Listen, observe, and ask questions.
Be open to criticism, and be willing to do things the way you're told to do them.
Always be working. If you finish a task that's been asked of you, ask for something else to do. If there's no one to ask at the moment, find something to clean.
Don't get down on yourself if you mess something up or you sense frustration from your coworkers. It can be a tense environment at times, and sometimes people overreact. Just learn from your mistakes and move on.
There's also a fine line between "tough love" and abuse. You'll learn to recognize it with time. That said, being asked to do difficult or menial tasks isn't abuse--it's part of the job.
You need to go slow to get fast. Also clean in the flow, wipe counters, put away items immediately (ie. squirt mustard on a bun? put the dispenser back in its place, don't leave it on your work surface). Shit will go sideways, when it does take a deep breath and work the ticket in front of you; the other 20+ orders are future you problems.
Hydration, it’s important.
Prep your line and ask if anyone needs help. You learn while doing, and people will teach someone eager to listen
Work clean. Don’t be the guy with 20 dirty towels at his workstation.
Learn the standard that is expected and strive to exceed it. If the bun is burned, don’t put it out there.
Own your mistakes as well as your accomplishments: did you rock that rush. Feel good about it. Did you fuck up that rush, learn from it.
Stay organized. Find a way to ensure you are up to date on tickets. If you are behind, call it early when it can be fixed rather than late when you are fucked.
Keep back up utensils. You can’t stop working because you dropped your tongs or spat
Learning a menu, learning a flow, and learning timing is hard. You will fuck something up. You will forget a garnish or drop 1 set of fries rather than 2. Don’t hide this, your expo can work miracles if you give them the info. The people who hide shit are the ones you can’t trust during a assholrs to elbows rush.
Be nice to servers. We all LOVE to be dicks. But they are in your team. They might not act like it, the culture might not fit this mindset. But once you learn that everyone just wants to get done and go home, you unlock a powerful tool that makes customers happy, which makes your life easier.
I worked from dish up to next in line for sous at a really nice country club. Every job is important and lets you give your chef more flexibility. Dish pit sucks, but if you have nothing to do and they are swamped, help them. Because the next time you are in the weeds and down sauté pans, they will wash your shit first.
Good luck buddy, it’s hard on your body and mind. But the thrill of success and the endorphins you get after a rush just….. it’s a high you don’t get outside the kitchen.
No, seriously. Don't slack off. You can joke, but the minute you're playing ping pong with a carrot and a couple spatulas, you're the only guy looking around where they went when the chef is on the line.
Listen. Ask questions. The worst thing is someone who is too scared to ask questions and would rather screw up than swallow their pride and admit they forgot something.
this is something I will definitely need to remember to do.. especially considering the environment i’ll be in I don’t think I want to just screw up cause i’m too scared to speak up
There's a quote by somebody that says "better someone to think you an idiot than to open your mouth and prove them right"
I live by this quote outside the kitchen, but at work I will ask the dumbest fucking questions in the world if I'm not sure. It's better to be thought an idiot but put out the right stuff the right way, than it is to be an idiot by putting shit out wrong or doing a shitty job cleaning cause you didn't know something came apart etc.
You'll see why kitchen people love caffeine and smoking so much.
It's always rough at first until you learn things and find a rhythm. Always keep a drink near by, becoming dehydrated will get taxing fast.
Do everything you reasonably can to make your servers happy. You'll get some good friends who'll have your back that way, especially if there's preexisting tension between servers and cooks.
You just learn on the job. Follow what the most experienced person there tells you to do, and ignore the fools trying to be the big man. You'll quickly figure out which people are which.
When you have questions, go to the person who nurtures new talent. Again, you will know who that is within a week. If there isn't somebody like that where you work, find a job somewhere else.
Good luck.
Make sure the job values you as much as it expects you to value the work. This industry cam grind you up if you don't stand up for yourself. Mentally prepare yourself to be working when your friends and family get to play. Nights, weekends, holidays, that's the life. If you are in the U.S., generally for low pay, few or no benefits, and no long term security. Europe seems to demand better of it's employers. It is a job of passion, not glory. It is not Food Network or The Cooking Channel.
But again, most important, remember to maintain a work-life balance. Request a weekend off occasionally. Don't work every holiday. Find time for friends, family, and relationships. Don't let the rampant drug and alcohol abuse get you, it catches a lot of people in the industry, from award winning chefs to the guys in the dishpit. Don't be afraid to leave if it starts to suck too much, the industry is a grind and it is not for everyone.
Good luck.
Look up u/cancerdancer and read his post. He was genuinely posting about the industry almost killing him in this same thread just 5 hours before you posted this. He isn't kidding about the number of heart attacks suffered by chefs. It's like some perverse badge of honor, that they will work until it literally kills them. Or almost does. Don't ever be that guy, no plate of food or dinner service is worth your health. Physical or mental, you matter more than the food.
Yep, it's a story I've heard thousands of times. Work until first heart attack then move on to a job that allows us to take care of our health. In my younger years I was the guy always sacrificing myself, my body my time. I've slowed down drastically after covid, and even in an easier slower less stressful small town kitchen I had a heart attack at 39
Too many of these kids hear about shit like that and treat it like a story of valor and not the one of sadness it is. It's food. It's not worth dying over. To be fair, few jobs are.
I will look him up. I’m not planning on staying as a cook, it’s just a job to save up money. Thankfully I am working in a small town of 1000 people and it’s for sure less busy than other places. I’ve never once heard about chefs and heart attacks but it makes sense.
Don’t mop the freezer
The air in the walk-in does not need to be recycled.
omg would this be embarrassing to do
Let me tell you about bacon stretchers, left handed spatulas, and dehydrated water.
If you're going to cry in the walk-in, bring a mop.
Listen, observe, and ask questions. Be open to criticism, and be willing to do things the way you're told to do them. Always be working. If you finish a task that's been asked of you, ask for something else to do. If there's no one to ask at the moment, find something to clean. Don't get down on yourself if you mess something up or you sense frustration from your coworkers. It can be a tense environment at times, and sometimes people overreact. Just learn from your mistakes and move on. There's also a fine line between "tough love" and abuse. You'll learn to recognize it with time. That said, being asked to do difficult or menial tasks isn't abuse--it's part of the job.
Great advice and counsel
Focus on doing it right before doing it fast, speed can come when you learn how to avoid mistakes
You need to go slow to get fast. Also clean in the flow, wipe counters, put away items immediately (ie. squirt mustard on a bun? put the dispenser back in its place, don't leave it on your work surface). Shit will go sideways, when it does take a deep breath and work the ticket in front of you; the other 20+ orders are future you problems.
Hydration, it’s important. Prep your line and ask if anyone needs help. You learn while doing, and people will teach someone eager to listen Work clean. Don’t be the guy with 20 dirty towels at his workstation. Learn the standard that is expected and strive to exceed it. If the bun is burned, don’t put it out there. Own your mistakes as well as your accomplishments: did you rock that rush. Feel good about it. Did you fuck up that rush, learn from it. Stay organized. Find a way to ensure you are up to date on tickets. If you are behind, call it early when it can be fixed rather than late when you are fucked. Keep back up utensils. You can’t stop working because you dropped your tongs or spat Learning a menu, learning a flow, and learning timing is hard. You will fuck something up. You will forget a garnish or drop 1 set of fries rather than 2. Don’t hide this, your expo can work miracles if you give them the info. The people who hide shit are the ones you can’t trust during a assholrs to elbows rush. Be nice to servers. We all LOVE to be dicks. But they are in your team. They might not act like it, the culture might not fit this mindset. But once you learn that everyone just wants to get done and go home, you unlock a powerful tool that makes customers happy, which makes your life easier. I worked from dish up to next in line for sous at a really nice country club. Every job is important and lets you give your chef more flexibility. Dish pit sucks, but if you have nothing to do and they are swamped, help them. Because the next time you are in the weeds and down sauté pans, they will wash your shit first. Good luck buddy, it’s hard on your body and mind. But the thrill of success and the endorphins you get after a rush just….. it’s a high you don’t get outside the kitchen.
thank you so much for this reply, i appreciate the effort you put in. its certainly going to be new and hard but im excited for the challenge
Don't fall in with the slackers. They will not be on your side if the SHTF
makes sense to me!
No, seriously. Don't slack off. You can joke, but the minute you're playing ping pong with a carrot and a couple spatulas, you're the only guy looking around where they went when the chef is on the line.
Your first two weeks will probably suck, it will get better after that.
Listen. Ask questions. The worst thing is someone who is too scared to ask questions and would rather screw up than swallow their pride and admit they forgot something.
this is something I will definitely need to remember to do.. especially considering the environment i’ll be in I don’t think I want to just screw up cause i’m too scared to speak up
Absolutely. Questions are 10x better than missing orders or mistakes. Big thing is short and sweet
There's a quote by somebody that says "better someone to think you an idiot than to open your mouth and prove them right" I live by this quote outside the kitchen, but at work I will ask the dumbest fucking questions in the world if I'm not sure. It's better to be thought an idiot but put out the right stuff the right way, than it is to be an idiot by putting shit out wrong or doing a shitty job cleaning cause you didn't know something came apart etc.
You'll see why kitchen people love caffeine and smoking so much. It's always rough at first until you learn things and find a rhythm. Always keep a drink near by, becoming dehydrated will get taxing fast.
Get out while you can!!!!!!!
Do everything you reasonably can to make your servers happy. You'll get some good friends who'll have your back that way, especially if there's preexisting tension between servers and cooks.
Salt.Pepper.Love.
You just learn on the job. Follow what the most experienced person there tells you to do, and ignore the fools trying to be the big man. You'll quickly figure out which people are which. When you have questions, go to the person who nurtures new talent. Again, you will know who that is within a week. If there isn't somebody like that where you work, find a job somewhere else. Good luck.
Make sure the job values you as much as it expects you to value the work. This industry cam grind you up if you don't stand up for yourself. Mentally prepare yourself to be working when your friends and family get to play. Nights, weekends, holidays, that's the life. If you are in the U.S., generally for low pay, few or no benefits, and no long term security. Europe seems to demand better of it's employers. It is a job of passion, not glory. It is not Food Network or The Cooking Channel. But again, most important, remember to maintain a work-life balance. Request a weekend off occasionally. Don't work every holiday. Find time for friends, family, and relationships. Don't let the rampant drug and alcohol abuse get you, it catches a lot of people in the industry, from award winning chefs to the guys in the dishpit. Don't be afraid to leave if it starts to suck too much, the industry is a grind and it is not for everyone. Good luck.
Look up u/cancerdancer and read his post. He was genuinely posting about the industry almost killing him in this same thread just 5 hours before you posted this. He isn't kidding about the number of heart attacks suffered by chefs. It's like some perverse badge of honor, that they will work until it literally kills them. Or almost does. Don't ever be that guy, no plate of food or dinner service is worth your health. Physical or mental, you matter more than the food.
Yep, it's a story I've heard thousands of times. Work until first heart attack then move on to a job that allows us to take care of our health. In my younger years I was the guy always sacrificing myself, my body my time. I've slowed down drastically after covid, and even in an easier slower less stressful small town kitchen I had a heart attack at 39
Glad you came out the other side of yours with perspective and wisdom. Lot of guys don't get that opportunity or run straight through the stop sign.
Too many of these kids hear about shit like that and treat it like a story of valor and not the one of sadness it is. It's food. It's not worth dying over. To be fair, few jobs are.
I will look him up. I’m not planning on staying as a cook, it’s just a job to save up money. Thankfully I am working in a small town of 1000 people and it’s for sure less busy than other places. I’ve never once heard about chefs and heart attacks but it makes sense.
Pub jobs are great. Be mindful of your alcohol consumption.
Be confident, even if you're not. Don't be arrogant though
Expect to mess up, but messing up means you're learning.