wargod

Dear chefs!!

As a viewer of Hells Kitchen (ITV) can you tell me if working in a busy kitchen is as really as bad as it is portrayed?

Only wonderig as i am thinking of having a change of career!

Brisben

Depends who your working for, I mean go to Burger King on a Saturday and they all seem pretty laid back.

Likewise if i try and go into "THE Kitchen" when the mrs is cooking it's like get the f**k out i am in my palace now...

so yes and no.

beebopaloola

YES but its not bad its fun, fun, fun... there is a lot of pressure to get quality dishes out to order and any new job is hard at first! its a great life! if a tad antisocial!!!

wargod

Cheers for that!

sxxk

Not an easy job, but a lot of satisfaction at the end of the day. Anyway, there's no easy money nowadays!.

The most important thing is, you must have an interest in cooking (passion). If it's solely about money, forget about it.

Cheers

Nigel

beebopaloola

ive sent you some Karma!!
if you love cooking and can work under pressure then go for it!!
the red kitchen is working well because they are getting on with it instead of whining all the time and chuntering away to JC!!!
i would have been honoured to work with either chef .the laughs come at end of service not during!!!!
find a reputable hotel with a GOOD chef and go learn all you can. Be prepared to start at bottom show initiative to work your way up!!
ps get a decent set of knives!!! make a dish that is your own!!

wargod

I do love cooking but am 35 (over the hill??). Bearing in mind how long it takes to beome a chef - what do you think my employment chances are? (bearing in mind that chefs are supposed to be a wanted trade in Aus) As for working under pressure i work in an understaffed IT dept at the mo - so pressure is the norm !!

Ps - thanks for the karma - have returned the favour !!

claire edwards

Working in an office under pressure is completely different to the pressure of working in a kitchen. I understand and have experienced the pressures of both. The pressure of a kitchen is very much of that particular moment, 36 starters to be cooked and out in the next 20 minutes, let alone the main courses...I can't really describe it.

I worked in Perth as a chef in two 3 month placements with two different companies (8 years in total career so far), it was great fun, but at times the heat was unbearable! 40 degress outside and your inside in an even hotter kitchen, saying that I wouldn't swap the experiences.

Have you studied to become a chef? I worked with a girl who was studying in Oz to become a chef and I think her course was around 4 years long, placements were included in this time frame for very little money. You could work as a Cook to see if you actually like working in a kitchen before you take the plunge of doing a course.

Good luck in what you decide to do.

Claire

beebopaloola

35 is NOT over the hill!!!
your never too old etc etc, retraining :scared: im doing it now!!! to be a primary teacher instead of chef!! hey ho!
you need to have workied in trade for at least 2 years though if applying for visa!i think so training would not count? . do it part time at college?
get a set of jamie oliver pans from debenhams they are dogs b******

wargod

I have applied as an IT bod, but am thinking of a change of career, so the visa application should be a problem as no doubt i'll be in IT for a little while yet. Doing a part time course here is an option - and one i hadn't really thought of, but i have a wife and two little children which demand a lot of my time, plus i work long hours so the practicality of doing a course (or several) might be a problem.

Still if you dont find these things out you'll never know !!

wargod

No i havent studied to be a chef - but it is something that i am considering should i get even more hacked off with IT than i am at the moment!!

Working for not a lot of pay in the short to medium term isnt too much of an issue as i'll be taking a 'few' quid out with me - so as long as i can find a bank with a good interest rate i'll be able to survive (fingers crossed).

Now to show my ignorance ...... what are the practicle differences between a cook and a chef? (no offence meant to either!!)

claire edwards

In Oz it mean't the difference from someone who studied (Chef) to someone who didn't (Cook). I think it just works differently in Oz, that's all.

I have been a Chef in the UK, at all levels (Head Chef, Sous Chef, Chef de Partie - am I confusing you?) and didn't study, it was on the job training. A lot of employers will take on Chefs based on both qualifications and experiences, but if you have lots of experience, it doesn't matter if you have been to college or not.

I'm planning to open a little Cafe in Perth, so if you are there and want some experience, let me know!!

Claire

wargod

Thanks for the training offer!!!!

Unfortunately we are thinking Brisbane, still nothing is set in stone!! One thing though - i know what Head Chef, Sous Chef are - but whats a Chef de Partie.

Being realistic do you think door knocking with an IT biased CV is worth a go? Or should i do a few course etc - which leads onto the next question - courses here in the UK or courses in Aus?

Cheers

Jon

claire edwards

Ranks of chefs depend on the size of the brigade in any kitchen. You might have a head chef on service plating the food, sous chef cooking cooking mains and helping head chef. Chef de parties doing starters, then there's pastry chefs (Desserts). That's a very brief analysis.

I'm helping my brother at the moment doing his cv, he's changing career and wants to try cheffing before committing to college. Do a good covering letter with your CV, telling the prospective employer why you want to be a chef, what your inspirations are, what regions of food interest you, etc etc. You could also offer to do a free trial shift, you will soon find out if it's for you or not.

Why don't you get some experience in a kitchen and then decide on a course. There's lots of different courses available in the UK, you might even get a good chef that is an NVQ assessor to help you on the job here. Then it depends how quickly you want to get to OZ, whether you do a course here or not.

GOOD Luck!

Claire

wargod

Ta !!