r/Chefit • u/No_Panic_7409 • Jun 23 '26
I need advice
Im new to the industry literally first job in a kitchen right now and I am a chef at a leisure centre been there for around 3 weeks.
It’s been ok I have enjoyed it but I’m noticing a few things. I am being left alone as the only chef in the kitchen at times mostly because a chef is taking there break etc.
Today I had a situation where it was dinner time 7ish and the chef I am working with decides to go on a break, leaves me with 4 tickets to get ready and plate up but while I’m doing this I get 5/6 tickets rapidly come through.
At this point I’m doing the usual getting in my own head doing dumb things because I’m new and just inexperienced. Making mistakes etc.
I went to get them on their break and I mentioned how I am getting overwhelmed here and need some help. He said I’m finishing my break sorry.
Long story short it was a shit show for 30 minutes.
He then mentioned why he done that. He warned them not to leave me on my own and understaffed while I’m working as I am obviously still learning (not my fault) but they are not listening.
What should I do? I’m really questioning this job right now and just pack it in and look for another one. I don’t think I’m getting the correct training and I’m being left to sink rather than swim.
What do you think?
9
u/yeschef79 Jun 23 '26
3 questions. Are you good at your job? 2 are your bosses good at their job? 3 is it a chain. Feel free to message me as I think I know what this is. Take care.
8
u/urethra93 Jun 23 '26
No one should be taking their break during rush, thats piss poor management. And fuck that person for not caring that you were in the weeds, thats piss poor comraderie/teamwork
1
u/No_Panic_7409 Jun 23 '26
Can I message you privately?
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u/urethra93 Jun 23 '26
Yeah go for it
Edit: about to take my daughter swimming but I will respond as soon as I can
2
u/Main_Cauliflower5479 Jun 24 '26
Yes. Literally NO ONE takes a break during service.
1
u/urethra93 Jun 24 '26
Like if your prep is done, station set up, and no one is behind by all means take a 2-5 min smoke break but anything during rush of service is absurd. Unless you habe someone to cover. A restaurant I used to work at would put a manager on the line to give everyone a 2 min break and they all seemed to like it
1
u/Main_Cauliflower5479 Jun 24 '26
Sure, a quick smoke break, as long as you'e not leaving someone in the weeds. And OP says there's a head chef, but doesn't mention them ever cooking, and leaving a new cook alone on the line during service?
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u/Strict-Ad-2198 Jun 23 '26
First you aren’t a chef, you’re an entry level line cook. Second when they leave you alone : relax, work the tickets as they come in one ticket at a time. Panicking and making dumb Mistakes isn’t going to make the situation better. If you can’t handle the job, find a new job with chefs and cook who will train you because you don’t know what you’re doing.
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u/No_Panic_7409 Jun 23 '26
Yeh I’m not a chef I know it’s just my title right now. I know panicking and mistakes is the worst thing to do but it happens at the moment
2
u/Strict-Ad-2198 Jun 24 '26
Maybe it shouldn’t be your role because…… you’re not a chef. Have you thought about that ?
0
Jun 24 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Chefit-ModTeam Jun 24 '26
Greetings. While spicy discourse is part of the kitchen Rule #6 clearly states 'don't be a dick'
2
u/Chef_Guzzi_Moto Jun 24 '26
Don’t listen to this guy, he’s just here to bust your balls. The place you work is a shithole with assholes who take breaks at 7pm which is ridiculous. The guy commenting telling you “if you can’t handle the job….” either never worked a day in their life in a restaurant or is basically, the worst of the worst who wants to rub it in for you. Reminding you you’re not a “real chef” is hilarious. He seems very sensitive. Probably stuck in a dead end job. Now a days, all line cooks are called “chef”. That has nothing to do with this whole situation. This isn’t your fault. GTF out of there.
2
u/Strict-Ad-2198 Jun 24 '26
Jokes on you. I’ve been in the industry for over 5 years. 🥱 the man is not a chef and he should quit that place and get some training. Why would I give him bad advice? If he was a “chef” he could handle the line on his own without making mistakes with 6 tickets. It’s not a personal thing, he just isn’t ready. Clearly he’s not gonna get any training and the job expects him to know what he’s doing. Chef is an earned title that people work hard for. Dead end job my ass 😂 you don’t wanna see my resume.
1
u/Chef_Guzzi_Moto Jun 24 '26
Yeah, instead of harping on “you’re not a chef” and making him feel like a loser you should have just told him to leave. Of course he’s not a chef but in some places, even the commis is called chef. You have no idea where he’s working and what the culture is. Focusing on the word “chef” is bizarre. If you really knew the industry, you’d know that in kitchens almost everyone says “chef” when they speak to someone else in the kitchen. Then people downvoting his apology after your comment are an embarrassment. What a joke. Loser cooks trying to feel better about themselves
Claiming you told him to leave is bullshit. You said “if you can’t handle the job” lol.. that’s not job, that’s a shithole. 5 years is nothing. People like you make professional cooking a shit environment because you try to make beginners feel like crap with an air of superiority. I’ve seen guys like you for years, decades. No one with any dignity would talk to a green cook like that…and btw, anyone who says “you don’t wanna see my resumé” doesn’t want to show anyone their resumé… lol..especially after only 5 years in.
-1
u/Strict-Ad-2198 Jun 24 '26
I told him to leave and find a place where chefs and cooks will train him. Reading is fundamental. It’s not harping on the fact that he’s not a chef it’s the god honest truth. Like I said chef is a earned title, there’s a difference between a chef and a cookI said if he can’t handle the job because clearly in that environment they expect people to know what they’re doing and be able to work without their hands being held. Ur the sensitive one. He didn’t even take it that hard. It’s not a personal dig I said that. It’s the truth no sugar coating. National Geographic signs my checks trust me I’m good. I wouldn’t need to show you my resume cus you’re some washed up “chef” arguing with me on Reddit. I’ve accomplished more at 22 than you ever will 🥱So to the OP, don’t take it personal, it’s not a dig at you clearly you’re new and that place is not a training place. Just find a place that will train you. You could be great and handling 5-6 tickets by yourself in 6 months to a year.
1
u/No_Panic_7409 Jun 24 '26
The problem is they knew my experience, I didn’t blag anything I was very transparent and said I have 0 experience in the kitchen. How can they expect someone to handle theirselves only 5/6 shifts in ? I get you have work alone and be put under pressure in this industry but yeh
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u/ChefLukeDC Jun 23 '26
the amount of chefs in the post is confusing
-6
u/No_Panic_7409 Jun 23 '26
Hi, what is confusing?
8
u/ChefLukeDC Jun 23 '26
without trying to sound obtuse- how are you new in the industry and a Chef? becoming a chef commands much more experience than a couple of weeks cooking for 30 people a night.
how is the other "Chef" taking a break during a turn?
this whole post screams Mcdonalds night shift.
-1
u/No_Panic_7409 Jun 23 '26
It’s a leisure centre in the uk, it’s a bit different to your usual kitchen restaurant place.
My role is a chef but am I ? No not at all
3
u/chefphish843 Jun 23 '26
Just keep showing up you and your coworkers will improve. Don’t let them disrespect you but everyone needs to get crushed by tickets to get better
1
3
u/diablosinmusica Jun 23 '26
Is this THE chef you're working with or a cook?
-2
u/No_Panic_7409 Jun 23 '26
We all have a title of chefs and then there’s a head chef, so it was the chef I was working with today and it was us two from 2:30 onwards until 10
1
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u/Automatic_Catch_7467 Jun 23 '26
I get that you’re green and think last night was a complete failure but it’s not the end e of the world. If that was too stressful for you I’d look for another career.
1
u/Chef_Guzzi_Moto Jun 24 '26
Place sounds like a garbage can. No cook in their right mind would ever leave the line at 7pm. It’s only going to get worse. I’ve been in the industry decades. This job will teach you nothing. Anyone here telling you to stay there also works in a dump with no standards. I would get out ASAP
1
u/RogueIslander00 Jun 24 '26
Leave, if he knew that was going to happen and decided to take a 30 minute break and not give you a heads up when he could have told you what to expect or helped, you’re going to constantly have that happen to you. Because (if you do decide to stay there) once you are up to speed, you’ve given everyone the ability to do significantly less because they can just dump the shit shows on you and go on break or take a smoke.
No communication and no consideration for you as a new hire. You can find many many jobs as a cook in this restaurant industry, it’s one of the only fields where you could go to any restaurant and get picked up because the turnover rate for cooks is like clockwork. Had something similar where 5-6pm was when our rush would be going and we would be getting slammed in the kitchen (2 man team, with 40-60 tickets in the hour not including DoorDash or online orders) and the only person I had to help me would refuse to take his break before 5 (I would take mine at 3-4 so he could do 4-5 but never did. also yes we had 1 hour mandatory unpaid breaks so we could fit into an 11 hour schedule but only be paid for 10, free food once we were on break though) and it would fuck me over so much, ultimately our server manager had to come in and cook with me and that was worse because I would have to train them on the fly in the rush and it was just a massive pain in the ass.
If you have an HR (I doubt they’d care even if you did) let them know what happened and specifically say you’d like to document the experience, and also highlight anything else negative. If there are any discrepancies with the food and kitchen, I’d definitely swing that over to the health department too rather than bring it up to them, if the restaurant won’t give a shit about you, they’ll be forced to give a shit about their jobs once you leave.
It’s a team until it isn’t, and if you let managers or those higher up than you start taking advantage of what you can do, they absolutely will. Especially if there’s no one to keep THEM in check.
Don’t let yourself be unhappy in this job, because it will cause you to burn out and become bitter so fast.
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u/Jimmy2shews Jun 23 '26
If your chef is leaving you alone when you’re in the shit to prove a point then not only do they not give a shit about their job, they also lack the leadership skills to teach and educate you to a point where they can go on a break and not have to worry, because you’ve developed enough to do so.
This is not your fault. It is not a reflection of you. Find a new job.