Hello, and welcome to How To Become A Chef. My name is Chris Flatt and I have been working as a chef since 1997. Working as a chef is not only a job, but it is also a lifestyle, which you will need to enjoy in order to succeed. What follows is the story of how my life as a chef got started.
After leaving secondary school, I enrolled in an electrical engineering course at Cambridge Regional College. The problem was, I wanted to be more creative. I soon realised that electrical engineering wasn’t the right direction for me. I’d always enjoyed helping with Sunday dinners at home, and Christmas day lunches cooking for extended members of the family, and so I decided to follow this passion. I would probably say that this is where my interest in food got started.
In 1997, I took the first steps on my cheffing journey. I moved from the tiny village where I grew up – containing only one pub that served frozen foods and little else – to the city of Cambridge. At the time this was extremely daunting, but also very exciting. My first job in Cambridge was a washing up job in a busy restaurant. The head chef was impressed with my work ethic, organisational skills and interest in creating food. As such, when a position as a commis chef became available, I was asked if I wanted the role. Having observed the kitchen for the past 3 months, I was incredibly impressed, and my reply was an instant YES!
I quickly settled into the role, worked hard doing extra shifts and completed an NVQ level 2 in Food Preparation and Cooking. After a stay of 3 years, I gained enough experience to move onto a role as a sous chef at a hotel in a French ski resort – Val’disere. I had an incredible experience at the hotel, and from there I have also worked in various award winning restaurants and 5 star hotels. Currently, I am working at a high-quality catering company in central London.
Throughout my time as a chef, I have made some great decisions, but I have also made some bad decisions. With the power of hindsight, I am going to use this book as a guide to show you exactly what is possible within the catering industry, and how to do it without falling into some of the many pitfalls. How To Become A Chef is full of information that would have been of great use to me throughout my career, and now I want to share what I have learned with you. I sincerely hope that the tips and advice I will give you in this book will help you on your way to becoming a fantastic chef.
This book will show you:
•What it’s like to be a chef;
•How to get qualified and the different training routes open to you;
•What to do once you are qualified and how to gain sufficient experience;
•What to do if you want to become a chef at a 5 star hotel/restaurant;
•The advantages and disadvantages of working in different places;
•Hidden ways of getting ahead in the industry, which can only be picked up by working in professional kitchens over a number of years;
•The personal qualities that you will need in order to succeed.
You will also learn skills such as how to build a CV, where to train and how to locate the essential equipment that you need. Finally, I’ll provide entrepreneurial chefs with tips on how to start your own business, how to gain an advantage over your competitors, and how to market yourself.
Whether you are a budding chef or an aspiring restaurant entrepreneur, this book will provide you with all of the information you need. I hope that it inspires you to achieve the career of your dreams.