What keeps commercial Chefs awake at night?

And no before you say it, it's not...

Oh no, have I left the gas on?

The point we need to focus on here is, what needs to be in place to be able to allow a Chef to create the dining experience that they want. And believe it or not, there are a huge amount of touch points aside from their own ability.

If like me you are a fan of the Netflix hit show Chef's Table which serves up (no pun intended), hour long chunks of beautifully visually crafted insights from commercial kitchens from around the world. You will know, that a Chef's kitchen is the ecosystem that supports their creativity, and the operations within it HAVE to be perfect.

In the same way that you would expect a red rose to flourish in a greenhouse, the correct elements have to be active when a Chef is growing and developing their craft in a commercial kitchen.

What then can derail that process? And act as a challenge standing in the way of a chef delivering on what they are passionate about?... The food.

Exec Head Chef at Drake and Morgan, Robert Mitchell highlighted exactly that when Elis spoke to him about his areas of focus recently.

Robert, who is an Elis client and established leader of Commercial Kitchens describes himself in his own words as "responsible for everything behind the kitchen line", highlighted the paramount importance of the supply chain by commenting:

"Suppliers are part of the business. They are an important partnership, from fruit and veg to linen. Great suppliers take the pressure of us and allow us to better look after our customers".

It is no wonder then that Elis UK promote their value under the tag line, 'We empower your day' because yes it's about a service, but actually it's about taking that pressure away from the Chefs, and allowing them to do the work they love.

Cold Sweats...

So, what additionally then is a challenge for a Chef? And what stops them creating plates of food they they can instantly see people enjoy?

Richard Booth who has been Head Chef at the beautiful Four Star Lakeside Hotel and Spa which overlooks the stunning landscape of Lake Windermere in Cumbria said:

"The biggest challenge at the moment is keeping all my chefs happy and focused on the job in hand, and that means helping them outside of work".

Richard elaborated by citing that he feels like he is "second parent" a lot of the time by making sure he supports his team, by being a team leader but also a shoulder to cry on when they need it. Even going as far as helping them with their mental wellbeing and in some cases even lifting and carrying boxes for them when they move house.

These are all the essential factors when maintaining a team which is the brain and engine that delivers beautiful meals to well paying guests every single day.

Richard went into further detail on the pressure of the hotel brand, and how important that is for the kitchen to amplify.

"Representing the Lakeside Hotel and Spa with the utmost professionalism at all times is hugely important in and out of work, generally speaking I am more of a face for the hotel than any other member."

This is a critical point, not only does Richard have to deliver a culinary experience which is second to none, but his role also covers his personal presentation and professionalism.

Lastly, Richard also touched on the impact of allergens in the kitchen and the rise in the awareness of cross contamination. If anyone didn't know, the UK food law states on a broad stroke level that food needs to be prepared and served in a hygienically sound space and not be tampered with before reaching the customer. However in terms of uniform, and plates etc, the Hospitality industry has a wider birth...

"Other challenges that are going to be a nightmare in the future are allergens. This problem is only going to get worse and to what extent I don't know. I can only see this having serious effects on chefs and staff leaving the industry as it is another pressure."

Retailing food, how does that stack up?...

At the other side of the spectrum, what pressures are on chefs that don't serve covers for guests, but more high volume for large amounts of hungry footfall?

A commercial kitchen regardless, supplying high volumes of product brings its own set of bespoke challenges.

Gilles Caisey who is a French Exec Head Chef at Le Restaurant de Paul the sister of popular global patisserie chain Paul UK, elaborated on his 20 year career working in Michelin Starred Restaurants by highlighting how important having a strong level of training and expertise internally is.

Additionally, in a business that retails the volume of quality food that Paul UK does, the challenge can be to not just fall into the trap of becoming a serving machine.

“At PAUL they use the best quality flour, grown and produced for them in France, and their bakers really take the time over their craft. It takes six hours just to make baguettes”. 

So when it comes to continuing to represent the Paul UK brand on a high volume food retail level, Gilles elaborated by saying:

"A very good level of communication and expertise"

Is essential, along with:

"training and the audit trail".

In the same way that one tiny rogue stone can topple the world's best Skateboarder, one member of the team not having the correct tools they need to perform at the level they should can bring the entire operation to a standstill.

So what's the answer? A fluffy pillow and a warm cocoa?

There's no question that the hands down winner to empower chefs the freedom they need, is effective operations.

You can have gold truffle, squid ink sauces and charcoal bread. But if your team is distracted, not supported, trained and most importantly happy. All the ingredients both literally and logistically could be wrong.

Outsourcing the stress can be the answer, if you want to see how Elis can help. Click below.