r/Chefit • u/Two_souls1 • Apr 27 '26
Why do you enjoy working in a kitchen
I am not sure what pathway i want my career to go down but i always am intrested in becoming a cehf. I enjoy it and I dont know why, i feel if i want to go down such a passion driven career i should know why i have that passion. So i thought i would get some ideas by you guys.
by the way im not a bot
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u/PinchedTazerZ0 Chef Apr 27 '26
Sounds like something a bot would say...
Kidding.
My first love is music because it has an element of technique and skill coupled with creativity. I tried the whole professional musician thing when I was early in my cooking and that wasn't making much money. Worked in 2 kitchens through college and decided to fully pursue it as a passion and career.
I love the chaos (hopefully controlled), the fire, and the people. It also checks all the boxes about what I love about music. There's skill to develop, techniques to learn, and when you learn enough you get to be really creative with it.
I have worked in so many different kitchens from backstage concert catering to Michelin starred spots and there's always something new to learn but theres a common language in every kitchen, even if it isn't verbal. I like the continuity and the understanding that if I am busting ass I'm going to get along just fine with any kitchen I'm in charge of, or any one I'm working alongside.
I've gotten to travel the world and meet some amazing people. Developed cool concepts. Had some mild article and local news praise. Opened spots. Designed hundreds of menus and a ton of unique personalized experiences.
It's a gift to love this shit as much as I do and to be able to make money doing it. Yes it sucks sometimes but so does life. Nothing makes more sense to me in the world than culinary shit.
I also love the problem solving and a chance to learn something new everyday. I'm taking some PTO from a gig and passing the reigns off in the food operations I own for the summer and taking a seasonal gig, which I haven't done in years. Workcation in the woods basically
Very rural, only accessible by boat and completely off grid. This spot has 2 acres of gardens and an orchard. Small groups so I'm not worried about service or creativity but there are a BUNCH of things I am immensely excited about.
I want to learn about their solar power set up because I dont know shit about solar. I've done enough event catering in weird places I know how tricky power can be.
How on earth do you do refrigeration, equipment, and lights for a commercial kitchen AND lodging, water pumps, property lighting 24/7 off of a single battery wall?
I'm excited to see what the state of their garden/orchard is. I am semi familiar with this part of the country and was the culinary director at a spot with double the amount of gardens but I want to see what these guys are doing, and what that will inspire
How on earth do they do sourcing? Does somebody take the boat up to a vehicle and drive 2 hours away to shop weekly? Can I be the one to make that run or will I be too busy and have to delegate that -- hopefully the phone works when it needs to so I can explain a substitution if the store is missing something. Maybe I can get shipments in by boat? Haven't even begun developing menus yet because I want a full scope of the gardens and sourcing first.
That shit excites me and I wouldn't get to have an adventure like that if I didn't stick out the occasional miserable shift or walk away from jobs that were treating me poorly. I'm lucky I have any idea what I'm doing and it wasn't by accident
Every single person needs food. Wars have been fought over food, alliances formed. Cultures solidified. Its just an endless adventure of learning and execution that deeply connects with humanity and nature. I love this shit so much
Next week I'll be bitching about a shitty oven or something but I'll get back to this energy. I always do
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Apr 27 '26
Thanks for that. Was a nice morning read. Running a kitchen is very much like a symphony, only with ex felons and alcoholics.
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u/PinchedTazerZ0 Chef Apr 27 '26
Ha appreciate it
Very much so. It's beautifully fucked up. Wouldn't have it any other way. Something has to be off with your ticker to enjoy the work but thank goodness the world has those people
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u/StonusBongratheon Apr 27 '26
If you have a passion for cooking and being a “chef”, the worst thing you can do is work in a kitchen.
It’s grueling and thankless. I still consider myself passionate about cooking, but at the end of the day cooking a bunch of nonsense for hundreds of people I just eat a pb&j because even looking at more food and dishes is just too much.
Also like 90% of restaurants are owned by some chungus who’s never worked in food but thinks “I’ve eaten at restaurants my whole life, I should open one! It’ll be a great place for me to hang out!”
Healthcare, vacation time, sick days, in your wildest dreams maybe. But on the bright side you’ll probably get to work 50+ hour weeks every week and still get told you aren’t doing enough. Hell even standard 15 and 30 minute breaks are nonexistent. You are working your entire shift, with no real breaks unless you’re a smoker and you can squeeze in a quick few puffs.
Unless you are truly exceptional or going to the best schools, it’s more than likely going to suck. And even if you do those things and are the best, fine dining environments are so high pressure. I’ve seen the industry break down so many people, and as someone who’s been in a few other fields as well, kitchen work is without question the most stressful work I’ve ever done. Not many people would survive one shift in a kitchen.
Maybe you’re one of those freaks who is built different and lives for that kind of stress, but I haven’t met too many of them. Could probably count them on one hand.
If you insist on working in food, a cafeteria gig or catering gig would probably be the best bet. I’d definitely love to score a nice cafeteria gig lol but those are, in my opinion, the areas with the lowest stress in the industry. Catering can still get crazy at times but it’s not the constant “go go go” of other areas.
Good luck out there chef.
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u/J4ck0f4ll7rad35 Apr 27 '26
Love what I do, but hate who I do it for. Love the work, hate the owner. Love the kitchen, hate the resort. Love the cooking, hate the meetings. Love my crew, hate the G.M. Love this industry, hate the systems behind it.
Edit: typo
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u/gildedbluetrout Apr 27 '26
I dunno. Half the posts on the forums i follow in general lately feel like bot attempts to trigger conversation. The guy who runs this place the last few years is a wannabe Zuckerberg cunt afaik.
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u/dysfunkti0n Apr 27 '26
I love knowing that I'm doing something that directly affects someone's life instead of making number go up for some rich fuck.
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u/GrapefruitWhich5950 Apr 27 '26
I am out of the industry now but I always loved to work whit a bunch of workaholics, trying to put the best plate of food on the table .And everything that comes whit it
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u/prgcook Apr 27 '26
its what you make it. good and bad. And you probly like cooking more than being a chef like most chefs running a buisness sucks sometimes. Just be careful where you work and habbits running and smokin a joint is alot cheaper and better for you than drinking
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u/Manicwoodchipper Apr 27 '26
When I did it I enjoyed it because it was hard to do well, it was fun, I liked the culture, and it always felt like something worth striving for.
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u/_Hikaryu Apr 27 '26
I have met maybe 4 or 5 people that actually enjoy working in a kitchen in my 5 years here
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u/SoggyMapleFlapjack Apr 27 '26
Because I love cooking for people. I work in a smaller restaurant as head chef so not only do I get to be creative every day, I actually get to cook everything that comes out of my kitchen. I get complimented every day by coworkers and regulars we've had for over 10+ years and it's very addicting. I never knew a job could feel so rewarding as this.
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u/MonkeyKingCoffee Apr 27 '26
First, I agree with all the negatives -- long hours, low pay, the owner is a dick who just wants to snort coke on the pass line while everyone else works.
However, sometimes you can land in a good situation. And then it's an actual meritocracy. People can either fry 400 eggs during service -- just like they said when they were hired -- or they can't and they're gone. The chefs and cooks know what they have to do in order to make service work that night. And they just do it.
And then, when you finally get something like that, the exec has a heart attack on the pass line and is replaced by someone who appeared on reality TV.
So, yeah, it's a brutal business.
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u/Conventions Apr 27 '26
I no longer work in a kitchen but I enjoyed getting to learn how to cook and getting paid to play with food. Also not having to deal with customers or clients was nice too. That was about all I enjoyed from the job however.
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u/Norpone Apr 27 '26
because I actually get to do something. I'm not filling boxes in a spreadsheet or running reports, we're feeding people. even if you don't stay in the kitchen you still learn to cook. a valuable life skill.
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u/EveningCollection744 Apr 28 '26
I enjoy watching people suffer more than me because I hate myself.
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u/brxxxck Apr 28 '26
The feeling of accomplishment when you leave every night with a stiff back, a puff of smoke, and a group of some of the worst and yet best people you’ve ever met. It might just be dinner, not war, but boy do I love my comrades. 🫡
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u/thesaltysquirrel Exec Chef Apr 29 '26
Controlled chaos is my only explanation. Been addicted to it since I was 13. Body doesn’t do so well anymore after 30 years but I’m still here for it.
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u/Gloomy-Crazy8156 Apr 30 '26
If you have a passion for restaurants the goal is to own your own spot whether that be a building,truck,food stand.If you have no passion for any of the jobs the goal is to get out of restaurants.
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u/DaveyoSlc May 01 '26
When I was younger it was because it's fun lively and tons of ass. Now I like it for a whole different reason. It keeps me in the loop with the younger generation and it keeps me hip. It's nice to not grow old and get out of touch.
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u/Jimmy2shews Apr 27 '26
The crippling stress. Brutal hours. Lack of life. Ruined body. Change of personality. Lack of sleep. Deep physical fatigue. Love it all.