Is it every aspiring chef's dream to work in a hectic high-stress kitchen? If so, why?

Submitted ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨58008@lemmy.world⁩ to ⁨[deleted]⁩

I assume one becomes a chef because they have a love for cooking and food and the artistry involved, but I can’t think of anything more eroding to that love of the craft than the kind of working day I see chefs and other kitchen staff go through. It seems to an outsider like me that it’s basically a shift-length panic attack, every day. But that can’t be the case, or no one would do the job!

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Stern@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
There’s certainly stuff like The Bear or Hell’s Kitchen that present one view of things, but you might want to give Jiro Dreams of Sushi a watch sometime, which shows a alternate view. Guy runs a ten seat Michelin starred sushi joint that does a ~500 dollar tasting menu with 20 courses. He’s not rushing things.

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- kbobabob@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Did the staff all start their careers working there? This seems like a top tier kitchen.
  
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SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Not the field you’re talking about, but I worked in television news broadcasting for a while, and yes, the goal was absolutely to get a job at a bigger station with more news and thus more work and faster pace.

Our production manager used to try to train us for the bigger markets as well, he described it as making sure the team could “think on their feet” and deal with unexpected scenarios calmly and quickly.

So at least in that industry, yes, the goal is to end up in a more high stress workplace.

Believe it or not, some people actually really thrive in high-stress environments and do terribly in low-stress environments because it’s simply not exciting enough to keep them engaged with the work.

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- Tujio@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  I hate to admit it, but at this point I think I have to. I thrive in a high-stress, high-energy work environment. I’ve worked a few low-impact jobs and I just turn into a lazy schlub. Hell, a couple times I’ve noticed that I’m letting myself get stressed out just so I can actually accomplish stuff.
  
  Which is weird, because outside of work I’m just a happy, lazy dude. Code switching is a hell of a drug, I guess.
  
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- kiwifoxtrot@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  There’s a lot of truth to the fact that stress makes a job engaging and rewarding. For me, that level of stress makes me do a better job. Without it, I get bored, have no drive, and disengage. I’ve learned this about myself over the years and purposely make sure I’m in roles that have higher stress so that I can be happy with what I’m doing for a living.
  
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  - ickplant@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    This is quite common for people with ADHD (not saying you have it). They need novelty and excitement to thrive, otherwise they get bored. So that’s one example of a person who might want these stressful jobs.
    
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Sophocles@infosec.pub ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I left IT to become a chef and this was one of the reasons (of many) I did so. I absolutely hated the office environment; being cooped up in a tiny office, the dumb high school drama, sitting at a desk wasing time on projects that had no real value to anyone but a corporation… I was miserable, even despite the ok pay and lack of manual labor.

I work in a high profile kitchen now and I couldn’t be happier. The fast pace and constant movement is definitely a lot of work and stress but it’s so much more fun than mashing a keyboard in a soulless corporate prison. Plus I sometimes get to see the people enjoying the food, and it just seems a lot more personal and worth it than IT ever did. I guess it really depends on your personality and how well you handle and/or like pressure among other things

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- undefined@lemmy.hogru.ch ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  I’m a web developer but my background is in fast food and retail and I absolutely miss the chaos. I sure felt the fuck out of:
  
  wasing time on projects that had no real value to anyone but a corporation…
  
  I love my job and I love what I do but at the end of the day I often think “now what?” and realize I’ve spent an entire day in a make believe land.
  
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MrOtingocni@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Imagine straddling the line between performing at your absolute best, pushed to the limit of your abilities, and living in a complete horror show of a shift. All your cylinders are firing, your brain is running 110%, your body is alive. It is up to you, and the crew you trained, to impose order onto chaos by performing a complex symphony of actions in a tightly coordinated team.

Yes, tensions are high, but everyone is digging in, summoning their grit, and working together to tackle any upset in the highly demanding flow of food. There is laughing, cursing, anger, worry, joy, comradery. It’s a high drama marathon that challenges you, makes you perform at your best every day. You know the complete despair and panic when it falls apart and you know the sweet satisfaction as the rush dies down and you and your team did it, against all odds, once again.

When you look out the window and see the hordes of people eagerly awaiting to enjoy a great meal with their friends and family and you look over at the people already served and see the absolute bliss on their faces as they dig in…

You. You made that happen.

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- IronBird@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  you forgot to mention all the cocaine a/o weed
  
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- HasturInYellow@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  You just described literal hell.
  
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  - MrOtingocni@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Oh it is. But there’s drugs and trauma-bonding, so that helps. Plus, it pays a few more bucks than minimum wage.
    
    It also conveys a permanent +10 bonus to your rizz so you can sleep with the slutty front of house.
    
    Somewhere between the borders of desperation and total burnout there is a sweet spot where you realize you are performing at a higher level than you ever have and the satisfaction compensates for the lack of pay and the life destroying vices you need to employ in order to cope with the constant stress.
    
    Good times.
    
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- CultLeader4Hire@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Sounds like mental illness
  
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  - MrOtingocni@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    It is, but it’s the functional kind. And the landlord doesn’t give a fuck about your problems so you got turn life’s lemons into lemon pepper chicken to pay that rent.
    
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python@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I don’t work in the food industry, but I do have the flavor of ADHD that would absolutely LOVE the work environment. There really is a special kind of zen you achieve when everything is on fire and you have to think on your feet all day. Plus the working times are fucked up and your diet consists of cigarettes, energy drinks and coke. That might not sound like an upside but if your life already is like that it really must be quite nice to have a job that conforms to it.

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TheStaffmaster@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
No. That’s like wanting to be a doctor and having to work on call at the ER. they are dues and need to be paid.

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RBWells@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I work at an events company, basically, in the back office but have worked some events - I get the appeal. Hospitality is grueling work but satisfying work, your customers are right in front of you and you are making them feel better about themselves (in our particular industry), or feeding them and also just pulling off such a ridiculously difficult task, nearly everything going right, it’s amazing. And when I did work at a restaurant, I also enjoyed being part of the customers’ going out night, right? You are there, building that experience, also getting an experience.

My husband doesn’t get it really but I do - if I had fuck you money I would open a bar, with a dinner night each week as an event.

I enjoy home cooking and hosting parties too. Hospitality really is a human sort of endeavor and it is satisfying to make people feel good and comfortable.

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sangriaferret@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
As a bartender I love working extremely high volume shifts. That hectic, high stress atmosphere gives me an adrenaline rush. What would give you a panic attack gives me a high.

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FellowEnt@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Kitchen work was the only job I ever walked out of. Like fuck this I’m done I’m not giving notice I’m leaving right fucking now. Takes a special kind of person to thrive in that environment and that person is not me.

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quick_snail@feddit.nl ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I’d rather work in a ganja kitchen where things are slow and the customers are increasingly chill with every course.

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HubertManne@piefed.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
is it every aspiring game developers dream to work in a hectic, high-stress office? Being the best or just in the ranks of the best is a big draw in art.

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IWW4@lemmy.zip ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

I assume one become a chef because they have a love for food and cooking and the artistry involved.

Bwahahahahahahaahahahahzhahahhahah

Deep breath… no seriously

Hahahahahahahahah

One becomes a chef because you need a pay check. All that shit about the artistry of cooking is marketing bullshit.

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- calcopiritus@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  You work because you need a pay check. However, there are thousands of professions out there. All of them give pay checks. If you’re a chef it’s because you chose chef out of the thousand options.
  
  So there might be something about it that made you choose it. Some might have chosen it because it was the least worst paying option available for them. Others might choose it because it makes it easier to get laid. Some (as the post suggests) might choose it for the love of the art.
  
  The post is asking if there are some that choose it for the working environment.
  
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