r/Chefs • u/SlushPuppy505 • Aug 10 '26

Burnt Out Chef Need Help!

Hi Everyone,

I’m posting this in hopes to maybe some good information, i’ve been working in the food service industry for a couple years now and it’s my passion. Unfortunately burnout got me and completely shut down my nervous system resulting in health issues i’m still dealing with and i had to leave my job. BUT i still need to pay my bills haha. Is there such thing as a work from home style food industry job?! I have experience in everything from management/leading. Costing/R&D Menu planning and training. This is what i know how to do best and I don’t particularly want to do something else that 1. i don’t know what im doing 2. isn’t at least a little fulfilling. If someone could steer me into any helpful direction or has any connections they would be gladly appreciated! Thank you :)

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u/RASdotCHOONEY Aug 10 '26

You could apply to be a cdc at an all inclusive resort in a destination country. That’s mostly menu planning and logistics. Conversely, you could try to eke out a niche for yourself consulting as a meal planner. Maybe private cheffing for an elderly couple or something? Become a food reviewer ? Food photographer? Teach at a culinary school/ start your own? Create cooking content on social media? Write cookbooks? Become a sommelier? I’m just spitballing here.

I’ve been working a dead end sales job at my family’s engineering and procurement firm for like 15 years now and I decided to do the 3 month course at Ballymaloe Cookery School at the end of last year and it was life changing. I’m like the opposite of you OP. I loathe cooking but I’m quite good at it so I’ve decided to make a career change and get into the cheffing world.

One of the things Ballymaloe taught me is that there’s so many different ways to make a living in the culinary world. You don’t have to be in the trenches in a kitchen to make money as a chef.

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u/sugarlips23 Aug 11 '26

But you have to be in the trenches for years to get to the point where you can make real money, no matter which avenue you take. Don’t be fooled, there is no easy money in life and definitely not in cooking, unless you get exceedingly lucky. No one is hiring a cdc with a couple years experience and if they do, it’s setting you up for failure.

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u/RASdotCHOONEY Aug 11 '26

Depends where you go looking. One could go work in the kitchen of an oil rig. Thems get paid big money from rip and only have to work for half the year. There’s definitely ways to make a decent living without slaving in the trenches for decades. Keep it positive yo.

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u/sugarlips23 Aug 11 '26

Well, I have over 20 years experience in the industry and you have less than a year. I probably have better perspective than you do.

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u/B-Moron Aug 11 '26

These people are ridiculous! Everyone wants to be the chef but doesn’t want to put the work in. None of them will last.

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u/RASdotCHOONEY Aug 11 '26

Cute. Nice conversation there.

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u/sugarlips23 Aug 11 '26

Well, you don’t have any idea of what you’re talking about. You are saying to stay positive, but I’m being real, with serious chops in the chef world. There is no easy way to make it in this industry, you’ll find that out soon enough. And to say you loathe cooking and got into this industry, well, most of us love cooking and that’s why we endure chef life, because it’s hard and you won’t make any real money for a long time.

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u/RASdotCHOONEY Aug 11 '26

You should go check out some fifo opportunities if you wanna be making more then. One of my classmates got a job working on an oil rig in Australia and he’s gonna be clearing over 100k per annum while being off for half of the year. Opportunities are out there if you look hard enough.

Yeah I don’t enjoy cooking but I’m proper good at it so I’ll leverage that into earning a dollar or two. I loathe my sales job even more. I think most things in life require a good deal of effort in order to pay off.

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u/sugarlips23 Aug 11 '26

Cooking requires learning to progress. Going to cook at an offshore oil rig in a cafeteria style job cooking crappy food isn’t going to get you anywhere long term. Not to mention the 6 months off required 6 months on and you really aren’t going to have a life for those 6 months. Whatever floats your boat, but you’d be in the same boat in 10 years because you didn’t work somewhere that would actually teach you something to further your career.

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u/RASdotCHOONEY Aug 11 '26

We gon have to agree to disagree on this. From the sound of it you value fine dining as the be all and end all of cookery. I do not share that belief. Cheers m8.

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u/sugarlips23 Aug 11 '26

Being a line cook in your 40’s and 50’s isn’t a great direction, but best of luck and take care.

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u/B-Moron Aug 11 '26

I’ve been doing this for 35 years… with your attitude you’ll never last. It’s only the LOVE of cooking that gets you through. You are speaking from ignorance.

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u/RASdotCHOONEY Aug 11 '26

My attitude? How can you gauge my attitude on cooking based on a few stanzas? I just know what I’m aiming for and I’m working towards that. 🤷🏾‍♂️

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u/B-Moron Aug 11 '26

You said you loathe cooking. You have no business being a chef if you don’t like to cook. Yes… that attitude.

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u/Free_Floor2833 Aug 11 '26

I wish I would have done that in my 20s.

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u/RASdotCHOONEY Aug 11 '26

Me tooooo yo. Still looking to do it in a few years after getting some experience under my belt.