Feeding the Masses
After graduating with an arts degree in the mid 90s, the world was not exactly my oyster. I signed on, but it wasn't much fun. I decided I needed to work, if only to prevent me from killing my annoying stoner housemates.

The jobcentre directed me to a small, family-owned restaurant who had advertised for a kitchen assistant. I decided I could hack washing dishes and mopping floors. I'd seen other people do it. It didn't look too hard.

I arrived to be met by the wife half of the husband and wife who owned the place. She said her husband would interview me. So I sat waiting in the restaurant, quietly studying the menu, when a blazing argument started in the kitchen. I soon worked out that it was the husband and the chef arguing. I gathered that the chef had just quit, at short notice, and the restauranteur was wondering "what the fuck" he was going to do.

Eventually, the kitchen door burst open, and a red-faced man stomped out, took one look at me and barked:

"Worked in kitchens before?"

I nodded - well, my mum's counts, surely?

"Can you cook"

*tentative nod*

"Got your 706/1?" (City and Guilds Catering cert)

I didn't know what this was at the time, so nodded anyway. I don't like to say no to red-faced angry people.

"Start monday."

And that was it.

I spent the weekend reading cookbooks learning how to make all the stuff on the menu. I was chef at this place for 18 months, eventually having a junior chef and an assistant underneath me.

No-one ever asked to see my 706/1, and no-one ever questioned my ability. The customers were happy, I got many compliments, and they begged me to stay when I finally left.

Professional cooking - piece of piss. Stick your histrionics up your arse, Ramsay.
(ragged, Mon 14 Jul 2008, 17:21, 4 replies)

Cracking stuff
Clicked
( sir_spicious2000 Crap I've watched: www.filmplop.blogspot.com/, Mon 14 Jul 2008, 21:20, closed)

Out of interest
How many covers a night ?
( RadG Drinking Mojitos in the sun, Mon 14 Jul 2008, 21:24, closed)

covers
40 seater, so between 80-100 covers on a busy night.

The most difficult thing was not the cooking, it was, as you're hinting, the time management. Once you've got that cracked, and assuming you've done all your prep, then it just flows.
(ragged, Tue 15 Jul 2008, 9:02, closed)

Just for...
this...
"Professional cooking - piece of piss. Stick your histrionics up your arse, Ramsay."

A click is your way coming.
(dchurch bah, Wed 16 Jul 2008, 15:55, closed)