In the kitchen, there's a lot that can make a chef angry. Regardless of how much experience they have, they've likely had to deal with frustration and rage at some point in their careers. They may lash out at people and use abusive or demeaning language to make their point.
Chefs who let anger take control of their lives are likely to break. They may lose their job, their friends, and their families. They may also have a stigma attached to their name as a "man who loses control." Thankfully, there are ways to control anger.
A chef's fear of failure can make him point the finger at another employee as if the problem is the fault of that person. He or she may be mistakenly accusing the other employee of personal abuse. This attitude can have negative consequences on the entire restaurant, not to mention the chef.
Being rude is not an inherent part of being in the culinary profession. According to Zoe Schor, executive chef at Split-Rail in Chicago and a former Chopped champion, being rude in the restaurant industry is not inevitable. But as an executive chef, she has seen some less-than-stellar behavior. She says that while not always in the form of screaming, being rude in a restaurant often manifests itself as a lack of regard for the servers and staff. If the service is poor, she says, the diner will not return, and that's not good for the business.
Lower standard kitchens have smaller staff, allowing them to produce huge volumes in a shorter period of time. This can lead to errors and fraught tempers. However, these restaurants do have the benefit of having much more experienced waiters who prevent bottlenecks in the kitchen. This can mean a more enjoyable dining experience for diners.
The first step in determining staffing needs is to establish productivity standards. These standards will determine how much time it takes to prepare following food procedures defined by standard recipes.
Gordon Ramsay's abusive management style has damaged an entire generation of chefs. The chef, who has three Michelin stars, is notorious for throwing tantrums and has been criticized for this for years. His rants have generated an enormous amount of attention on Twitter, which has further highlighted the damaging effects of Ramsay's style of leadership. Restaurant workers already face high-pressure environments and bullies in the workplace, and Ramsay's behavior has been a cause for concern.
Ramsay's business empire is enormous, and there are many demands on his time. It is not always possible for him to give attention to his customers as he does when cooking in famous restaurants like Le Gavroche, La Tante Claire, and Aubergine.
Shouting and swearing in kitchens are not as common as they used to be. The industry has become more professional, and chefs expect their staff to treat each other fairly. But, in some situations, a Head Chef may need to bollock a cook in a particularly stressful moment.
In kitchens, the sense of urgency is constant. Workers are often expected to have hot food ready in a short amount of time, and they're constantly running around trying to communicate with one another. As a result, kitchens have developed their own shorthand. One of the essential shorthand terms is hands. The second episode of the show is called "hands," which is a shared kitchen idiom.