Ten Years After
A decade at the helm of a country house kitchen
This week sees my tenth anniversary as Head Chef of a country house hotel. As we approach a weekend of six hundred and sixty covers I recall the hotel’s anguish at wether or not I could start in time for a Jaguar dinner for sixty-how times change!
I remember turning up on a sunday evening, the receptionist showed me to my living quaters. I had a lounge, a small kitchen, a bedroom and a bathroom. I couldn’t believe it, I had gone from a room smaller than a prison cell with a sink in the corner sharing a bathroom with ten others to ‘Beckingham Palace’. You really cannot appreciate how lucky you are to have your own house until you have lived in a fifty bedroom staff block full of pot smokers and alcoholics.
On my first day I was introduced to a relief chef called Paul who had white hair and a twitch, I asked him which suppliers the hotel was using and when the order days were. He told me he had just recovered from a nervous breakdown and wanted to work for Customs and Excise, I told him that wasn’t what I’d asked him. I sacked him two days later, he would be the first of many. My sous chef back then and my dear friend, Lee Scott was cut from the same stone as myself, we took no prisoners. Relief chefs who didn’t deserve their inflated rates of pay soon fell by the way side, the record for sacking one was after their first twenty minutes on a monday morning!
As time goes on I shall regale you with stories from my early days but today is a time to reflect on how my life has changed professionally and privately over these last ten years and I think about all of the people who have come, gone and stayed. Today my chefs showed their generosity in a wonderful gift, quite unexpected and later, Lee rang and we talked about those early days and in the background of the conversation I could hear my beautiful Godson, Taylor playing with his mother.
To my sous chefs; Lee, Karl, Xavier and Emily, my loyal foot soldiers; Paul and Ben and all those who have spent time in my kitchen, I thank you all. To those who have suffered because of it, I apologise, but as the saying goes; cooking isn’t a job, it’s a way of life’ and I suppose that is true.
I love this stuff - really I do.
A very interesting insight.
If I may ask a question:
How many actual chefs will be used to cook for that number ?
Not other stuff just people who actually cook ?
Congratulations on your 10 year anniversary and on what is fast becoming a great blog !
DC
September 22, 2007 @ 6:54 pm
Derfel,
Many thanks for the encouraging words. With regard to the chefs there are seven plus myself, well six and a half if you include the relief chef who I had to show how to fry an egg this morning-still he is only 31.
Miles (during a quick respite before issuing a general roasting)
September 22, 2007 @ 9:01 pm
Miles,
I shall look forward to your tales from foreign kitchens and the private thoughts of a head chef/celeb photographer. Just to show that we do take note, today I purchased some unwaxed lemons in order to preserve them as per your instructions. If it all goes wrong, then we’ll be having lemon bath bombs, either way it’s going to be fun.
Cid
September 23, 2007 @ 12:27 am
Cid,
Good luck with the lemons, you will not regret it-trust me, I’m a chef!
Miles
September 23, 2007 @ 3:12 pm
Miles,
Congratulations on staying in this job for 10 years. I hope the owners know just how lucky they are.
I enjoy reading your blog and thank you for sharing your knowledge and experiences with us.
September 24, 2007 @ 2:59 pm
Elsie,
Thankyou for that, much appreciated.
Miles
September 24, 2007 @ 11:21 pm