Comments on: Where to find Chefs http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/where-to-find-chefs Cooking - Photography & More Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:11:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.7 by: miles http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/where-to-find-chefs#comment-47 Fri, 17 Aug 2007 15:38:53 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/where-to-find-chefs#comment-47 SC, Arga's are the business, a friend of mine has one and he swears by it-the ultimate bachelor accessory perhaps? miles SC,
Arga’s are the business, a friend of mine has one and he swears by it-the ultimate bachelor accessory perhaps?
miles

]]> by: Christine http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/where-to-find-chefs#comment-45 Fri, 17 Aug 2007 13:16:16 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/where-to-find-chefs#comment-45 Hi SC Miles also seemed to be concerned about the heat for the more mature. Well, for them the warmer the better, they are leaving the country in droves in search of heat. They also need much less sleep so late shifts would be no problem. You seem to know how to make a cup of tea, very good start - a budding Chef perhaps? Hi SC
Miles also seemed to be concerned about the heat for the more mature. Well, for them the warmer the better, they are leaving the country in droves in search of heat. They also need much less sleep so late shifts would be no problem.
You seem to know how to make a cup of tea, very good start - a budding Chef perhaps?

]]> by: SC http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/where-to-find-chefs#comment-44 Fri, 17 Aug 2007 12:19:49 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/where-to-find-chefs#comment-44 Hello Christine, I have found him some applicants locally, sadly though for some reason he is very reluctant to have an Arga fitted into his kitchen !. On a serious note, one of my fondest memories as a child was visiting an aunt who lived in a very picturesque little cottage and cooked on an Arga. She later moved to a brand new bungalow, but I bet she missed that Arga. The Victoria Sponge sounds nice, I will pop the kettle on, warm the tea pot and polish the Clarise Cliff, ... Two for Tea it is then. Hello Christine,
I have found him some applicants locally, sadly though for some reason he is very reluctant to have an Arga fitted into his kitchen !.

On a serious note, one of my fondest memories as a child was visiting an aunt who lived in a very picturesque little cottage and cooked on an Arga. She later moved to a brand new bungalow, but I bet she missed that Arga.

The Victoria Sponge sounds nice, I will pop the kettle on, warm the tea pot and polish the Clarise Cliff, … Two for Tea it is then.

]]> by: Christine http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/where-to-find-chefs#comment-42 Fri, 17 Aug 2007 10:41:08 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/where-to-find-chefs#comment-42 SC I thought you had made a valid point about some more mature cooks. Then I had visions of Miles checking out the local WI for suitable recruits. No doubt there would be some that could whip up a Victoria Sponge and a mean Steamed Pudd in no time, something his diners may never have experienced! SC
I thought you had made a valid point about some more mature cooks. Then I had visions of Miles checking out the local WI for suitable recruits. No doubt there would be some that could whip up a Victoria Sponge and a mean Steamed Pudd in no time, something his diners may never have experienced!

]]> by: miles http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/where-to-find-chefs#comment-38 Thu, 16 Aug 2007 17:33:12 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/where-to-find-chefs#comment-38 Christine, A very good point about the menu size. It's very difficult, if you don't have the chefs then a reduced menu makes sense in terms of prep time, labour costs and being able to cook and serve that particular number of dishes. The problem there though is that the customer has less choice so you rely on people not being too particular about what they eat. Ultimately any chef would like to produce a smaller menu as it means concentrating all of your efforts and skills into six or seven dishes rather than twenty. The very best restaurants across the globe tend to offer no more than seven or eight main courses, some of which have been on the menu for years. The main reason for this is that they are terrified of losing their michelin stars so they stick with what they know will please the inspectors. Sad but true-based on fact. Thanks for commenting and welcome to the site. Miles Christine,
A very good point about the menu size.
It’s very difficult, if you don’t have the chefs then a reduced menu makes sense in terms of prep time, labour costs and being able to cook and serve that particular number of dishes. The problem there though is that the customer has less choice so you rely on people not being too particular about what they eat. Ultimately any chef would like to produce a smaller menu as it means concentrating all of your efforts and skills into six or seven dishes rather than twenty. The very best restaurants across the globe tend to offer no more than seven or eight main courses, some of which have been on the menu for years. The main reason for this is that they are terrified of losing their michelin stars so they stick with what they know will please the inspectors. Sad but true-based on fact.
Thanks for commenting and welcome to the site.
Miles

]]> by: miles http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/where-to-find-chefs#comment-37 Thu, 16 Aug 2007 17:21:52 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/where-to-find-chefs#comment-37 SC, The problem with employing older people tends to be twofold; the money as you mention and two the working conditions. Every year gets harder for me personally, the hours, heat and stress drains you and that is why you see so few chefs in their late forties and fifties, it is simply too demanding. I don't wish to sound ageist but I know it would be very difficult for me to keep doing what I am doing at this level twenty years from now. As for people doing it for the money, you would be suprised at how many chefs don't do it for the money. When I went to Germany and the the Lake District I wasn't bothered about the money I just wanted to work there. We're a funny lot! Thanks for the great comments. MIles SC,
The problem with employing older people tends to be twofold; the money as you mention and two the working conditions. Every year gets harder for me personally, the hours, heat and stress drains you and that is why you see so few chefs in their late forties and fifties, it is simply too demanding. I don’t wish to sound ageist but I know it would be very difficult for me to keep doing what I am doing at this level twenty years from now.
As for people doing it for the money, you would be suprised at how many chefs don’t do it for the money. When I went to Germany and the the Lake District I wasn’t bothered about the money I just wanted to work there.
We’re a funny lot!
Thanks for the great comments.
MIles

]]> by: SC http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/where-to-find-chefs#comment-36 Thu, 16 Aug 2007 14:11:55 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/where-to-find-chefs#comment-36 Miles, Interesting point, but do they have to be young, could not older people genuinely interested in food be the answer, admittedly the wages may be a problem, but perhaps the trade as a whole will have to address that issue if they want to keep skilled people in the trade. I mean the main reason people go to work is the money, better money else where and they are gone. Miles,
Interesting point, but do they have to be young, could not older people genuinely interested in food be the answer, admittedly the wages may be a problem, but perhaps the trade as a whole will have to address that issue if they want to keep skilled people in the trade.
I mean the main reason people go to work is the money, better money else where and they are gone.

]]> by: Miles http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/where-to-find-chefs#comment-35 Thu, 16 Aug 2007 14:06:30 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/where-to-find-chefs#comment-35 Rod, I think proper restaurants would suffer a lot more if they didn't have the business clientel to rely on. People say restaurants are expensive but so is the food we have to buy-my christmas turkeys have just gone up by 12% but my menu prices were set in February so we just have to take it on the chin. Rod,
I think proper restaurants would suffer a lot more if they didn’t have the business clientel to rely on. People say restaurants are expensive but so is the food we have to buy-my christmas turkeys have just gone up by 12% but my menu prices were set in February so we just have to take it on the chin.

]]> by: Miles http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/where-to-find-chefs#comment-34 Thu, 16 Aug 2007 13:56:44 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/where-to-find-chefs#comment-34 Rod and SC, You are right to think that the media would encourage more people to go into the trade but the biggest problem I have is in convincing young people that they cannot expect to be Jamie or Gordon in six months. Everyone wants everything now without putting in the graft. I spent three years prepping and cooking vegetables, stocks and sauces but I trusted my Head Chef to train me properly. Twenty three years on it has done me no harm and I am glad that I did it because it made me a cook first and not a chef with an embroidered jacket. I also think it takes a few years of maturing before young people build up a respect for food and the work that they do, the hard part is getting them to stick it for long enough until they do. Rod and SC,
You are right to think that the media would encourage more people to go into the trade but the biggest problem I have is in convincing young people that they cannot expect to be Jamie or Gordon in six months. Everyone wants everything now without putting in the graft. I spent three years prepping and cooking vegetables, stocks and sauces but I trusted my Head Chef to train me properly. Twenty three years on it has done me no harm and I am glad that I did it because it made me a cook first and not a chef with an embroidered jacket. I also think it takes a few years of maturing before young people build up a respect for food and the work that they do, the hard part is getting them to stick it for long enough until they do.

]]> by: Rod Collins http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/where-to-find-chefs#comment-33 Thu, 16 Aug 2007 13:49:07 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/where-to-find-chefs#comment-33 Cid <blockquote>Does this mean more people are eating out?</blockquote> I'll bet they are but more interseting is where! Pubs now seem to do huge food sales compared to a few years ago - not sure how 'proper' restaurants are faring though Regards Rod Cid

Does this mean more people are eating out?

I’ll bet they are but more interseting is where!
Pubs now seem to do huge food sales compared to a few years ago - not sure how ‘proper’ restaurants are faring though
Regards
Rod

]]>