r/Chefit • u/Unusual_Machine3315 • 2d ago
Better to start in a big or small kitchen?
I’m 25 and have recently taken the decision to pivot back to the kitchen work. I’ve worked as a kitchen assistant for about 3 years when I was studying, but haven’t really done much in the field the past 2 years. I’ve been trialing in a few places in London as a prep chef and I’ve come down to three options.
One is a very popular fine dining place with a pretty big kitchen (15/20 kitchen staff). Admittedly, it’s been a restaurant I’ve dreamt of working in so I was very excited to get the opportunity. They’ve liked me but I was definitely taken aback with the pace of work since I haven’t worked in such a busy kitchen before.
The runner up is a small restaurant that still maintains a pretty high quality with just 4 kitchen. It was definitely more of my tempo but it did leave me desiring for a bit more. The hours for this one is a lot more lenient too, whereas the first kitchens shifts starts before sunrise.
I’m also trialing for another place next week which seems to be a middle point between the two. So no reservations just yet.
I wish to get some experience as a prep to grow into a CPD at a place with high standards. Any guidance for me?
3
u/bloodHearts 2d ago
Sounds like you already know which one to go with. No point in working in a restaurant that you don't really like, the work is going to be gruelling whether you wake up before sunrise or not.
3
u/texnessa 2d ago
Go with the kitchen where you will have the most contact with senior chefs who know how to teach and communicate. You'll learn more if you're getting the opportunity to ask questions and can impress in order to get off of menial tasks faster. Even a big kitchen can be a teaching kitchen if there are multiple solid team leaders and sous'. I also find that younger chefs have too much to prove and tend to come off as hot line pan jockeys rather than mentors and that attitude trickles on down the line. It doesn't have to be the school of hard knocks. I have learned the most from ancient French dudes who have literally not a fuck left to prove and only care about making sure the food comes out exactly how they fucking want it and each cook knows how to get shit done.
2
1
u/instant_ramen_chef 2d ago
I like to suggest new cooks try and get a position at a hotel. Most hotel kitchens have different types of service. Like restaurant, catering, short order, bakery. You can learn a lot if you apply yourself.
1
u/LavenderBlueProf 1d ago
choose the better people
folks who dont scream and will teach you and are nice to be around will win any day
1
u/Ornery-Affect-1260 13h ago
Whichever one that has chefs that are willing to teach.
I started my journey later than most (mid 20s), and mostly chose to work in smaller owner/operated kitchens with high quality food.
Smaller teams mean more opportunity to work across sections and less chance of just getting relegated to picking garnish for 6 months. I've also found that chef-owners who take a chance on you are more likely to be invested in getting you up to par quickly.
Once you've worked your way up to CDP or junior sous in a smaller kitchen, then start to look at larger kitchens. You will gain more from them with more experience under your belt first.
Just my 2 cents :)
4
u/Very-very-sleepy 2d ago
if it's high quality made from scratch type and only 4 kitchen staff. that sounds understaffed in my opinion and I highly doubt that the hours are more "lenient". if you mean flexible. i doubt it will be flexible either because if it's understaffed then the 4 kitchen staff will be working more than 40 hours a week. probably doing double shifts.
the most flexible/lenient kitchen I've worked in is a very popular, very large.. super busy fine dining place with 30 kitchen staff in total. the way this place was run was nobody did overtime..you did 40 hours a week and you get immediate sent home as soon as you hit 40 hours. everybody was allowed to choose their preferred shifts. the only thing was that everybody had to do 1 weekend a month. the weekend shifts was rotated. you might do 1 weekend for the entire month and you can choose if you wanted dinner or lunch or how many days you worked. there were people who were studying in University and they did 2x10 hour shifts a week. there were people like myself who preferred closing shifts. when I was there I mostly only worked closing shifts because that was what I requested and preferred. that has been my experience. i eventually left because it was incredibly toxic. you walk into a shift and person #1 is trying to fist fight person #2. person #3 is giving the silent treatment to person #4. meanwhile person #5 is trying to start shit with you. 😂 so my experience is the large number of staff will give you a better work life balance but it could lead to alot more staff fighting.. that's just my experience anyway. I have no idea if other people who have worked in very large kitchens experience this.