PET Interview 24

Fail

My guest today is a chef called Patrick Simmons. Patrick, how did you decide to become a chef?

I’d always loved to cook. My mother encouraged me to go to a Cooking School just to learn new dishes. Neither of us were thinking of cooking as a career then. While I was at the School, one of my teachers asked me if I’d like to be a weekend chef at a local hotel. It was good for the practical side of my course, so I took the job. I didn’t really need it – my mother was paying for everything.

Was it a good job?

Oh yes. I only worked from 5 till 10 p.m., which was great, and I learnt a lot. But after a year or so, it became a bit boring. You see, the hotel was well-known for its weekend menus, which were always kept more or less the same – not a real challenge for me. So, I gave it up and moved to a job in a restaurant. The hotel manager wasn’t at all pleased with my decision!

Did you enjoy being a restaurant chef?

Well, this was an Italian restaurant and I was able to look into a different aspect of the job. My menus were special, like in no other Italian restaurant, but the owner said I had to find cheaper ingredients. And I managed to do that- while keeping the same quality. He made me realize that the business side of the restaurant industry is just as important as the creative one.

Of all your recipes, which ones are you really proud of?

My chicken dishes are good but not as good as a friend of mine’s, a French chef. Now, my bread recipes- that’s something I’m really proud of. I think I’ve produced some of the best. Many people think breadmaking’s the easiest thing, but it isn’t. Now I’m creating new vegetable recipes, but it takes time to develop recipes and I’m not happy with them yet.

What’s the most important skill a chef needs?

All chefs are great cooks, but that alone doesn’t make you a good chef… Nothing’s more important for a chef than the ability to pay attention to what cooks and customers are saying, to know in which direction to take the food. This is a skill many chefs lack. Other things are less important, like keeping up-to-date with the latest technical developments – I think we all do that.

 What advice would you give those who are studying to become chefs?

I’d say, it’s OK to work hard at getting your qualifications, but you should give yourself time for other things. Many teachers at Cooking School have been chefs for years. Get to know them and interview them about how they got started as chefs. For example, was it a full-time or part-time job? That sort of knowledge will make it easier to find the right job once you leave Cooking school.

Patrick, many thanks for talking to us.

My guest today is a chef called Patrick Simmons. Patrick, how did you decide to become a chef?

I’d always loved to cook. My mother encouraged me to go to a Cooking School just to learn new dishes. Neither of us were thinking of cooking as a career then. While I was at the School, one of my teachers asked me if I’d like to be a weekend chef at a local hotel. It was good for the practical side of my course, so I took the job. I didn’t really need it – my mother was paying for everything.

Was it a good job?

Oh yes. I only worked from 5 till 10 p.m., which was great, and I learnt a lot. But after a year or so, it became a bit boring. You see, the hotel was well-known for its weekend menus, which were always kept more or less the same – not a real challenge for me. So, I gave it up and moved to a job in a restaurant. The hotel manager wasn’t at all pleased with my decision!

Did you enjoy being a restaurant chef?

Well, this was an Italian restaurant and I was able to look into a different aspect of the job. My menus were special, like in no other Italian restaurant, but the owner said I had to find cheaper ingredients. And I managed to do that- while keeping the same quality. He made me realize that the business side of the restaurant industry is just as important as the creative one.

Of all your recipes, which ones are you really proud of?

My chicken dishes are good but not as good as a friend of mine’s, a French chef. Now, my bread recipes- that’s something I’m really proud of. I think I’ve produced some of the best. Many people think breadmaking’s the easiest thing, but it isn’t. Now I’m creating new vegetable recipes, but it takes time to develop recipes and I’m not happy with them yet.

What’s the most important skill a chef needs?

All chefs are great cooks, but that alone doesn’t make you a good chef… Nothing’s more important for a chef than the ability to pay attention to what cooks and customers are saying, to know in which direction to take the food. This is a skill many chefs lack. Other things are less important, like keeping up-to-date with the latest technical developments – I think we all do that.

 What advice would you give those who are studying to become chefs?

I’d say, it’s OK to work hard at getting your qualifications, but you should give yourself time for other things. Many teachers at Cooking School have been chefs for years. Get to know them and interview them about how they got started as chefs. For example, was it a full-time or part-time job? That sort of knowledge will make it easier to find the right job once you leave Cooking school.

Patrick, many thanks for talking to us.

My guest today is a chef called Patrick Simmons. Patrick, how did you decide to become a chef?

I’d always loved to cook. My mother encouraged me to go to a Cooking School just to learn new dishes. Neither of us were thinking of cooking as a career then. While I was at the School, one of my teachers asked me if I’d like to be a weekend chef at a local hotel. It was good for the practical side of my course, so I took the job. I didn’t really need it – my mother was paying for everything.

Was it a good job?

Oh yes. I only worked from 5 till 10 p.m., which was great, and I learnt a lot. But after a year or so, it became a bit boring. You see, the hotel was well-known for its weekend menus, which were always kept more or less the same – not a real challenge for me. So, I gave it up and moved to a job in a restaurant. The hotel manager wasn’t at all pleased with my decision!

Did you enjoy being a restaurant chef?

Well, this was an Italian restaurant and I was able to look into a different aspect of the job. My menus were special, like in no other Italian restaurant, but the owner said I had to find cheaper ingredients. And I managed to do that- while keeping the same quality. He made me realize that the business side of the restaurant industry is just as important as the creative one.

Of all your recipes, which ones are you really proud of?

My chicken dishes are good but not as good as a friend of mine’s, a French chef. Now, my bread recipes- that’s something I’m really proud of. I think I’ve produced some of the best. Many people think breadmaking’s the easiest thing, but it isn’t. Now I’m creating new vegetable recipes, but it takes time to develop recipes and I’m not happy with them yet.

What’s the most important skill a chef needs?

All chefs are great cooks, but that alone doesn’t make you a good chef… Nothing’s more important for a chef than the ability to pay attention to what cooks and customers are saying, to know in which direction to take the food. This is a skill many chefs lack. Other things are less important, like keeping up-to-date with the latest technical developments – I think we all do that.

 What advice would you give those who are studying to become chefs?

I’d say, it’s OK to work hard at getting your qualifications, but you should give yourself time for other things. Many teachers at Cooking School have been chefs for years. Get to know them and interview them about how they got started as chefs. For example, was it a full-time or part-time job? That sort of knowledge will make it easier to find the right job once you leave Cooking school.

Patrick, many thanks for talking to us.

My guest today is a chef called Patrick Simmons. Patrick, how did you decide to become a chef?

I’d always loved to cook. My mother encouraged me to go to a Cooking School just to learn new dishes. Neither of us were thinking of cooking as a career then. While I was at the School, one of my teachers asked me if I’d like to be a weekend chef at a local hotel. It was good for the practical side of my course, so I took the job. I didn’t really need it – my mother was paying for everything.

Was it a good job?

Oh yes. I only worked from 5 till 10 p.m., which was great, and I learnt a lot. But after a year or so, it became a bit boring. You see, the hotel was well-known for its weekend menus, which were always kept more or less the same – not a real challenge for me. So, I gave it up and moved to a job in a restaurant. The hotel manager wasn’t at all pleased with my decision!

Did you enjoy being a restaurant chef?

Well, this was an Italian restaurant and I was able to look into a different aspect of the job. My menus were special, like in no other Italian restaurant, but the owner said I had to find cheaper ingredients. And I managed to do that- while keeping the same quality. He made me realize that the business side of the restaurant industry is just as important as the creative one.

Of all your recipes, which ones are you really proud of?

My chicken dishes are good but not as good as a friend of mine’s, a French chef. Now, my bread recipes- that’s something I’m really proud of. I think I’ve produced some of the best. Many people think breadmaking’s the easiest thing, but it isn’t. Now I’m creating new vegetable recipes, but it takes time to develop recipes and I’m not happy with them yet.

What’s the most important skill a chef needs?

All chefs are great cooks, but that alone doesn’t make you a good chef… Nothing’s more important for a chef than the ability to pay attention to what cooks and customers are saying, to know in which direction to take the food. This is a skill many chefs lack. Other things are less important, like keeping up-to-date with the latest technical developments – I think we all do that.

 What advice would you give those who are studying to become chefs?

I’d say, it’s OK to work hard at getting your qualifications, but you should give yourself time for other things. Many teachers at Cooking School have been chefs for years. Get to know them and interview them about how they got started as chefs. For example, was it a full-time or part-time job? That sort of knowledge will make it easier to find the right job once you leave Cooking school.

Patrick, many thanks for talking to us.