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.

Fit for Purpose
In last month’s post, I wrote about chefs and food servers dealing with mental health issues. I’d like to thank all those who got in touch about that post. I was very overwhelmed by the responses I received. It seemed to ring home with a lot of people in this industry. If it encourages just one person to talk or open up, then my job here is done.
This time around I’m writing about something a little closer to home. Possibly a little less intense too. This time it’s physical health or rather, lack of it. I don’t know about you chef, but my body is giving out on me. My metabolism has slowed right down since I hit 40 years old. For a long while I could eat or drink whatever I wanted with no real change to my weight or health. This is all a bit obvious I guess. We get older, are bodies take more looking after. We need to be investing more time into getting in and staying in shape. There lies our problem eh chefs? Time….. free time. The chef’s nemesis.
Over the last few years I have been a member of a running club. I have completed a couple of   marathons. Both times with no way near the required training. Crossing the finishing line battered and beaten…..then back to work the next day. I know there are plenty of other professions which can make it hard for the individual to focus on keeping fit and healthy. It’s just that this hospitality industry is notorious for grinding its employees to a pulp and discarding them without a second thought. And we just accept in as the way it is.
I have said before that we as chefs need to make sure we balance our lives with other activities. We are soldiers. We’ll muscle our way through a 14 hour shift. Grazing on bread ends, charred chicken fillets and a rogue cherry tomato. At the end of the shift we’ll patrol the kitchen for end-of-day scraps, like a cliché New York hobo behind the bins. Which is, ironically, where you’ll probably find us sitting with our feast that would make any “Clean Eating wellness” blogger implode. We won’t be instagramming this shit!
The days off will come and there are very few of us who can be motivated to go and run, hit the gym or do anything that will improve their physical health. Unless you include sleep. There are chefs out there who can fit in the healthcare,  but they are in the minority. It’s not a healthy lifestyle. We work to cater to other people’s leisure and pleasure. Our own diet usually takes a back seat.
So what is the solution? For myself, I try to cycle to work and sometimes I run. The diet requires a massive amount of discipline, which I don’t have…. “You gonna eat that piece of bacon?” It is hard, especially when starting out on getting healthier. It is however, very possible. Employers should support the healthier pursuits of their staff. Encourage the 5-a-side team. Promote coverage of your chef in the marathon. Surely we’d rather have a fit kitchen, as opposed to the brigade of renegade, broken pirates.
So whatever you want to do chef, whether it’s swimming, cycling, running or even all three. Go do it. Try to make time for it. I have entered the Birmingham Marathon in October. I have no idea how I’ll get on, but I want to do it. I am fortunate enough to be supported by my employer and my customers, who gladly take the piss when I turn up to work in lycra!
Just go do it chefs. Your body needs it!

You can follow my running and stuff over at My Marathon and Other Animals. Click image below!​

I have a few accounts on twitter. One, as you would assume, for @knifeOfBrian and another  which is used to share my running and cycling updates as well as my more general, non food ramblings.
What these both have in common is that they are both littered with facades of projected personas. Posts from chefs showing off their latest creations and runners announcing their latest PB's.
Certain tweeters I would look out for on a regular basis. What is chef @R*****2 up to this week? How did @Run*****73 do in his race? Without any abhorrent cynicism, I’d just scroll through my social media feed, stopping at recognised avatars or user names. Then it would dawn on me that someone was missing.


What happened? Were they on holiday? Maybe. Had they had enough of social media? Sometimes, yes! But this time in particular, their veneer had cracked to reveal a tortured soul. All that glistened was not golden. Had I missed a metaphorical cry for help? Something was not right. News would then filter out that this person was gone.
This is the point where I would realise that those tweets and Facebook posts were only 1% of the whole story. We are all guilty of doing it. We post the glory moments. We share the “ups”, but only a little of the “downs”. Are we afraid to show weakness?
 “Oh my gosh! What if someone finds out that I don’t find this easy?”
 I'm not sure this post is going where you thought it was? This is very difficult for me to write/talk about. I want to make sure I get my point across without scaring you off.
To get more specific, I will be talking about chefs. They do make up a larger percentage of my readers. I have seen too many fall by the wayside. There is an industry wide epidemic at the moment where chefs, young and old are crumbling and cracking under the pressure.
The bigger problem is that we are not talking about our issues or emotions. We are too "Manly" for that! I say manly because to get even more specific.... MEN are a problem. Please bear in mind that I am writing from personal experience. I am fully aware of the struggles women have in this male dominated industry/world (unfortunate but true). But that can be covered in another blog post.
Chefs are dying. Men are dying.... literally killing themselves. I would not have believed the statistics had I not seen them for myself. The biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK is suicide.
A few years ago, I lost two friends within weeks of each other to suicide. Both were guys, both in their early 40’s. Totally unrelated to each other. I cannot even begin to guess what was going on in their minds. But one thing was for sure, they may have been helped by talking about their problems. Around this time I was made aware of chefs I’d worked with were having personal problems and were dropping out of the industry. They were finding it tough and had got to breaking point. Turning to drugs, prescription or other. Finding solitude in the bottom of a beer glass. Depression was one of those things I’d hear a BBC radio 4 feature about. None of my mates had it! Oh, how wrong I’d been.
I have tried to make a point of making myself available to talk whenever I can. Through local forums, online and network meet-ups. The amount of chefs out there who are abusing themselves with drugs, alcohol and corrupt behaviour is astounding. A quick fix to mask a problem which can sometimes be solved by talking openly. I have found that sometimes a slight change in lifestyle can help. A step backwards in the career can be what’s needed to help move things forward. There is no single answer. No fix-all recipe. But  talking does help. Meeting up with chefs is always difficult. The long unsociable hours and the fatigue can make it a challenge, but always well worth it.
I have been very surprised when speaking with chefs and front of house members who I have worked with in the past. To find out the breadth of this issue. My own ignorance and laid back attitude to life in general had made me oblivious to other’s struggles before now. I may have used the term “Man up chef!” in the past. Not realising that those words can be as damaging as they are stupid. We need to support each other. We need to take a moment to know when a colleague needs help. Not just with the Mis en place, but their state of mind too.
This career is not easy. Now, in 2017, we are under more scrutiny than ever before. The days where you’d wait to see a food critic from the local press, sitting at a table, are long gone. Now EVERY table hosts a critic. All just an App update away from ruining your long awaited days off. A generation of tech savvy, Egon Ronay wannabes, with the literacy skills of an amateur blogger (me!) They will dine and destroy a chef and think nothing of it. Leaving an anonymous critique, veiled behind a palm tree avatar photo on review websites. We all love the ten great reviews. But when the one customer leaves an unfavourable review because they couldn’t get a table, this can be the little push that sends a fragile chef over the edge.
It is a high pressure industry. I love being a chef, but it has taken me to some dark places. There have been times when even, mild mannered Brian, has needed to disappear to a walk-in fridge, for some scream therapy (it works for me). Mental health is headline news at the moment and for good reason. Chefs, work hard. My mum would say “ The candle that burns twice as bright, burns half as long.” A simple saying all too true with restaurant staff. Let’s not add to the statistics.
I am not a doctor. I am not a psychologist. I am just a chef from the east of England who does not like seeing friends on their knees, but will do all I can to bring them back to their feet.
There are plenty of people out there who can offer better advice than I can. People more qualified. I just put it to you, as industry professionals to keep an eye out. The devil is in the details. Listen to what’s being said. I have added some links to the bottom of this post to people and organisations who may be able to help.

Here are a couple of videos. Firstly from Kinsman. She talks openly and informatively about mental health specifically with chefs. It’s well worth viewing. Also check out her website for more information.
 
 
Secondly, a short advert from Calm zone which I feel, sums up everything quite accurately.

1. It is a classic misconception that once you’ve bagged yourself a chef the fine dining meals will be a nightly treat. “You must have some lovely meals at home?” is what you’ll hear regularly from your friends and family. You will get used to reminding them that he/she is at work EVERY evening.

2. This leads me to the second point, weekends for a chef are Mondays. That’s the day the chef has as a day off (if any). Unless it’s a bank holiday, then they’ll be working. This doesn’t apply to all chefs, but just bear it in mind before you swipe left or right on that App.

3. Chefs smell like food. More accurately, they smell of cooking; onions, garlic, sweat, and fish. They are fully aware of their scent. Just let them have that shower/ bath when they get in from work.

4. They rarely go straight to bed when they get in late. The chef will have their “post work” beer. Once home they will watch Sharknado 3 on the SyFy channel until 2am, then crawl into bed for 5 hours before starting the new day. It’s not personal. They just need to become human again. A twelve hour shift needs a shutdown procedure.

5. The chef can be moody. They will do their best to not bring it home with them. But sometimes, when “Young Tommy” has accidentally turned off the freezer, destroying hundreds of pounds worth of dessert prep, it can take its toll. The other side of this, is the “Buzz”. The chef has just knocked out a three sitting, 600 cover Mother’s day service, with just two complaints all day. They will feel hyped. The adrenaline will keep them up for hours...even though they are knackered.

6. The chef appreciates you. Chefs know how lucky they are to find someone who puts up with all of this. The late nights, the missed birthday parties. The lonely barbecues. Bear with them. The good days are well worth it. They will know where to eat out. They’ll call in that favour and get the good table at that new restaurant and when they cook for you, it will be special (see 8).

7. They are so easy to cook for. It’s another massive misconception that you need to impress a chef with your own culinary skills. NO! (See point 6). The sheer fact that someone is cooking for them is enough to make them happy. Marco Pierre White says in White Heat “When I go out to eat, I’m the ideal customer. I eat the meal and go home and don’t complain. I’d never make a fuss. But the difference between me and other customers is that my expectations are realistic” This should be true for every chef worth his/her salt. This is not to say don’t put the effort in. Just know that they don’t expect a three star rosette bacon and egg sandwich...unless you are actually a 3 star chef!

8. When they do cook for you, do not be intimidated. They make it look so easy. You’ll see a look on their face which you may have never seen before. The focus, the intent. They’ll want to impress you and hopefully will. Don’t worry about the pile of washing up building up in the corner. That’ll be gone in a heartbeat. Another chef skill, washing up master! Also, do not be upset when they bring their own knives. Yours are shit. That’s all.

9. Chefs traditionally don’t have loads of friends. Their network is formed by people they work with and one or two strong friends from “back in the day”. This means, although you’ll be wrestling with their employer for quality time. You’ll rarely have to then negotiate time with “the boys/girls”.

10. Chefs are scientifically proven to be better lovers and generally better human beings than anyone else that you may be considering. This is true, because you are reading it on the internet.

This is dedicated to my wife. She’s put up with my crap for 23 years now. I don’t really know how she does it really.

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.
​​​

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.

Merry Chrismas from KOB. See you in the new year with some new content and products.... Yes, the cookery workshops are coming.

Brian P

Here is a little montage of some of the dishes from this weekend at The Greyhound Ipswich. My kitchen. It's not easy to "get the shot" while working, so please excuse the lighting and poor angles. These pictures are just taken in moments when I can grab my phone and take a photo. Actual meals that head out to customers. Take a look.

A Brief run though: The Monkfish and Parma Ham Risotto was a dish I used to do a few years back, when wrapping stuff in parma ham was all the rage. Circa 1997! But like I said on the original Instagram post, if it ain't broke....don't fix it. This dish was, and still is lovely. The key here is seasoning. No salt needed with the fish but a nice bit of black pepper will balance it out. Also plenty of lemon in the risotto as well as fresh, flat leaf parsley to perfume the plate.
The Dressed crabs came in from Norfolk. Fresh on the day. What I don't sell today, will go with a lemon and pesto Gnocchi dish tomorrow.
Then there was the Polenta with Spinach, tomatoes and wild mushrooms. This dish was all about putting some simple flavours together. The polenta was made with vegetable stock and mature cheddar. The rest of the dish was all roasted together and served up with some rocket oil and balsamic glaze
It's not Moules Mariniere, because I tend to find that the food police come out and start telling me about how it should or should not have cream in. This was just mussels in white wine, shallots and parsley sauce. Get over it! It was bloomin lush too. Lovely Brancaster mussels were a dream to cook.
Finally the Hake with winter vegetable risotto. This replaced the Monkfish but utilised the same risotto. But I finished it with some roasted butternut squash, celeriac, artichoke hearts and leek. This dish had the Hot, cool and crispness which keeps the taste buds interested. full of flavour, but not too complex. The Hake was fried in butter to help embed the rich flavour.

I hope you like it.....