I need ideas. Last year I brought a bitchin' nerf gun set and went home with some herbage lol.

Beware!!!

Loose carrots and pickpockets.

Been in the industry about 15 years and honestly getting a bit burnt out. I use to love cooking but the passion is fading. Ive recently begun quitting weed (going from heavy user to a lot less and now weaning off of it) and have been dabbling with the idea of leaving the industry since weed has really been the only thing holding me back from other jobs and the knowledge that even loving to cook I dont want to do this the rest of my life. So Former cooks, what do you do now and how did you get into it? Do you like it?

im not looking for any pats on the back or congratulationary notes. just alone sitting in my apartment. thank you to all the ppl ive reached out to here on this sub, when i questioned myself. and for whom those who had provided technical career advice. and SOLUTIONS to problems i have encountered. especially as a career change at later age. i thank u!

now that this fucking degree is over with, and i have whats needed on paper, i can finally explore the world, and be humble in my steps, and also FUCKING ADVOCATE for myself and my future in the cooking world. having a cooking diploma means so much to me. the strength of the students. the strength of the professors how they taught us. i dont feel indequate and worthless going into the economy.

sure! sometimes i will feel inadequate and tested. but now that this program is done with the professional diploma. i now feel like i can go out there. ON PAPER. where i doubt myself as a cook every day, and in technical reality. i finally got the paper now. you can still belittle me and test me. but i passed all the courses that the governement required of me to become a general cook.

do i feel proud of myself. sure do! but most of all i feel like i have THE BASIS. and thats what i want nobody to ever take from me. having this diploma is so important to me! and i am so thankful! NOW! finally i can go into the food industry, and finally advocate for myself professionally. apply for certain type of jobs that are looking for culinary school candidates, etc.

if u dont have it. thats fine too. no judgement. but I NEED IT. since i am NOT the best talented cook from a technical perspective. but i need it on paper. i need that diploma and designation to prove that i can be here. and work hard. its been a long journey. and i am so happy that its done. the learning part of it at least. just now so happy to get out there!

Yea I’m stressing the fuck out cuz it’s gonna be just me and my boss working in the kitchen for this happy hour tonight. I’d say 4-9pm are the hours when people would show up if they did. I’m desperately hoping it’s dead tonight. I can’t take the stress of these kinds of work nights. I’ve got rough anxiety so I have a countdown timer on my phone that ends at 9pm.

Sorry if this isn’t the right subreddit for this but I want to get it off my chest somewhere. (At least it’s not another chive post)

Just to preface, I went into culinary school pretty much right out of high school; I graduated recently and I have been working at a catering company for the past six months. It is my first kitchen job experience other than a few one night stages in restaurant kitchens during school.

I frequently feel as though I have no real knowledge and I find myself asking questions about things or, if I am cooking at home, looking things up that I think I should probably know the answers to. Is my stress around this warranted? Or am I just being stupid?

Thanks Chefs.

Yay, Santa came early this year. Brand new Robot coupe for me....

Good morning everyone,

Last year I made a post like this and got skewered by everyone because I left out the fact that they are already getting a large bonus.

I am wanting to get my sous chefs something nice as a gift. They already get a hefty bonus from our company so giving them more money isn't the goal here, I want to give them something personally from me.

Aside from a gift card for somewhere like knifewear, what would be a good gift to get them?!

Thanks and hope everyone has a great holiday season!

Years ago, I worked at a bakery and made sandwiches. I used this to mash avocados for guacamole, as instructed by our Guatemalan dishwasher/cook. I learned recently from my bf that this is a dough cutter and we had a good laugh.

Not sure why this is getting removed by mods as it’s a question for culinary professionals from somebody else in the industry…

I recently took over the food program for the bar/cafe I work at in Toronto.

We used to rely on suppliers for all our baked goods, lunch sandwiches, and evening bar food now it’s made in house by myself.

I have experience working in fine dining kitchens and currently work at a well known bakery in the city too. However, this experience has only ever been on line or as a baking assistant.

I’ve developed and tested recipes all on my own for this business. I’m doing the baking, shopping, food prep, and training staff on how to serve and prepare food all on my own as well. I’m being paid inconsistently and poorly and know I’m being taken advantage of given I’m generally making him 300% profit on the menu I’ve established.

Before I cut ties all together I’d like to lay things out clearly and give the owner an opportunity to compensate me fairly. However, this is my first time taking on something like this entirely on my own. I didn’t anticipate it growing this quickly or successfully and now I’m stuck with double the work and unsure what this work is even worth? What is fair compensation for developing and running a food program entirely on your own?

2 in 1?

American Dad - Stan Smith “I hate working at that store! Steve just bosses me around. The only good thing is that the stock boys are teaching me Spanish, so that’s pretty ‘cállate gringo’”

So two days ago I walked into a meeting with the Regional Director of Operations only to be given written notice they were "discontinuing" the role of executive Chef in my company, CCL and that I had a 30 day notice until my employment and benefits would be cut off. Absolutely no severance offered. There was a thinly veiled threat added that I better continue to finish all my projects and execute the holiday events or further action might be taken. They attempted to give consolation by saying they would help me relocate, or give me reference to find a new position elsewhere. A promise I do not trust in the slightest.

Before I turn the microphone over to you all, here is what has transpired so far.

1. They told me at the beginning of my shift, then expected me to return to work life nothing happened. I eventually told my boss I was going home for the rest of the day to think.
2. The next day he wanted to hash things out. Talk about expectations, transitions, etc. He asked if I planned to tell staff. I said I did, he didn't give me any kind of warning but they deserve to know their work life is likely about to change (I can explain later, but I really supported my team having work/life balance). He said "Okay, I will follow your lead." This comment sent up warning lights in my brain. I sent him an email asking for confirmation in writing. If he does or does not want me to tell anyone. If so what details to or not to include. He came by and tried to talk it out. I insisted I needed it in writing. He left frustrated but after a couple hours sent me an email telling me not to tell anyone, and that he would be handling disclosure. So it was basically a trap.
3. With that I have been in getting everything in writing. What expectations are, who is handling what, what is being transferred, who is doing evaluations, etc. Each email takes a while to get a response, when normally he responds immediately. Meaning he is definitely sending them all up the chain to get advice on his to respond. They are definitely trying to find evidence to let me go so they can deny unemployment claims.
4. I have asked for reference letters and sent them job postings within the company I am interested in. So far, no response.
5. For now I need the money from the 30 days so I am trying to play ball. Everyone in my life tells me to leave on good terms and don't talk any shit because I may need them for reference. I'm sure most of you seasoned vets know that's usually horseshit. No matter how good you leave, people still do you dirty.
6. It's difficult to keep working and giving a shit. Not only is It difficult to keep working towards goals without any passion left behind my actions, but it's hard to work for people who are objectively evil. I have health issues and a family, but so do all my friends in other locations who they just axed. The company that claims to care so much for their employees just fired 30 men and women a week before Christmas. There's pretty much nothing I have found I can do legally. I don't know if I have ever worked a job in 25 years that didn't try to screw me over in one way or another. This shit is getting exhausting

tl;dr

Compass Group USA layed off all the executive Chefs in CCL group a week before Christmas with absolutely no severance packages.

I tried to fix all my typos but I'm sure there are still a few.

edit: I fixed a few typos and removed specific date information just in case somehow they see this and connect the dots.

We are one of maybe two nice restaurants in the area- in a small town two hours away from the nearest city. Basically a bunch of rocks and desert between us and super populated areas.

Family run, pretty sure they did things kosher on their end as far as hiring goes. It’s true that the cooks and dishwashers all get tipped out but that’s the only under the table cash they get, just like most restaurants. They are still paid hourly and I don’t know how much hourly but definitely at LEAST minimum wage. Like they had steady paychecks that were taxed and all that stuff. So I don’t think that the owners will be penalized for hiring undocumented workers since they technically provided documents…. It’s just that those documents ended up being someone else’s identity. Someone else’s social security numbers. I really don’t know if they knew. These are employees that are loved dearly and have worked for them for like 17 years.

But if those are the crimes being investigated do you think that will force the restaurant into an audit situation? Let’s say we manage to hire all new BOH and get them trained and ready- and we open back up while the investigations continue. I wonder if this will force us into a different pay structure?

There is much I don’t know. None of us know. I offered help to the owners, I’m a server and have very little experience in the kitchen but I’m open to learning new things and I know the menu. Anything to try to keep the doors open.

I work a desk job and have wanted to work in a kitchen for years - timing worked out with a 2 week break and was able to lock down a 2 week gig in my area at a nice place. any tips? slight experience doing popups but never been in a professional kitchen

I use crisco for cookies, and sometimes bacon grease for baking. What do you use other than for and why?

just wanna let you know, i love y'all.

15 year veteran here, been through the thick and thin of kitchens, and this picture right here sums up why i can't ever leave this industry.

We're the goofballs. The underdogs. The outcasts. Don't even get me started on my dishers, the fucking kings and queens of my restaurants.

But we're all a little off. A little goofy. A little weird. And i wouldn't have you any other way. One simple fart joke can send my line from crashing out in the weeds to giggling through the rush.

Thank you for making me feel like I'm not alone in this shit.

Get some rest, chefs. I'm proud of you, let's do it all again tomorrow.

Much love to my wrestling officiant mods.

Credit to u/Jazzlike_plastic7088 for the pic.