Can't stand the heat!

I've often wondered how do workers in hospitality do what they do on a day-to-day basis and still manage to thrive in and out of their careers; well, it's the love of the craft and the dedication and drives that push us when things get tough.

Nothing can compare to the feeling of when mise en place is ready you have checked the bookings and your at capacity you know it is going to be chaos, yet you're organized you're armed with your tongs and tea towels prepared for the onslaught of dockets too pour in it feels very much like a sport the anticipation will either motivate you, or it will dominate you and even then the most organized nights can turn into chaos in a blink of an eye.

This is also the time where careers are made or broken it's a real test of your skills. The common thought is that if they can do it on Masterchef and tv and there not even chefs, why can't we?

Well, let's dive into the service itself and the challenges we face.

We all know the front of house send through our dockets either by hand or through those dam machines that I still dream about sometimes the noise will haunt even the sanest people its pure anxiety.

we communicate the docket to the rest of the kitchen a chef's job is to then get to work and flow with their team to ensure all items from the well done steak to the pan-seared scallops make it out perfectly at the same time this in itself is more a feeling then actual timing yes times are thrown around and communication is key but being able to flow and feel the rhythm of the night's service is the chef's lifeblood

Communication is crucial we have seen this on the tv in the many cooking shows that grace our screens We wonder why the greats of our industry are so demanding and yell a lot because there is nothing worse than dealing with an idiot sandwich when you have 300 people to feed. At that point just about all compassion goes out the window for most and only the insane manage to keep a somewhat level head and can do so with real leadership and encouragement. This is not a fault of our own or even the industry; it just is because it is under the conditions we have sometimes it gets hot.

It is very comparable to a sport the best teams or players put the required effort into all aspects of their craft and championships are always won behind closed doors.

Understanding burnout and how to avoid it is incredibly important and needs to be understood by all in the industry we can only do so many 14 hour days in these environments before we will break, and that's generally the point we reach for a substance or allow our anger to get the best of us the most time I have ever personally taken off was one week all other time off was from sick days or stress leave.

Generally, the attitude towards this is if you can't stand the heat, then get out of the kitchen I say fuck that im just as important as anyone else I deserve to have the time away or to have my needs catered for so I can be my best self in and out of the kitchen and a lot of us don't realize that this mentality only benefits the team its not my problem that your understaffed or that the dishey has called in sick many creatives are sitting at home hoping for an opportunity hire more casuals or restructure your business and implement methods to suit your environment its not on the individual to worry about it. This may only be my opinion, but the question I have is how do you feel after a holiday or a great couple of days off spent doing what you love? Only you can answer that.

The most important thing we can consider as a community is to be more loving and aware in those situations we all work hard we all do our best in those tough moments and if we are underperforming there are generally many reasons why a happy chef is a good chef. A happy human is one that is performing at its peak.

Encouraging individual creativity and ideas is also something we struggle with we listen to much to so-called authority and this is great when it is needed but never be afraid to stand up for your ideas and tell others to stick it this is not to say you don't follow the guidance or be careless putting in the correct efforts and thinking practically that suits your position and your customer base as well as meeting the financial needs of the employer are important and why your there in the first place always do your due diligence execute at your highest level and you would be amazed at what you are capable of and never be afraid to disagree with others opinion just be willing and ready to wear the fall back if it goes south own it be it and grow from it.

Over time all of this will become just what you are without the stress or struggle if you put in the work a wise chef once told me that no matter your position you will always work just as hard as anyone else and the pay has limits so why not become great at it and not waste the time and get the big salary and good reputation.

This again is just my perspective how a kitchen is run or managed has endless possibilities all just as relevant as each other my main concern is the effects this industry has on us and our colleagues with suicide rates far too high and mental health issues rising at an alarming rate I ask everyone in hospitality to have a hard look at these issues and show love and make the change where you can

let's make 2021 the year of change and happiness it starts with you