What does the popularity of these unflinching depictions of life as a chef tell us about the industry and how true to life are they?
Founder of Seoul Bird restaurant thinks pretty accurate, she says ‘Working in a kitchen is always 100% full on, and not in a good way…people do get caught up in the intensity.’ Sandy Jarvis of The Culpeper Family Group agrees ‘For me, it felt super realistic. You often watch things set in kitchens that don’t feel real, but in ‘Boiling Point’ there were lots of small moments that felt very genuine’.
Others disagree and think the industry has moved on, Gary Lee Executive Chef at Joe Allen says ‘Years and years ago, you needed a seriously thick skin to work in a kitchen. It’s not a real depiction of kitchens nowadays.’ Ben Murphy Chef Patron at Launceston Place agrees ‘ I don’t think it accurately reflects how the industry is now, it reminds me more of working in kitchens 15 years ago.’
Ravneet Gill, the founder of CounterTalk cites some positive changes to the industry that may have to begin to shape the experience of those working within it, ‘There are things being done slowly. There are now some restaurants that offer shift patterns that are compassionate towards different lifestyles. It’s a matter of finding the right kitchen who are willing to make things work around your lifestyle.’
At Mise en Place we have seen the desire for a better work-life balance and a cohesive working environment consistently coming top of our candidates priorities when looking for a new role – often listed as most important even above salary. Rosie Chipping Senior Commis Chef at Michelin star restaurant Simpson agrees that a positive team environment is essential to staff wellbeing saying ‘You spend more time with these people than you do at home… I’ve got such a close friendship group with other people in the industry.’
At Mise en Place we understand that your business is only as strong as your team, take a look at our post offering tips on creating a positive company culture: The secret to motivating your team team for the long term… – miseenplace
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