I've been gone for a while, because I have graduated from college and I am now working as a chef at The Ritz Hotel in London. It is a learning curve I cannot explain and a workload I am still trying to comprehend. I am working as an entremetier (vegetable chef) which is the busiest toughest section in the kitchen. I am learning new things everyday yet seriously getting my arse kicked everyday in more ways than one. I will provide a small extract of how a typical day goes for me:

Come in in the morning, and after collecting my whites from the laundry get changed and go to the kitchens set underground in Picadilly. I light the stoves and get the deliveries away in the fridge which usually takes an hour. Myself and the other guys on my section examine the prep list and we are allocated our jobs. The draws need to be set (fresh baby vegetables, garnishes and puree's for the a la carte) while one of us does the du jour. Daily jobs include the pomme puree which is a mamoth task in itself. All the while, the sous chefs are constantly prowling, testing everything, getting their spoons in and giving bollockings. We crack on until 11.30 am when we have to completely clean down and get set for service. At 12.00 precisely, we present a sample of our du jour dish along with the other sections (meat, fish, larder etc) and get it tested by the executive chef. We also provide daily samples of our soups to be tested. We then get a 10 minute break and 12.25am, we have our pre service briefing, explaing the numbers for lunch, the tables special requests etc. From 12.30 it kicks off. We can get immediately slammed. There are usually 2 of us doing service and one doing prep work (mise en place) in another part of the kitchen, It goes on until 2.30pm, when someone on a late shoft could be starting. That being the case, those of us on splits get a two hour break and those on early shifts stay on. They would continue doing prep work, or re-setting the du jour for the evening, and getting set. Come 4.30-500 pm, we get set up for evening service. Between 5.30 to 7pom is pre theatre, and then main restaurant, running through to 10.30 pm. Frome thereon, we clean down, break down the draws, clean the fridges and write a prep list for the next day and have a massive clean down. From there on,...PUB TIME!


This is only a brief extract, but it is a busy tough kitchen, usually doing between 80 yo 100 covers per service, doing food to the highest Michelin Starred standards. Hopefully soon, I shall put up dishes of the food I am doing.

Bye for now!