UKH

Is a phrase oft said by some of the high fliers who appear on Masterchef; people who have succeeded in the professions for example. I don't understand why don't just go and get a job working in a pub kitchen. It's not like becoming a pop star, it's hardly an inaccessible profession.

In reply to Submit to Gravity:
Because your boss will say, "here, you see that nice ice cream you've been ordering, why don't we use tesco value instead? It's just as good. And you know those apple pies you're making, look how cheap these frozen ones are we can get from costco. Do you really need a sous chef? can't you just use this 15 year old who costs less?" etc. etc.

In reply to Sharp:

Start your own restaurant then.

In reply to Submit to Gravity:

If you wanted a high flying cheffing career you would choose starting your own restaurant over a chance at getting on Masterchef?

Being a good chef is very different from running a good business, something which a lot of would be restaurateurs fail to realise and hence why most start up restaurants fail dismally. "I just wanna work in food" is a very different statement from "I want to build a business".

In reply to Submit to Gravity:

You need to be a scruff and have an arm full of tattoos to work as a pub chef

In reply to Dave Perry:

And the ability to stand out the back of the kitchen puffing on a fag while wearing filthy check trousers.

In reply to Sharp:



But so many of them are intelligent people with the nous to succeed.

In reply to Submit to Gravity:

Then you end up noticing how much cheaper things are at Costco and that the stupid punters actually seem to prefer it to your hand made fare.

In reply to Dave Perry:


And that's just the female ones...

In reply to Submit to Gravity:

Yep, I'm a foodie, love cooking for mates but f*ck me, those professional kitchens look like your worst nightmare.

E

In reply to Submit to Gravity:

because their idea of working in food is different to the reality of working in a high volume kitchen

In reply to Submit to Gravity:

This thread may have been more serious if the title had been "I just wanna work with food", rather than the "I just wanna work in food', which has less than pleasant connotations.

In reply to Submit to Gravity:


I think at the fine dining end it is a rather hard profession to get into.
As an aside an easy form of entertainment at a pub where I worked at uni was to call one of the cooks a chef. She had rather strong views on the difference, not at all complimentary to the chefs.

In reply to Submit to Gravity:


So they know raising there profile by doing well in Masterchef, will give them an edge in a business that it is notoriously difficult to succeed in.

Master chef has been crap since it came back.

The old format was better, and more about home cooks than wannabe chefs.

In reply to Dave Perry:


Yeah. I'm thinking of nude paddling pool jelly wrestling for some reason.

In reply to stewieatb:
And people leaving their passion on the plate...

In reply to Submit to Gravity:


"Chef's special sauce" as Viz would have it.

In reply to Enty:


Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain is pretty much required reading on this subject, I think...

In reply to Submit to Gravity:

Probably cause they can't imagine doing mind numbingly tedious re heating for minimal wage? You have heard of 3663 right?

In reply to Philip:



Maybe the clue is in the name?

I loveMC…although its not the sort of food i would cook or even eat

Most peoples idea of working in professional kitchen is miles away from reality and their view is skewed by all those foody tv programs.The master chef wannabies seem to be sweating and shaking after producing one plate of food would love to see them serving 150 covers on a 16 hr shift as this is how it looks most of the time in reality.And yes,it is very easy to start,even in fine dining but you have to start at the bottom and put in lots of hard work and long hours,not what most people want to do these days...

In reply to Simon80:

When I was younger, I worked in kitchens, in 'fine dining' (at Sloane Sq, London) and also in fast food (KFC, Grafton St, Dublin). Oppposite ends of the spectrum. As a long term job, no way! The hours are crazy as well as having insanely busy periods.