My working day starts at 6.00am. No two days are the same as we are always experimenting with new ideas as well as producing our very popular house made staples. Our customers love our freshly baked sourdough, banana bread, brownies, and pastries to name but a few! Ok – I could go on and on! We finish around 3.00pm by cleaning down in preparation for the bread making again the next morning.
What do you think are the three most important skills to succeed in your career area?
A willingness to learn, self-motivation & determination and a genuine passion for the industry.
Was this something you planned to do or did you change direction at any point in the past? If so, what was that and was it easy to do?
From an early age I have had an interest in food. Both my parents trained at catering college so I grew up learning and appreciating good food as well as seeing the excitement and fun that comes with being involved in this industry. Once I had finished my time at college I spent some time working in England with Michelin Chefs developing my own skill set before returning to Jersey.
What do you love most about working in your career area?
I have a real passion for our industry and in catering you never stop learning. Chefs are constantly finding new and creative ways to make food exciting. At the moment I am really enjoying producing my own bread and cakes, but I equally enjoy the fast pace of producing a high quality a la carte meal in a busy restaurant environment. You also get to meet and work with people from many different parts of the world and this can influence how you see food and help from a creative point of view.
Are there any negative aspects of working in your career area that people considering it should be aware of?
When you start out working in kitchens you quickly learn that it is not a 9.00am to 5.00pm job. The hours are long and unsociable and
so you have to be very committed if you want to succeed. There are times when the going is tough but these are far outweighed by the times when you are told someone has really enjoyed and appreciated the food you have just produced for them. Hard work and determination to succeed are very important if you want to be the best you can be.
What training / quali cations did you undertake for your current role or are you currently undertaking?
I attended Highlands College on a full-time basis for two years to gain my City in Guilds qualifications. During this time
I also worked part-time in many local restaurants gaining valuable experience. Once I had qualified I moved to the UK where I worked on
a full-time basis in two of the UK’s top 100 restaurants. This helped me to develop my skill set whilst working with some incredibly talented
people.
Is there any other information that would be of interest to someone thinking of this career?
I personally feel that moving off island for a period of time helped me to understand our industry better. I gained valuable experience from working alongside some very talented people. On my return I was able to bring this experience back to the Island and use it to not just develop myself further but to pass this knowledge on to others.
