My Typical Day

A typical day at work starts with a cup of coffee and sales reports from the previous day. It’s important to know the restaurant’s performance because you will base your ordering and menu on that for the current day. You should also ensure that you have more than enough stocks to run your operations because everyone will struggle if you run out of ingredients.

When I arrive at work, I check the quality of the items delivered. They should be up to the standards and, if not, should be returned to the supplier. Since we have a person responsible for every station, I meet with them before the operations start. I make sure that we resolve their issues before our first customer enters the door.

Lunchtime and dinner time are the busiest. Morning shifts should be on break before lunchtime comes, and for the afternoon shifts, before dinner. I need to ensure that before the peak time, all my people are aces in places to avoid struggling when we get busy. After dinner time, I rest for a while and go home.

How many hours do you work as a Chef?

A chef needs to be in the operations for 10 hours or more. However, during the lean season, I stay for shorter working hours to offset the long hours.

Pros

You can completely express yourself. Since you’re a chef, everyone trusts what you do. You have the freedom to make your own food and experiment.

You often receive compliments for the food you prepare. If customers like your recipe, they will call you and appreciate your food. It helps boost your confidence which will make you believe in your capabilities more.

Cons

Your life revolves around your work. You can’t go off on special occasions because it is where the business is. You often have late celebrations because you have to be there in the restaurant with your team, especially during peak season.

You can be unhealthy. You have to ensure that every food that goes out of the kitchen is of good quality. It is a must for a chef to taste almost all of it, especially when it’s a new recipe. If you do not have an active lifestyle, you’ll end up unhealthy or sick with something.

Advice to aspiring Chefs

Being a chef is not a luxurious type of job. If you aren’t ready to do dirty work, then this isn’t for you. But when customers appreciate what you do, you’ll feel overwhelmed and be more confident about your abilities, and not all people will receive those kinds of compliments given to a chef.

Bakery Shop Owner – Kurt Anderson

Pretty Great Cheesecake

I’m the Founder & Owner of Pretty Great Cheesecake, aka Cheesecake Baker Extraordinaire. My typical day There isn’t a day that is the same as the … Read More

Hostess – Kesi Irvin

The Yacht Week and The Bucketlust

I worked as a hostess for sailing charters for The Yacht Week and The Bucketlust. My key responsibility as a host is to ensure my guests have the best … Read More

Waiter – Ruaan Nel

Holiday Inn

I had worked as a server in Holiday Inn during the summer while I was a student. My position was food server but we served cold and hot beverages as w … Read More