A bit about me.....

I started cooking professionally in Australia in October 2000 aged just 17 after previously participating in an in-school traineeship while I was 16.

After competing in several apprentice skills competitions and a 3.5 year apprenticeship, I successfully completed my AQF3 in Commercial Cookery and Certificate of Proficiency - Commercial Cookery (western) – Both of which are issued by the N.S.W State Department of Education &Training.

Since then, I have worked in England, Scotland, on board Cruise ships and in Singapore.

I am about to start a new job as Chef De Cuisine in a place that shall remain secret for now....
Watch this space.....

Monday 5 December 2011

lessons learned as an apprentice chef

I remember back when I started my apprenticeship at a well known local restaurant.
On my very first day, the executive chef who was a great big Englishman put out his huge hand and shook mine. Then he said “welcome to the real world”. That was the start of my ambitious career.
My 3.5 years at this popular establishment were up, down and forward. Up as in the knowledge I gained was invaluable and helped me to get where I am today. As well as being very fun on occasions.
Down at times because it was hard, hot and fast and I was learning a lot about food and life in general all at once. I remember one time I had to clean and then cut 35kg of fresh baby squid. That’s a huge amount of squid. It took me about 4 hours and was filthy PLUS I stank the whole way home!
And forward because it gave me drive to keep learning and pushed me to do better by making the most out of it.
This might sound odd but one memory that really sticks out in my mind is one that helped me to move forward. One busy Saturday night it was very busy and as I was the apprentice I was running around like a headless chicken getting things for people and doing dishes too. A senior chef yelled for me to do something for them and feeling the pressure I gave some smart arse answer back. WELL, that’s when the great big chef came around to me and poked his finger into my chest and said I have no right to talk to anyone like that. I am the lowest of the low in that kitchen. I am an apprentice. The kitchen hands were higher than me and that I had better keep my mouth shut.
Oh my god. That was the biggest dressing down I had ever received. The whole kitchen went quiet and looked at me. I was so terrified. BUT I learnt a valuable lesson about respect and that’s why I mark it as something that helped me move forward.
I remember one morning I was in the shower at home banging my head against the wall saying that I don’t want to do it anymore. I was tired and had had enough. That’s when dad told me to get myself to work, finish my apprenticeship and then I can do whatever I want after that.
I’m glad I did because it was while working there with some of the other older chefs that I learnt how important it is to aim higher and keep moving forward in my career and never take a step backwards.
I mark those pieces of advice as some of the best I’ve ever received from an employer and I think that because of it I have now got my first Chef De Cuisine position at the age of 28. People have told me to relax and don’t try to run before walking but I don’t see how being ambitious and wanting more is a bad thing. If I just sat back and waited for it to come to me, then I’d still be a Chef de Partie.
And I put that down to my lessons learnt at the first restaurant I ever worked in.

Its a hard life!


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