A week in the life of a chef
So this is my week Friday to Friday , with been a chef every week is different , but the weekends are much the same so I have written down this week to give you an idea of a chefs life , well my chefs life ,
Friday up at 8.30 and shortly off to work in by 9.45 Paul is in before me, first things first of course and a pot of tea, before starting the day’s work, and sorting out todays specials to be printed.
A look at the day sees a busy lunch service followed by a group in tonight along with normal evening, and an expo locally starting at 5 and a cooking demo at 8 which will take me out of the kitchen tonight but James will join Paul tonight, veronica will be on pastry and help Paul through lunch if and when needed, leaving me to take care of tonight’s menus mise en place (your days prep) orders for tomorrow and the set up for the expo.
By 10.15 the bread and roasts are in the oven and first of the bags of potatoes are on so its pots pots and more pots for sauces caramelised onions braised red cabbage rice and pasta are on the go ,chopping boards set up for salad mixes and slicing and dicing onions mushrooms etc
Deliveries’ start to arrive by 10.30 they need to be checked and put away as soon as they arrive,
By 11 o clock the fish is in and needs to be prepped today it is salmon ,hake ,scallops ,mussels and smoked salmon , finishing off the pot work by 12 for lunch and on to prep for tonight’s expo and demo ,
By 2 o clock most of it is done and I have to head off to the venue and set up the stand and the cooking demo unit with thanks to tasty Kerry for the use of it , once both are set up I’m back at the restaurant by 3.30, to finish off tonight’s menu , and check on everything , by 4.30 I’m back off to the expo , and we are doing two tasters at the stand athea black pudding with sweetened red cabbage and mussels steamed in Cronin’s cider , and mulled wine all are going down a treat ,Gavin Duffy of dragons den and some Munster rugby players are around and I get a few photos the expo is very busy and at 7.50 I’m off to do the cooking demo , till 9 and back to the stand to finish up ,
After a clean-up I’m back to the restaurant by 10 o clock and the lads are cleaning down after a busy night so it is place the last orders and home by 11 o clock ,
Saturday and in the restaurant by 9.30 Paul and veronica are in as well after checking in for the days specials its pack up and off to the expo by 10.30 and ready to go by 11 when the doors open until 2
So it is clean down and take the stand and cooking unit down pack up and back to the restaurant at 3.30, straight into the prep for tonight Christmas parties in tonight , and a surprise canapes and sandwiches for 6 o clock the restaurant is busy for lunch , by 5 we are set to go it is Saturday night so a full house, Paul is on starters I’m on main courses and ger will do the pass with veronica on pastry, at 10 o look the last mains are sent out and we start cleaning down and I write Sundays menu by 10.45 I’m leaving ,
Sunday is a late start for me and I arrive at 12.30 lunch has already started Paul and ger are set.
Sunday lunch is as usual a busy one with a full house, James arrives at 4 and takes over from Paul who starts setting up for tonight, by 5 we change over to evening menu and Paul heads away at 6 and myself and James do evening service which finishes at 9 and we clean the kitchen down and I place the orders for the morning.
Monday morning and in at 10 Paul is in and I start with a prep list and start prep and menus for the day, and start the ordering for the next two days and looking forward to next weekend,
Throughout the day speaking with suppliers about the coming week and what they have in season, menus laid out for the week I speak with Paul and decide on what we will forage wild to add to the menu and about upcoming events , the culinary gangsters have a demo later in the week so after speaking with Kevin and James menu and work plans laid out for the demo, by 2.30 I’m off to Tralee to return the cooking unit and back by 3.30 to finish off the prep and orders, and into evening service, and a few more calls , by 7.50 I’m off again to a meeting about the Listowel food fair of which I’m involved , and I’m home by 10.30, a quick call to Paul to check everything was alright.
As I sit down with a cuppa it is time to write the baking tips for #cupcakehour a twitter hour on all things baking which I write weekly baking tips for and can be seen here on the blog.
Off on Tuesday bar a few calls to and from suppliers , Tuesday night I sit down to write my weekly piece for the Tralee advertiser
Wednesday morning and it’s a meeting and photo shoot for catex event in February and Wednesday night a meeting at 7 in Tralee with transition Kerry and home by 11
Thursday and in the restaurant by 9.30 check the bookings for the weekend and place the orders while setting up for lunch by 4 today im leaving to head to ballyroe hotel for another cooking demo with paul james and kevin set up and ready to go by 7 the demo kicks off at 8 till ten time to clean down and head home , feet up with a cuppa by 11
Well folks that is My week Friday to Friday this week , each week brings something different and as we head into the Christmas season it will bring its fair share
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