Chefs do an incredible job under a huge amount of pressure. Here are 20 things only professional chefs will ever understand.
1. They want customers to be their friends and not their enemies
They know that customers are their friends but also their nemesis. If you are eating in a restaurant one of the most reliable options would be one of the chef specials as this is a popular dish made throughout the day. Also the chef will appreciate you choosing this dish!
2. They love to swear behind the scenes
They realize after the first three months on the job, that they now insert at least one swear word in every sentence they utter. This is the case whether in the kitchen or talking to the vicar after Sunday service.o
3. They know who to prioritise
They know who they need to pay more attention to when both a celebrity and a restaurant critic walk through the door. Which do you think they give extra special service to? Find out in the Food Network’s survey of 25 things chefs never tell you.
4. They don’t need the sunshine to shine!
They know that even during the summer months they will rarely ever see the sun, but it’s no problem, vitamin D is found in food too.
5. They have done their homework
They know that 65% of apprentice chefs go on to become fully qualified and that there are over a quarter of a million fellow chefs working in the UK. Almost 30,000 will join their ranks every year. Oaklands College explains what traits you need to successfully join them.
6. They know when to call it a day
They know that the finishing time is a moveable target. Depending on the level of authority, chefs have the power on choosing when to leave (in some cases).
7. They find the energy from somewhere!
They know that sleep was once their friend, but no more. If the shifts haven’t taught them that, the endless cups of coffee and cans of energy drinks have.
8. They try and avoid cooking out of work
They know that they never cook at home. How many more hours standing over a chopping board or a stove can a person take?
9. They have the best communication skills
They know that they can communicate with virtually anyone and that they will form friendships in the kitchen with the unlikeliest of people, bonds which will last a lifetime.
10. They have the throne at dinner parties
They know that if they ever eat at non-chef friends’ houses, the person will have apologized at least four times for the quality of the meal before they even sit down to eat.
11. They just love food!
They know though that the quality of the meal cooked by their friend doesn’t matter. The joy they feel at the fact that someone else has prepped the meal and stood at the stove for hours outweighs any mistakes. That is apart, maybe, from actual food poisoning.
12. They love their equipment a bit too much
They know just a little too much about knives, often having large posters on their walls about the many kinds and their uses. When you see a person with their own set of knives in a beautiful, but well used, hand stitched leather case you know they are either a chef or have something more worrying in mind.
13. They love a good laugh!
They know that a sense of humor is an essential requirement of the job. It falls just below the ability to cook but just above knife safety techniques.
14. They have the memory of a sieve
They have forgotten the names of more ingredients than you will ever know.
15. They never abandon the basics
They know that when you are learning to cook the recipe is all important if you want to create a successful dish. Once you are a senior chef it’s you who writes the recipes.
16. They know preparation is everything
They know that heating the pan or the oven before starting to cook is essential.
17. They know what they should be getting paid
They know that the average starting salary of a commis chef is around $20,000 per annum, rising to $43,000 for a sous chef and $108,000 for an experienced London-based chef. For those who go on to run their own restaurants the figure is wide open and comes down to a delicate balance between their skill in the kitchen and their business acumen.
18. They love the taste in the process
They know that tasting the food as you cook is essential, especially for seasoning. Not tasting is akin to trying to sew a dress without ever looking at the pattern, or the material or the needle.
19. They know anyone can do the job
They know that while the prevailing view is that most chefs are male, in fact the ratio is much more equally balanced with 40% of chefs being female. This is apparent in the kitchens they experience every day.
20. They all want to reach the top
They know that the Head Chef does less cooking than all the other chefs and that their role is to oversee the kitchen, plan the menu, order the supplies, constantly check the quality of the food and plan what others are doing with military precision.
Featured photo credit: Three chefs – men and woman – in hotel or restaurant kitchen working and cooking in team via shutterstock.com
