I mainly work evenings, I get up at about 10am to enjoy my day before work starts at 2pm.
When I get in, I get changed. I prep vegetables: steaming and blitzing, carrots and cauliflower. Then I do desserts: making the mix for a crumble or a pie. The head chef and management are having a go at me every ten minutes, swearing. Nothing’s ever right.
You’ll do something to the best of your abilities; nothing’s ever good enough. And your best won’t do.
Holiday is a luxury that needs to be prepared for well in advance. Even then it is an issue.
Working in hospitality sacrifices all forms of a social life, working every evening until everyone has gone home or it is too late to go out. Even if you have the time, you’re too exhausted to go out anyway.
During service, it’s a fast-paced stressful environment where everyone snaps, swears and shouts at each other with no room for error or slowness, working as a team to ensure all dishes are sent out hot in a timely manner.
After service comes the close, which can take upwards of an hour and a half even in a small kitchen. We ensure everything is spotless: all fridges are clean, and any food required is properly disposed of or ready for tomorrow. When you get out you have no energy left to do anything in the evening.
In the event of sickness there is an expectation to work unless you physically can’t. Even then you are still blamed for being off and it is held against you, often causing you extra work when you return.
Mental health within hospitality is low across the board with over 50% of chefs suffering from depression and even more suffering from other mental illnesses. As I was told during my worst times: “You come to work to work, leave your problems at home”. Only recently has this come into the public eye with charities such as the Burnt Chef Project helping those who struggle. The unsociable hours and sheer workload drive these problems deeper, causing more problems than most other professions.
In my opinion the whole industry needs an overhaul. Workers bring the bosses their money while they themselves struggle to even afford to eat at work.
Leah, apprentice chef
