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Exit Strategy

25/5/2019

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I was in the gym the recently. I jumped on a fancy new machine and I was asked to enter some details via the digital display. Weight, height and age. Not the first time I’ve had to do this at the gym. So, without giving it too much thought I answered the questions. Weight: 92kg (ouch!), Height: 183cm (Whatever 6ft is in cm), Age: 43….yeah 43?…Hang on… shit! I’m 44! I had seriously forgotten my age. How long had I been saying that I am 43? Considering my birthday was last November. Had I completely disregarded that one? The more profound realisation, was that this year, I will be turning 45. I know this is by no means “old” but it made me think. How much longer can I do this for? I’m not talking about the cross trainer I was on, but, this life as a chef. I know there are a certain level of chefs, who may not be able to relate to this. But, to the faction of us in stained whites, who are serving up the not so glamorous burgers and chilli nachos to the beer and Prosecco swilling masses. The days can be long and monotonous. The only reprieve coming when taking a moment to scroll through Instagram and daydreaming about being a part of the Tweezer Crew in some chrome and steel plated, high-end kitchen.
So, what’s the plan Brian? What’s your End Game? (that was going to ne the name of this blog, but didn’t want you to think it was an Avengers Movie review). As I’ve stated, I know 44 is not old, but it is an age which I feel I should be seriously considering my next move. I’m not actively looking for a new job, but I always consider new opportunities, ventures and collaborations, whether it’s cooking, consulting or teaching. This usually fits quite nicely into my current roll at the pub and with my website. That’s kinda what I do…but how long can I keep doing it?
For the purpose of this blog and for those in a similar situation, I thought I should list some of options I’ve take or thought about. With a view that those who actually read this post, can add their own ideas in the comments below, thus creating an inspiration wall of strategies. Ya get me?
Me, myself and I:
The approach which I am currently taking, is more psychological. I enjoy my job. I find aspects of it frustrating, I wish I had more money. All the normal qualms people have with working full time. But, what I do now is, I focus more on my life outside of work. Making the commitment to something which is not related to pots and pans. For me, it’s running, going to the gym and working on improving my fitness. It’s making me focus on something else which is inherently more important. Me! Ironic as it was the gym which triggered this whole episode. Fitness does not need to be the focus here. The point is, making structured time for yourself and moving the kitchen, bar or restaurant away from the top of the list. Reading, audio-books and podcasts are another thing I add to this tool kit of self-preservation. Shut the world off. Focus on myself.
Money:
Taking a reduction in pay or hours is an option I toyed with. Could I go and work in a school or care home for a reduced wage, more family friendly hours. Stepping away from the restaurant sector and more in to the care/private sector. I know a few chefs who have done this. It works for some. But this is where the balance of mental welfare and financial stability can be like walking a tightrope. There are a few chefs working as sales reps. Still in hospitality. Selling everything from chilled pastry items, fruit and veg, to Combi ovens. These jobs tend to pay a little better than being a dinner-lady/man. But as with most Sales Rep jobs, these are mostly commission based. So the pay will fluctuate.
Start-Up:
Go for it….or don’t. That idea you’ve always had for your own place. Can you do it? Take the time to develop a business plan. Do your research. Whether it’s a Bar, restaurant, tea room, food truck, pop-up or something completely different. Stop procrastinating and grab that pen, a piece of paper and start scribbling down your idea. Just by focusing on this, it will give you something to think about. Even while you are working, use those moments to think about what you’d do differently or even, the same! I have a new business idea most weeks. I know this is the area I need to commit more time to personally. I’m hoping to host my first official pop-up within the next 12 months. This comes with a lot of stresses and hard work. But as Maya Angelou says Nothing will work, unless you do!
Freelancing:
A booming sector right now. Lots of chefs are taking themselves off the grid and becoming wandering hands for hire. You can end up working a lot more than you were before, but in theory, you do get paid for every single hour you work. But if you are looking to take your foot off the gas, this may not always be the best option. Your employer will want value for money and they tend to demand more for the £20 per hour chef even when it’s not so busy. Again, this works for some. Have you got a car? This is a very viable option. My advice would be to get your negotiation skills up to speed and get short term contract agreements signed.
Career change:
For a while, I went in to teaching. I was an instructor of Professional cookery at the local college. I loved this. Well. I loved the teaching part. The bureaucracy of the roll was what frustrated me. But that’s for another blog. Needless to say, This is where I fell in love with teaching. I was only in the roll for a year and a half, but I still now do visits to schools and colleges. As well as private cookery tuition.
To date, I am one of the few remaining chefs still cooking professionally, from my graduating class at catering college. They mostly dropped by the wayside to become bus drivers, bank workers, firefighters, taxi drivers, mums, dads and in one case, running a Skip Hire company! I love being a chef. I don’t feel I could stray too far from what I do now. The changes I look for are more to do with coping strategies. I can’t see myself doing anything which is not related to food. Maybe you see yourself in an office or “doing lunch” with colleagues. That’s not a world for me chef! Put a pin in that, we’ll touch base over brunch yah?
Talk:
This is the one which is most important. If you are struggling with your workload. Talk to someone. It doesn’t have to be a coworker. Just talking with someone WILL make you feel better. But if you can talk to someone at work who can influence your conditions, then do it. If they want you to be happy, the humanity in them will drive them to make it so. Leaving a job is not always the best solution. We’ve all been in the situation where we’ve left a job, then found out the thing that was pissing you off there has been changed for your replacement.
If you have no one you feel you can chat with, drop me an Direct Message for fucks sake. I’m proper nice (mostly). I’m no therapist but you’re still welcome to pay me £150 per hour or just buy me a beer if we meet.
I can’t claim to be an expert on behaviour, social well being or any sort of psychologist. But I have wrestled with the subject of “What next?” a lot over the past few months. This blog is by no means detailed. I can only apologise for that. Maybe one day I’ll be in a situation where I can afford more time and resources to do more research. If you are like me and starting to think about how you want to see out your career, please comment below. There are so many options these days. The hospitality sector is so vast. Your dream job or opportunity is never that far away. It just takes a leap of faith and self-belief. I will keep doing my thing. I love what I do, but I know it’s not sustainable. I’ll still focus on self-development. Maybe one day I’ll look back at this blog and think what was I worried about?
Maybe I’ll write a book.
Cheers
B
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digital chef

12/6/2017

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I was in conversation with a friend recently. He’s not a chef, or even in the catering industry. But he is very knowledgeable when it comes to social media, online presence and creative content. All areas of business which did not exist ten years ago. During the chat we discussed my views on why a career in the modern catering industry, in particularly as a chef, is not as attractive as it used to be. I’ve recently said, in other blog posts, that I feel trainee chefs are regularly surprised by the real lifestyle of being a chef and the impact it can have on their life. An interesting perspective was raised. Is the draw of being a social media presence more attractive than having an actual career as a traditional chef?
Personally, I struggle to be a full time working chef and provide regular online content. I can snap a quick Instagram photo of a dish from the kitchen, mid service. But the lighting is never ideal and I’m trying to avoid the dish perishing. Also, the risk of dropping my Samsung into a vat of beef chilli is only a nudge away. I have been a chef for 25 plus years. As I approach my mid-forties, the hard shifts are getting harder. The appeal of the online career is ticking a lot of boxes. I know that I have served my time in the trenches so to speak. The hours I have spent at the pass surely gives me the right of passage to blow the dust of my laptop and write some shit down and try my hand at digital media?
So, this brings me to another point. Is there a real tangible difference between a chef and a cook? There are chefs and food enthusiasts out there who are choosing an online career. Choosing not to venture into a kitchen, but to stage cookery from behind an iPhone. There are now opportunities for people, young and old to make careers in this industry through YouTube, Instagram and blogging. This is not a bad thing. I, myself would love to be able to step back from the hustle of the kitchen, the weekend services and surprise midweek violations (Who booked everyone in at 7.30pm?!)
No longer are Head chefs and employers only up against other restaurants and hotels. But they are now trying to convince millennials/ Generation x that this habitually tough career is worth dedicating ALL your time to for minimum wage and status.
You scroll through Instagram under the hashtag #Chef and you’ll find thousands of images from foodies cooking in the low pressure environment of their domestic abode with perfect lighting, plant pots of soft focussed herbs and their clothes cleaner than their perceived diet. Under this logic, can I take a selfie of myself brushing my teeth and use the Hashtag #Dentist. Or snap a moody photo of my first aid cupboard with the Hashtag #MedicalProfessional. Does the scrollee really care about the story behind the image? For the 1.4 seconds which they see, pause, click “Like” and keep scrolling… I don’t think so. The impact is short, sweet and impersonal. Yes, it may encourage some people to cook.  It may encourage people to visit a particular venue. But right now in 2017 I am concerned with whether future chefs are being correctly represented online. Are they seeing the real chefs?
There have been plenty of articles on false representations on social media with body image. Are we guilty of showing only the glossy side of our trade. The very sexy Sachertorte flicked with gold leaf will always make a better photo than the 20th portion of chilli cheese nachos of the day! Maybe it is time we have a few more #BatteredChef selfies. Show the world some of the realness.
So, what’s your point Brian? You know what, I think my point may have got lost in this post. But I’ve already committed to it, so I’ll try and bring it back: Being a chef in the 21st century has moved on. Once you are a head chef and you are using social media, it is up to you to inspire your customers and other chefs. You are representing a rich history and are part of the unwritten future. I suppose what’s putting a hair up my arse is the pretenders using the chef tag when they have not been a chef. I am proud to call myself a chef. Being a chef is not an action. It’s not something you do. It’s who you are. Whether you like it or not, when you wake up, you will be cooking, thinking about cooking or be talking about last nights service. AND ITS GREAT! I want the chefs to reclaim the hashtag from the instafamous instacooks. Show the world what it’s like to be a real chef. What would Antonin Careme say if he saw @BellaDelicious247 posting her scrambled egg, avocado and sourdough to her thousands of followers using the chef hashtag. Or even @JonBicksfitboy1 telling everyone that all their meals can be prepared in 15 minutes. (I really hope these are not real usernames) You get my point?
I want to the real chefs out there. Reclaim the #RealChef hashtag. Show the world that being a chef is not just about producing a single, beautiful dish. But doing it over and over again, several times a night to dozens of customers. Being a chef is knowing your timings and knowing exactly what is going on in every part of the kitchen at every moment. Whether you are a lone wolf in a pub kitchen, or heading up a brigade of a Knightsbridge hotel, any chef worth his or her salt-pot, will have a tale of the emergency order or that “You know about the wedding party…right?” We are all connected.
This post has been fuelled by my recent lower caffeine diet. So I can only apologise for the ranty ramblingness of its content. I hope it makes some sort of sense to someone.
There are some Apps which are targeted specifically for the chef, the professional chef. If you’re reading this then you’ll know which one I mean (Chef+) If you are reading this on one of my other platforms then head over to your app store and search out chef plus. It’s cool. Not enough moody selfies but some great food pics from some very talented chefs.

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Silly Ol' Tarte

27/9/2014

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This is my Tarte Tatin. I first made this while I was working in Arras, France. This is one of my favourite thing to make. I don't make it any way near often enough. I'll post my recipe up as a recipe of the month soon. But for now just scratch and sniff the screen. Take in that apple toffee goodness.
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Buffet at the hound.

15/9/2014

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This week we had a private buffet at the pub for a surprise birthday party. We chose to go with a mediterranean style platter. Which included Crevettes, Smoked Salmon and Salami. Our customers were very pleased with this and we have added them to our repertoire of dishes available at The Greyhound. We use a carefully selected set of ingredients on the platter, coupled with skillfully cooked Pesto chicken wings and homemade Focaccia bread. 
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Next step

1/9/2014

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Finally. I have it sorted. www.knifeofbrian.co.uk is live. This website has been in development over the last few months. Built on an idea which has been brewing for several years.

So what is it?

It is me. Chef, teacher, supplier, feeder and caterer. I’d like it to become a one stop shop for all your catering and buffet needs.

Over the past 25 years I have created a library of contacts suppliers and associates, which in turn will allow me to provide a superior service to prospective clients… you!

I supply catering for events. Teaching and cookery demonstrations for schools, academies and clubs. Also private hire chef for domestic entertainment.

These are all services which I have been providing to friends, friends of friends, family and colleagues for several years now. I thought it was time I turned what I've been doing as a hobby into “Knife Of Brian”, a name I've been using on social media for a while now.

Based out of the kitchen of the Greyhound Public House on Henley road, Ipswich. I use the facilities there to produce meals for this award winning pub. As well as all of the buffets for events. If you've visited the pub over the last few years you'll know what has been achieved. The emphasis on quality food, fresh natural ingredients and showcasing good cookery skills from my team of chefs. Home cooked and full of flavour. All this, is what I intend to bring to you.


"Bring the Greyhound to the people" DL

Before I've even launched officially, I am already receiving requests for information. Quoting for 3 events in 2015.

There will also be an on-line aspect to the service. Live cookery demonstrations via Google Hangouts are planned. Stay tuned for that. If you are a Google+ user just add KnifeofbrianUK 

More details will be fed into the website over the next few weeks. To stay up to date follow me on Twitter @knifeofbrian or on facebook.


Thanks.


Brian Pow.
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    Brian Powlett

    Hi, Welcome to my blog. I have been writing for a few years now. I like to think that I have improved slightly over that time. 
    ​I write mainly about chef issues.
    ​For blogs which are more about food etc, click on the IDEAS AND RECIPES option at the top of the page.
    ​Although, please read my posts here too.
    It's all good clean fun. 

    Cheers,

    ​Brian 

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