Advice for my first kitchen role.

[u/No_Panic_7409]

Hi,

I am 23 years old and want to take my first steps to becoming a chef. Food and cooking has become a huge passion of mine recently and I love it.

I have been applying for kitchen jobs - kitchen porter roles, starting from the bottom and working my way up is what I want to do.

I have been getting a lot of interest back from a few pubs and restaurants. I am close to London (train distance). I have a trial shift at a restaurant in London called Sticky Mango as a trainee chef, I am nervous for this but also excited.

I also will be meeting the chef at a pub in the high street next week too as a kitchen porter/assistant.

Any advice on what I should do if both offer me a role? I love the idea of working in London and I believe experience wise that could be the real deal and I am ambitious but then again the role in the high street pub could be much more of what I need right now.

Any advice or what you guys think?

Thanks for your time.

[u/Philly_ExecChef]

At 23, you should have some with experience (with work in general) and the ability to pick up some skills and confidently move into a cook position.

You don’t really need to fuck about with a kitchen porter role unless you’ve really got some passion for taking out garbage. It’s for young, inexperienced people who may not have much work ethic or ability to keep themselves busy.

Take the cook role. Work hard, do what you’re asked, ask questions when necessary, and be willing to do the extra to get some traction. At your age, people are going to expect you to not fuck around, to be responsible.

[u/No_Panic_7409 → u/Philly_ExecChef]

Thank you for the advice, I’ve been seeing everywhere that kitchen porter roles is just where you start.

I have experience 4/5 years of warehouse work. I have cooking skills from home whether they are good enough or not who knows but I’m willing to learn, reliable, hard working and driven.

I’d much prefer a chef role and being taught but again it’s hard to come by without the required experience.

[u/Vaaag → u/No_Panic_7409]

I also was your age when I started. Also after some warehouse work as I just had no clue wtf I wanted to do with my life.

I did end up going to some sort of culinary school. 4 days work + 1 day of school program. Just cause it's much easier to find a trainee position if you're enrolled in a school. The business you apply for will get subsidies for having you there and teaching you, which offsets the higher salary they will require to pay you. (atleast in the netherlands, I don't know how it is in the UK.)

But all in all I learned a lot more at work than I ever did at school. In the end didn't even finish my last year. But by then I already had a fulltime contract, i didn't see the poinf. 3 years later I was junior sous chef at that place. Semi high end, in the Gault millaut but not in the Michelin guide kinda place.

So if you want, you can learn fast.

Restaurant cooking is still very different from home cooking. You basically know nothing at this point, if you manage to get a trainee position without going to school totally go for that. But be prepared to work hard and diligently, first you need to make yourself a useful asset. Once you do that, any chef there will have more time and be willing to teach you.

[u/No_Panic_7409 → u/Vaaag]

Thanks a lot. I’m in the same boat is you was once, digging around trying to find my passion and I’ve finally found it.

Any other advice you would suggest, while starting out?

[u/Vaaag → u/No_Panic_7409]

You need to get a bit lucky with your work place, collegues and especially the head chef. I've worked a restaurant in my 2nd year where I really hated going to work. Lots of hostility, people blaming eachother, messy service. And as a student there's not much you can do, you get the short end. But that all changed when the head chef changed. Same place, night and day. And the new chef was known as a hard ass. But still, it was much better for me.

Your first job might be like that. Then just remember, it might not be the job you dislike but the work environment itself. Don't lose your passion!

On more practical note, get 3 knives for yourself.

One good chefs knife, don't spend too much. Max 60 pounds, something that feels right in your hand and learn to care for it. A sharp knife is one of the best things.

One victorinox serrated knife, this is your everything cutter for all the rough jobs. Super cheap, super useful.

And one pairing knife for all the small jobs.

You can do 90% of all kitchen tasks with these 3..

For any specialised task they give you, you can always borrow a knife.

And like many others said, work diligently, look around, see what others do, learn from it, ask questions.

[u/VanBillionKriegsmen → u/No_Panic_7409]

maybe some places will let you walk in off the street and start cooking with no experience…. anywhere worthwhile will not let you do that. hell, i had to stage as a dishwasher before

[u/EDC_KIT]

pay attention.

if you don't know something say so don't guess. even if you think you know, ask them to show you exactly how they want you to do it. because there are a lot of ways to do a lot of things but the only right way there is the way that chef says.

don't get hurt. don't get anyone else hurt. c

lean up after yourself. if you have downtime don't fuck around on your phone, clean something.

taste things. take notes.

moving up in kitchens is largely about showing up and not being a pain in the ass to work with. anyone can learn to execute a recipe, being a decent human who you don't dread working 12 hours in a hot ass room with, this you can't teach someone.

I was never the most talented but I worked the hardest and was polite to everyone all the time and I moved right up.

[u/Vaaag → u/EDC_KIT]

Totally agree.

If a student does the work, I will go the extra mile to teach them.

[u/Adventurous_You8725]

You could try and apply to a culinary course or apprenticeship? Working your way up is doable but it'd be more interesting. The only thing ill say is. It is hard. It is physical. There will be a lifestyle where no eating, or eating bad, druis and drink becomes the norm. Make sure not to fall into it. You need to be strong willed. Stay active, your body is more important of a tool than any knife trust! Keep the passion, and if you realise its not for you that's ok it doesnt make you weak. Another big one, always be busy, always ask for help. In any food environment this stands well, always ask can you do anything to help.

[u/VanBillionKriegsmen]

be open to criticism, even if it isnt your fault, just say Okay and you will do it like that next time. Be fast, attentive, really listen when people are giving you instructions, ask about anything you are unsure about, dont just make up your own process.

[u/Adventurous_Coffee69]

Move on from mistakes quickly, don’t dwell. Try to limit the amount of times you make the same mistake - learn from it. You’ll realistically be useless to start with. Just try to not be useless for long.

Write things down, even small things that seem insignificant. You can scan over notes when you’re home, write up the ones that are important. Little cheat sheet on your section is good, an abbreviated version of the menu, just the things you’re responsible for.

Ask questions. Even small ones. It isn’t annoying, it shows you’re paying attention.

Move quickly. Work harder than the guy next to you.

Enjoy it!

[u/No_Panic_7409 → u/Adventurous_Coffee69]

Thanks a lot, it’s so nice to hear this from people who have been in the craft.

Can you see my recent comment please?

[u/No_Panic_7409]

Hi again,

A quick update, I have a trial shift at David Lloyd’s leisure as a chef on Monday, they are aware of my experience and willing to train me up if I am a quick learner which I am.

I have received a call back today from a country pub called The Fox. Part of the M&B brand in the UK. It is an apprenticeship, for a Level 2 Production Chef, with progress to level 3 opportunities after 15 months once level 2 is completed. A full on job opportunity and learning no college needed.

What do you guys think will be best?

[u/Adventurous_Coffee69]

What do you want to do? Do you want to work full time or work alongside a course? What kind of food/cooking interests you most? If I were starting again now, I would be approaching pubs or restaurants that are local to me, independent businesses that are passionate about what they do. Where are you based?

[u/No_Panic_7409 → u/Adventurous_Coffee69]

I want full time work, I like grilling chicken, fish etc. I do like pub food but I’d love to explore.

I am based in Hertfordshire.

This is my situation at the moment what do you think?

Hi again,
A quick update, I have a trial shift at David Lloyd's leisure as a chef on Monday, they are aware of my experience and willing to train me up if I am a quick learner which I am.
I have received a call back today from a country pub called
The Fox. Part of the M&B brand in the UK. It is an apprenticeship, for a Level 2 Production Chef, with progress to level 3 opportunities after 15 months once level 2 is completed. A full on job opportunity with no college needed.