me laugh however, is to see clean shaven, short hair or pulled back, hat or hair net people on the line with crazy gorilla arm and neck hair that is about 5 times the length of ANY hair I have anywhere on my body be perfectly acceptable and not covered.

i agree wholehaertedly. I manage a restaurant that caters to a affluent clientele. I require all my servers to have no facial hair and my kitchen staff can have some hair if it is tight, neat and clean. My customers want to be served by servers or cooks that look clean and groomed well. 

Some of the younger cooks do not like my rule  and they are free to work somewhere else. My customers perception of the cleanliness of my work staff is equally as important to the quality of food and service. Its a package deal and is what makes a good place great. I only wish the staff can be thoughful enough to understand that initial perception makes you or breaks you.

This is why I am very strict on this matter.

it is a big deal! Just imagine going to a restaurant and ordering your dinner and getting a strand of hair in your food. Yes, it can happen but t is more forgivable if the customer looks around and everyone has there hair pulled back and the kitchen staff is wearing hats and clean shaven. Now that is an accident! But if they see cooks with long hair and beards I guarantee they will never come back.

problem i have with all this is the hair one finds in thier food is almost always a head-hair  not a quarter inch long beard or mustache hair, and hair from the head is far more likely

to fall out anyway. Way i see it...ownership/management can logic-it all they want and 

i still believe this is mostly just a subjective preference thing.

Far easier to say its unsanitary etc than ...."I dont LIKE it."

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meezenplaz 

problem i have with all this is the hair one finds in thier food is almost always a head-hair  not a quarter inch long beard or mustache hair, and hair from the head is far more likely

to fall out anyway. Way i see it...ownership/management can logic-it all they want and 

i still believe this is mostly just a subjective preference thing.

Far easier to say its unsanitary etc than ...."I dont LIKE it."

Not true.  Just because longer hairs are easier to find does not mean that smaller hairs are not making their way onto plates and restaurants can and should do everything they can to minimize that.

Well that's true, and I didnt mean to imply that shorter facial hair never finds its way into food,

just that the argument against short facial hair DUE to showing up in food is more an

excuse for disallowing facial hair while allowing short cropped head hair, than an actual

safety reason.....WHEN...coupled with allowance of head hair with no net, or NOT

allowing facial hair WITH net.

If by "doing everything they can to minimize it", you mean prohibit facial hair then

it seems logical to me to require shaved heads as well because.....as I said,

head hair is more likely to fall into food.

Now, if you're implying that statement is not true, then we must agreee to disagree,

as I've sported a mustache/beard  throughout my life, as well as head hair-- and scalp hair

just FALLS OUT more due to stress, touching head, moving around a lot etc.

By the way, it's officially "No Shave NOVEMBER"!!!!!!

Glad to know I have my partners/Bosses that also partake in the event, so not too much to worry about. 

Bring on Grizzly Adams status!

Quote:

Originally Posted by flipflopgirl 

Pokin' the bear here...

You guys crack me up!

The amt of words in the average post are wayyy more than some of you key in a whole day, lol!

me?

Keep my hair pretty short, wear custom surgical head coverings in various stylish patterns, (caps look funny on girly girls and really don't care for hair in the buttercream) and shave the legs and pits prn.

Sometimes I will miss a few on the legs, so on those days wear jeans ;-)

 

ffg

 

* OOP! OT again! Ok, about my facial hair, have my brows waxed every couple weeks, so no problems there!

Ummm, judging by your SN, you are a girl. unless you are working side shows as the bearded woman, I am really not too sure how you can understand the desire of a man wanting to sport a beard, and work in the kitchen. I am sure you could type more than your share if the topic of how men prefer their women when it comes to hair there, barely there, landing strip or bald eagle. . .but, in keeping with the thread, "FACIAL HAIR in the kitchen", it's funny to see a girl interject. 

I am a clean shaven male and I have NO desire for facial hair.
 

Cute, jon.

Funny you should bring that up.

Being a retired labor and deliver nurse I, as a matter of fact, have seen wayyy more than my fair share of each of those "styles".

;-)

mimi

*Then there were the ones that REALLY needed a full on "beard net".

Oy.

m.

Think this may have been covered already, but my main problem with it is that the hair on my (and other peoples) arms can get way longer than I'd let my hair on my head, or generally my beard get to. Nothing is done about that, and no-one seems to care in my kitchen about body hair. 

Is that becoming a law in 2013?? *gasp*  I dont care HOW much they pay me in the kitchen, I'm

NOT shavin' me legs!

Ahhh, so this is a MAN's thread. In that case I hereby demand more beer and more whiskey! Here-here, so say we all!

 And we shall raise our glasses high and compare beards and mustaches. But NOT legs! (Unlesss you have a cool

shark-scar!) So a testosterone thread it is. Except for FlipGirl, youre more than welcome to join in and show off your

almost-smooth legs any time!

Hmm good point. I mean obviously we wear shirts in the kitchen (well in our kitchen at least the men do.)

I've never really thought about it, but there is defintely the matter of FOREARM hair, as I'd wager most of

us roll up the sleeves of our chef coat to avoid marinara-dipped cuffs etc. It's conceivable this can end up in

food as well, so what's to be done of it?