The highs and lows of a tasting

I as most of you must have done 1000’s of tasting from high end clients through to family the most critical audience,

Its interesting to open the discussion on a tasting,

Recently I did one for a blue chip client, (See Pictures) I know do tasting very different to how I used to,

I remember the first tastings I used to do many moons ago, I would write the menu, draw the dishes create a mountainous mis-en-place list , plough through it working all the hours possible, the stress would mount to incredible levels just before the tasting, then you would deliver it, and if everything as gone to plan, not only my work but the telephone conversations between the sales person and the client, the handover to the Restaurant Manager etc. you would come out of the tasting with a massive high, chest puffed out and then the thought, we have just got to deliver this now on the night!!

Now I practice a totally different system I involve as many people as possible from key production people down to apprentices and commis, As I think its great grounding for them to work 1 on 1 alongside me, seeing what I do and them asking the many why questions, to me this is a fabulous learning curve for the young chefs, It teaches them great disciplines weighing everything that goes on the dish, understanding why I came up with the dish menu, talking them through how we will deliver the dish on the night, and best of all seeing them plate there version of the dish with the spare mis en place,

I for one when I was younger never had this sort of access to my Head/Executive Chef, and its tremendous inter action for us both, I learn about themselves what makes them tick and they ask me about my career and they seem to especially love it! When we get to the pranks,

On a more serious not the information I know gather from a tasting is a group od lead chefs fully understanding a dish, planning a concise ordering and delivery plan, putting names at the side of tasks on the MEP.

What does this give me ? Tremendous confidence when writing and planning events, as it was in this case, the ability to be relaxed and positive in front of the client knowing my team are already thinking the function through already,