14 Things Only a Chef Can Know

6. What I learned in school pales in comparison to what I learned on the job.
For a chef, there is no greater teacher than the school of hard knocks, the environment where each day we face the opportunity to succeed and the chance to fail. 

7.  Even the predictable is unpredictable in a kitchen.
We work with ingredient seasonality that challenges the value of a recipe without the understanding of how to compensate for variance in quality.  We work with employees who have their own set of challenges on and off the job, so how they approach their job is always unpredictable.  And we serve customers who also bring their challenges to the table – how they feel in the moment will impact their experience and the experience of serving them. 

8.  My reputation will always be based on the last meal served.
Hard as it may be to accept – 99 exceptional meals and 1 that misses the mark will not result in a grade of 99, but rather a failing one for that individual who was not happy.  

9.  My actions on and off the job impact the restaurant’s reputation.
The actions of the chef, like the actions of any manager, are connected by the general public, to the reputation of the restaurant.  There is little room for error here.  The chef is always an ambassador of the operation.

10.  My actions set the tone for the working environment of the kitchen.
As a chef, I am (you are) the role model for others.  This is not something that chefs tend to ask for, but it is the fact of the matter.