28 Comments

Will, this is a really helpful post for me to read today as I ponder a new job opportunity. So many pros and cons of all the many ways of being a chef! I often think of Edward Espe Brown's words at the end of his Tassajara Bread Book, "And, weary of food and kitchens, now I build rock walls." Thanks so much for all your thoughtful insight.

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Thank you for being here and your support. This subject means a lot to me. Hopefully there are some thoughts of value here somewhere.

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Indeed! and not just "somewhere" :)

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"Is there an explanation as to why work environments can be so bad in restaurant kitchens?"

Yes. A sadistic person in charge paired with a performance management system that ignores and enables that abuse. I've seen this in hospitals, manufacturing plants, law firms, police departments and schools. It's a big problem that causes a lot of damage, and the only "solution" is for workers to quit if they are able.

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A humble boss breeds confident employees . I read that once . Can’t remember where 🤔

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I'm glad that you mentioned the "wildly inappropriate behaviour" of those male chefs, because your whole piece reminded me of the way that sexual harassment is (and, hopefully, mostly was and not is) accepted and sometimes joked about by women. I've heard, "Oh, he did that to you, too?" more often that I would like for any woman to hear. That kind of acknowledgement that people KNOW this is happening but that no one does anything but commiserate is not how to help or even protect each other. I hope the restaurant business gets its act together, and change is ushered in through pieces like this one. Thank you!

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This was what I thought about a lot when writing this piece, definitely after finding the research I mentioned. I've laughed about the hardship of the job, of course the job is hard. But sometimes I feel we laugh when it's just really fucking traumatic and something should be done about it instead of moving on with the status quo.

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My first head chef used to take his dick out in service as he was rather proud of his Prince Albert. This was almost a daily occurrence. Imagine.

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Fucking hell.

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And then another Head Chef would find it funny to set fire to the porter’s trousers. When they were wearing them obviously. Or made us stand next to an open salamander on full heat in front of the brigade whilst they ate staff meal for twenty minutes as a punishment for cutting chives wrong… It’s probably worth writing a piece just to gauge the reactions to the bullshit we used to put up with.

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There are always dickhead bosses, no matter what industry you work in. Glad you found some good ones.

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I feel very lucky. Cooking in Sweden was a great time.

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Great to hear that Swedish kitchens were a positive experience. I had my own issues working in Swedish restaurants (as FOH) but hierarchy was never one of them.

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Hey! Which was your city? Nice to hear from you, thanks for reading. I'm looking forward to reading more of your offal insights!

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I lived in Malmö for eight years, didn't make it up to Stockholm that much but I definitely heard about Oaxen! Really glad I found your newsletter, not often you find this shared experience of foreign writers working restaurants in Scandinavia.

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Thanks, and likewise.

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Wonderful writing. I've been in the "trenches" and witnessed a lot of crap. I've had tragic accidents that lead me to the ER only to get back as fast as possible to make sure my guys didn't have to "suffer" with being a man down. Doubles, triples, 14 days straight. Yeah, we do brag about it because we Did it and got through it. Anyway, I agree with you and I do see the industry(kitchen) changing for the better. Keep up the great work, Chef.

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Thanks so much buddy. Means a lot.

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Thank you for sharing this Will. Hopefully someone will read this and think before shouting, screaming or chucking stuff across the kitchens.

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That's the hope.

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It s so important that people are aware of the “bad “ kitchens out there . The fall of bullying chefs is only to be applauded in a time where chefs are in demand at every level . Thank you Wil for keeping it real

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War stories are terrible to live through but enjoyable to swap. In a way, I had to remind myself that my activities had to be like a duck moving across the water. Smooth on the surface and paddling ferociously underneath.

Restaurant work doesn't have to be abusive, but it's never going to be easy. And we're all going to laugh about the horrible things we recovered from, from fires to floods in the kitchen.

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Can't argue with you there. Though as for the duck... I don't know how smooth I always was at times above the surface...

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I had a catering business for a number of years. You have to have FOH cool.

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Great food for thought, Wil. I've read more than once that our mood is reflected in our cooking. Maybe it's more relevant to baking, and I guess some elements of cooking are more mechanical than emotional, but I'd hate to think of the chef preparing my dinner as suffering under a psychopathic boss.

As for the viability of restaurants, it's going to get harder and harder as energy continues to become more expensive in so many countries.

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Fantastic piece Will, I’ll repost as I think it’s an important exploration of power and exploitation not only in the kitchens of the world but also in many other work places, governments and institutions.

I’m a naturopath, nutritionist now but started my working life as a nurse. There were personality types in each medical or surgical specialty that was accepted, encouraged and indoctrinated. (Surgeon- arrogant pig, cardiologist-calm and aloof) The colleges of surgery for example wouldn’t allow you to even start your training if your personal characteristics weren’t a fit for their model. It’s self perpetuating, just like you describe in the world of cooking.

I’m always encouraging my patients to understand the difference between what is required in a crisis and what is required in every day routine work.

If it’s not a crisis, then just do what you can in a day/shift, don’t leave your blood on the floor if you aren’t saving lives.

I just know your food would taste so good with the considered and respectful approach you seem to take.

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Having spent time in those London restaurants with those chefs for much of the late 90’s and early 00’s, your description of the landscape is spot on.

The issue is of inequality, not in terms of race, creed, sexuality or any other such metric! Inequality of passion, of care, respect, morality and so on. Kitchens are viewed as easy to get a job in, requiring little in the way of pre-requisites when compared with most other industries.

The result is a tangled net of personalities, priorities, core values and agenda. It is therefore impossible to find calm waters with any sense of alignment or cooperation within the group.

Sadly, in my experience, this comes from the same old debate… cost vs value! Wages, costs and the value that the customer places on this in terms of what they are willing to pay. In other words the job offer itself does not attract the ‘right’ kind of person.

Having spent many years managing my own brigade, the approach is key. Hire by personality not experience. Skills can be taught personality, values, agenda and so on cannot.

Any other industry understands this. Find the right people first and foremost!

My job as a head chef/manager was to nurture and spot skill sets, develop those and let them fly! Transferring skills along the way while learning from those around me.

Unfortunately the industry does not attract the right type of people on the whole!

I am of course making huge generalisations. As I write this I remember all those chefs and kitchens with a smile despite the horrendous environment, I still live kitchens and chef life, always have and always will! It’s an addictive buzz being in the grill at the start is a Saturday night with 220 booked in. Game on!

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Beware rose tinted glasses . There were less than brutal chefs you worked with in London 🤷‍♀️

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