a follow on from my own piece on the subject my chef mark doe
Agreed industry has a lot to answer for in most establishments, I have carried out a lot of research on this for our apprentice chef programme and what comes through is the lack of training. Chefs stuck in corners making sandwiches for 2 years, not learning the fundamentals such as filleting a fish or boning a leg of lamb., even poaching a perfect egg.
Nobody will stick at that.
also working the soul out of a chef during the season, then laying them off for the summer to claim their stamps is wrong. And then expecting them to go back and do it all again 6 months later!!!.
Chefs want to learn, give people responsibility and 99% of them will rise to the challenge.
hours not a major problem, as you socialise with other hospitality workers, Money is good now.
Chefs in general are treated with no respect in a lot of places and this is what I feel has to change. It wont happen in our life time though, crisis point is where it is at.
We have had 1900 kids go through the apprentice chef programme over the last 4 years, and many have gone onto 3rd level culinary arts, and the number is rising every year. If we get national with this is has the scope to go to 14,000 kids every year.
But there us no point in putting young kids through such a programme if they then go into an industry that uses and abuses.
certain organisations always go for the big PR thing every time the chef shortage is in the press, just for PR, all reactive and not proactive! Solving nothing!
That’s my view on the situation after spending over 26 years in kitchens, and I loving every minute of it!
traleeculinarygangsters 