As we rolled into January 2017. The daily phone calls from kitchen porters calling in sick or just not turning up. We decided it was time to advertise for someone who could be consistent. We only wanted someone to cover the lunch sessions, four or five weekdays each week. Personally, I thought this would be ideal for a parent with young kids at school, as the hours were only 11am to 2.30pm. Ideal for school out time. I hadn’t considered the response I actually received.
It was a good week before anyone replied to the advertisement. The reply came from a gentleman who stated that he had recently moved to the area and was bored at home a lot of the week. He was looking for a reason to get out of the house….oh and he was in his late 70’s.
He had also stated that he was very active for his age. I didn’t hesitate to invite him in for a chat. Outside of the kitchen I am a member of Ipswich Jaffa running club. I am by no means a super athlete but I like to call myself a consistent middle of the pack runner. But this aspect of my life has taught me many things. One of which being, age is not but a number. I have been beaten regularly in races by ladies and gentlemen of all ages. So for this man to say he was active and able was all I needed to hear.
Like I said, I invited him in for a chat and showed him the small kitchen where he’d be working. He was unfazed and looked like he quite fancied the challenge. I made him an offer which he accepted. 4 days a week to start with, which I he was more than happy with.
Straight away. Day one. You could see this man had a work ethic which would be a real asset to the kitchen. Organised, clean and thorough. A real godsend. I’m not going to assume he finds it easy but he’s been with us a few weeks now and he seems to be enjoying it. Not the job necessarily, but the work environment. He is regularly involved in the kitchen banter. Although we do adjust some of our low level jokes out of respect for our elders. There are only so many jokes about balls and phallic drawings any man needs to see or hear. I am currently very happy with how this is working out. At only a few weeks in, he has settled and found his rhythm. This post was normally filled by students or the bar staff who were looking for extra hours. The sink is no easy job. As any chef knows, the kitchen Porter is probably the most important member of any food establishment. If they are no good the whole service goes down. So far, we’ve had no problems like this.
This post is not meant to patronise and I hope that comes across. I know there are a lot of people in the same situation as our newest staff member. We live in a world where discrimination is writhe. More than ever in fact. You just need to look at recent news headlines to see what I mean. I say to you, as chefs/managers and restauranteurs. Do not overlook someone because of their age. Let the individual decide whether they can do the job. They will let you know. Embrace the opportunity to work with someone who will add another dimension to the environment. This gent may stay for a month, a year or whatever. But I hope this gives you food for thought.
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It's all very trendy but let's take a look at what's in this green juice. Your homework for this weekend is to dig out your kitchen scales and weigh out 12 grammes of sugar. That's what's in a 150ml serving of this drink!
I am by no means a nutrition advisor. I am also very partial to a chocolate, Haribo or cake.
I saw this in the supermarket and thought it looked quite nice an took a look at the label. It does not state anywhere that its a healthy drink. I am not even sure what Detox is actually getting at. Will this drink replace the function of my liver?
Anyway. Green is not always good. Thats all.

Here is a post from last month. One for the chefs out there. More like this can be found over on #UKchefchat website of at Staff Canteen blog

It gets to the December months and the Christmas parties start, this is where a chef’s endurance is tested. Mentally and physically we are pushed to levels which few other industries provide. The day-to-day monotony of preparing that turkey and plating up the pate. The constant attention to detail when reading pre-order sheets to see who is lactose intolerant, or on a gluten free diet or just wants to screw with the chef’s head by ordering something off menu.
As the month rolls on and the days all start blurring into one. The tasks become second nature, to the extent that you’re finding prep in the fridge which you have no recollection of doing but you know that no one else could have done it. This is the point where the parties get heavier. The relationships between the front of house and kitchen are tested to the maximum.
That customer who suddenly announces they don’t like pork and didn’t realise that the chipolata and stuffing were pig based. The server gingerly returns the dish to the kitchen and the chefs lose their shit because it was the last portion in the building. Apart from the slice in the sandwich which the kitchen porter was half way through eating...should I...shouldn’t I? Haha, no way!
The other side of this situation, and probably the most important, family. The wife, husband, partner and/or kids. It’s their Christmas too and trying to balance work and domestic duties is almost impossible. The God-awful split shifts, which were once convenient for the school run, have now disappeared in place of the AFD (All F***ing Day) shift. There's no time to pop out between lunch and dinner and there’s a party in at 5:30pm which needs to be set up and on point!
Friends and family all want a piece of the chef’s time too. Even though they know the answer, they still insist on trying to arrange a Saturday night out in December.

It’s a hard industry at the best of times. It’s been made tougher with the evolution of social media and review websites. There are not many other situations where your work can be so publicly critiqued by the anonymous. Where Dave, a shoe salesman from Cromer, can leave a 1-star review for a restaurant he couldn't get a table at because they were too busy. That, again, is another rant for another day! But we as chefs strive to ensure that every customer has a great time and enjoys their meal. The pressure involved in this is immense.
Towards the end of the month, with the last turkey cooked and the final batch of veg blanched. The parties get louder in the restaurant and the bar areas. This triggers an emotional response in the chef, it’s irrational but not complex, it’s simple, resentment. The chef hates that you have the time to party. The chef has no interest in hearing friends complaining about “I’ve only got the three days off, then it’s back to work”. Some of us are working on Christmas day. Some have only Christmas day off in the whole month. So it is wise to choose your words very carefully when talking to the chef. He hates you, but only until he’s had his beers and rested! The chef does not want your sympathy. Most of the time a simple “thank you” or “can I get you a drink?” will be enough. The chef appreciates you’re the customer but at this time of year the level of bizarre food orders go up. More people who don’t eat out all year turn up with their “can you pick the onions out?” or the "I like the blank but can I have it with blank instead?"
Chefs work hard. So when you are sitting in your, usually quite, local pub on a Monday evening in January and there is a group of guys and girls getting absolutely smashed and being a bit loud, they're probably chefs.
The great unseen. Sorry...not sorry.
So while you are wrestling with what time to put your roast parsnips on at home and trying to impress your mother in law with your closely followed Delia Smith Brussels Sprout Soufflé (not a thing!), remember that this is the kind of pressure a chef deals with several times a day, every day. Especially at Christmas.