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In the Kitchen with Dinah:
Personal Chef or Restaurant Chef? |
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career
center
personal chef or restaurant chef? |
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May 2008
"Damn it, Chef, I told you Snakey eats only gold fish. Those
fish you bought aren't gold enough! Stop whatever you are fixing
and run to PetSmart or whatever and buy some authentic goldfish,"
my employer said, banging his fist on the marble counter. I
nodded. Once again I felt utterly baffled: how had my job as
personal chef deteriorated into this glorified gofer position?
Not surprisingly, after sixteen months of absurd requests and
unreasonable demands, I resigned. I could no longer ignore Madam's
blatant eating disorder, tolerate those out of control kids
or deal with my billionaire boss' infuriating sense of entitlement.
It all drove me nuts. No one had ever warned me that working
in Private Service as a personal chef requires psychological
strength, flexibility and humor as well as top culinary skills.
In my role as personal chef I have driven a hundred miles in
my own car to deliver an extra set of BMW car keys because the
originals were lost on alpine ski slopes. I've picked up expensive
cosmetics and lacey thong undies, gone shopping for mindless
trivia at WalMart, and hauled a mangy mutt across the country.
When I finally resigned, dazed and demoralized, I knew that
my own inability to set personal boundaries as well as my employer's
endless egotism were both at fault.
Previously, in my ten year role as owner and executive chef
of a bakery, restaurant and small catering service, my business
partner had taken care of contracts and agreements. I did my
work, gave orders and knew the kitchen staff would loyally follow
my lead. But in my sixteen months as a Santa Fe personal chef
my dignity, my power and my sense of validation all came under
fire.
A restaurant chef wields clout through inherent boundaries and
rules: he controls his kitchen, his staff and his menus. In
contrast, a personal chef can often be powerless. He's working
under the whim of his employer, always trying to please his
employer's elusive palate instead of his own trained one. The
kitchen is not his personal territory; in-house staff do not
fall under his supervision. Both types of professional chef
careers have their advantages and disadvantages. Perhaps you,
as I did, will attempt both careers to discover which suits
you best.
Personally, I tried Private Service because I thought it would
be less taxing on my body and because it sounded extremely glamorous.
I'd already done the owner/executive chef gig; I didn't need
a large audience anymore. Employee problems; no shows; drugs
and booze on site; theft, all wore me out. The idea of working
alone in a luxurious setting, with gleaming, new equipment to
feed the "beautiful people" absolutely entranced me.
Working in a restaurant is physically harder than working in
a private home. The hours are grueling; your co-workers can
be vulgar and ill-educated. Almost everywhere a kind of culinary
machismo exists. Males (and some females) often try to act tough,
talk nasty and drink hard. Often I hired women: they drank less
and had better manners. Additionally I kept work hours shorter,
six or eight instead of twelve.
For me, restaurants can resemble a football game behind closed
doors. The head chef calls the shots. He is a culinary quarterback,
leading his team to the goal of presenting a delicious, elegant
meal in a timely fashion. In this process scuffles and swearing,
as well as the destruction of clothing and dishes, might occur,
just as the men on a football field, as they tackle and scrimmage
with others, become dirty and damaged. This mentality can pose
difficulties for women. Just as in football women chefs are
not expected to be tough enough or to know how to play the game.
I was a female quarterback and I chose my staff carefully. Cultivating
empathy is essential for good teamwork in the kitchen.
Rewards of restaurant cheffing can be fantastic. The process
of feeding large numbers of people satisfies the ego and the
heart. People recognized me in dark movie theaters. Housewives
came to me for advice on how to create a romantic meal for a
worn out husband or a secret, new lover. Clients fell in love
with me because they equate my culinary prowess with sexuality.
Chefs can often be eccentric or prima donnas; everyone loves
them despite their peculiarities because the food is excellent.
A restaurant chef must, however, always watch the bottom line.
Personal chefs are often free from financial cares; cost is
not an issue when serving the super rich. Instead, a whole new
set of priorities and problems enter the picture: psychological
stresses - how flexible you are in doing it their way; and presentation
-not just food, but your appearance and your kitchen's appearance.
Your success in their kitchen depends on your personality type,
your image, and your willingness to adapt. Thrift and a basic
accounting knowledge isn't necessary prerequisite.
In contrast, restaurant work requires that the executive chef
master accounting. He calculates the basic cost of goods in
order to set up a profit margin ratio so that the establishment
makes money. Shrink, or usable leftover product, gets creatively
recycled, thus producing more sales. Economic factors are extremely
important. A lack of understanding of this causes nine out of
ten food businesses to fail every year. Such financial issues
do not come under consideration for private chefs. Instead,
presentation overrides everything, including economics. Your
employer is putting on a production, not running a bistro.
In a private home the personal chef plays a part, like an actor
upon a stage. Unlike restaurant chefs, who hide behind inviolate
closed doors, a private chef is totally exposed. On stage he
is judged, not just by his culinary product but also by his
speech, costume and persona. Moreover, a private chef must interact
effectively with other players: the nannies, butlers, drivers,
maids, and of course, the rich employers and their friends.
This is very different from restaurant football. Not only must
he adapt to a multi-tasked environment but also he has to intuit
the ambiance around him; it's a political as well as show business
endeavor.
Often a personal chef, like an actor, keeps a picture portfolio
showing his best plates and parties. This helps him when changing
jobs by demonstrating talent. It is a useful in-house tool as
well. Portfolios rather than restaurant profit margins can determine
whether raises will be given.
Private Service also requires daily diversity because the chef
is serving the same clients. He must establish clear communications
with his employers and intuit their favorite meals/tastes. In
contrast, restaurants menus are planned according to seasonal
availability, usually four times a year. Restaurant chefs often
change only a few items on the menu: the "daily special" to
accommodate house regulars. It is the chef, not the customer,
who decides the entrées.
If you are an executive chef your food is great. You have had
successes and you've made a name with something - perhaps desserts
or sauces or special ways of preparing meat. My red sauce was
to die for. Be prepared when you enter Private Service to re-evaluate
all that validation. Your food will now be prepared to please
your employer's whimsical palate. My boss' wife ate her pasta
smeared with salt, butter, and gobs of cheap Parmesan cheese
because that's how she liked it. Any attempt to upgrade her
palate was met with a stern look. "Just pass me the Di Giornio
and the salt," she'd command, even though her pasta already
contained enough of both to kill a walrus. At those times all
I could do was avert my eyes and think, "That's why we have
Taco Bells along with the Four Seasons."
Restaurant chefs have creative license to design unique food
styles. Successful food sells. Customers vocalize. The volume
of sales regulates your creations. This is the democratic way
of judging your culinary value, as opposed to the mood swings
of the super rich. As a personal chef I soon discovered that
the same exquisite dish may be one day praised and one day reviled.
It wasn't about me or my talent: it was about his temper. Maybe
the stock market was down; maybe his wife wasn't being agreeable.
His frame of mind determined my culinary triumph or defeat.
In the restaurant business the chef stakes out a certain clientele.
My eatery earmarked upwardly bound yuppies focusing on health
and fitness. Consequently customers bought my food both for
taste and nutritional value. Vegetarian items predominated on
the menu. I used local, organic produce, farm fresh eggs, and
I kept a large backyard herb garden. I built my reputation doing
what I loved and I did well. Conversely, I found that working
in a private home gave me more financial freedom but less choice
and little control. My employer directed my actions. My borrowed
kitchen was lavish but my menus were edited.
Before working as a personal chef it's best to investigate potential
employers as much or more than they may investigate you. Find
out how they made their money, how much money they have and
where their homes and castles are located. Why did the last
chef leave? How many chefs have they hired in five years? What
do they want? - full silver service or family style dinners
by the TV? Are the other domestic employees happy working for
them? Do your employers invade the kitchen and trash it when
you go out? Do they ask you for special requests, too much overtime,
and if so, can you handle this breach of professionalism?
Everyone knows that restaurant kitchens are taboo territory
for anyone who is not working inside them. Even lowly kitchen
workers frequently scream at waiters for overstepping their
boundaries. The health inspector intrudes only sporadically
to regulate the playing field, for they, like umpires, are respected
but minimally tolerated.
Inside a restaurant kitchen it's very unlikely that your coat
will remain spotless during your shift. Restaurant work is a
dirty job: you're going to get meat stains, blood stains, grease
stains and sauce smudges all over your clothes. Chefs wear hats
to keep hair covered and often special shoes for their long
hours of standing on their feet.
Personal chefs have a different style and a different hygienic
standard. They must always appear spic and span, stylish and
immaculate. Many shop as well as cook. Most private chefs keep
a low but clean and classy profile in dress and manner; they
are not the star players on the set.
Their employers want the spotlight. This is their privilege;
a personal chef is simply a purchased accessory earning big
bucks to make them shine. Be warned that rich people can be
very strange. Their eating habits, their morals, personal philosophies
and lifestyles may shock and disturb. Personal chefs must detach
from what they see and hear. Many will be treated as an object
rather than a person. His encounters with his employers can
be transactions rather than meaningful exchanges. When I began
to judge my employer, when I took home their frustrations and
anger, it was time for me to leave. Many wealthy jet setters
often prefer to hire non-natives for this reason: it takes them
longer to assimilate the big, dysfunctional picture of their
elite lifestyle due to the language barrier and naiveté of the
stranger.
But successful restaurants also have their share of people problems
as well. Getting staff to follow orders is not easy. Giving
good orders can be difficult for some executive chefs. And jealousy,
as well as boredom among lower staff chefs can ruin a business.
Rotating staff, regular meetings, and promise of advancement
all help to relieve these tensions.
Whatever you decide to do: the restaurant or the big houses,
make sure you research your job options thoroughly. Understanding
your own character strengths and weaknesses, as well as the
food areas you most excel in, will guide you to a suitable position.
Some people find their niche quickly; others, like me, have
had to explore a medley of options hands on until the path became
clear. Good luck!
Written By: Valerie Sartor
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