7 Sad TRUTH of being a CHEF that you didn’t know
A chef is a trained and skilled professional cook who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation of a particular cuisine.
So, Becoming a chef is not what you see on Television, you probably won’t get famous and it is really harder than you think.
1. Work for long hours.
Being a chef, you have so many things to do. it’s started before the restaurant open, chef has to come and do the preparation. When doing the preparation, chef must stand for hours to do prepare until cooking and serving, to create great food the process is take time, the Chef must give their best to a customer. Chef used to work 10–16 hours a day (or more), and standing all day long with just an hour break.
When you’re a chef, you graze. You never get a chance to sit down and eat. They don’t actually sit down and eat before you cook. -Gordon Ramsay-
2. Stressful Environment.
This is nightmare for most of the people in a society. When most of the people wanted to enjoy while working or having comfortable place to work, a Chef has the opposite situation. Chef work at the kitchen with stoves and oven on, no air conditioner and risk the hazards of a kitchen, you will get burn, cuts or slips. The situation of the kitchen is like when you drive with traffic jam in the morning. The pressure is extremely high, especially during serving time, everybody in the kitchen are shouting to each other. Once the chef make mistake, the head chef might throw something on the floor.
Being a Chef would be too much hard work. Sophie Ellis-Bextor
3. Not just about cooking.
Do you really have what it takes to become a Chef? this question really stick to the chef’s mind. A great Chef has to be knowledgeable,creating a menu or food, knowing what he make, the characteristic of ingredients, the Nutrition, and the taste. Chef also has to ensure the Food safety, their own personal hygiene, as well as the cleanliness of kitchen, who want to eat from dirty and disgusting kitchen anyway. Managing the people and time surely make the chef’s life easier, and the most importantly is cost control, well yeah.. is about the business for sure.
4. Earn less (Minimum Wage).
Most of the entry-level cooks get nothing compared with their tasks.not earn a great deal of money for a while, many start at the bottom of the ladder. Unless the chef is reached the highest position. Basically, except for the executive chef position, the rest of the team earn less. Means, despite of working hard, they still got nothing.
5. Your life taken.
No relationship status, unless he/she understand the circumstances. Holidays are work days, Chef work when everybody’s off, and get off when everybody’s work. Don’t even think about sick days, chef gotta be strong and always healthy no matter what.
We go through our careers and things happen to us. Those experiences made me what I am. -Thomas Keller-
6. Kicked out of society.
In a most of the chef especially the entry-level has difficult time with his society, their parent just don’t understand. Most of them will ask, why choose this career, or probably just don’t get it. Sadly, In Asia, the culture pushed this career as the worst career, they choose their children to become a great businessmen, reach the highest education and etc. In some parts of Asia, they underestimate this career in particular, they won’t let their children marrying a Chef.
7. Paying more for College.
Most of the chef went to college or institution to get education of being a pro chef. They go to famous Institution to learn about this field, with quite expensive. Some of them also only do the apprenticeship to get the skill and everything. So many Institution for Culinary arts that pricey, basically the Institution has their own price to give their best to students. But, is it really worthy? only the Chef has the answer.
Thank you for reading!
