Jon Fell discusses his role as Executive Chef at Sella Park Country House Hotel and his own inspirations with regards to pursuing a career as a Chef.
Name: Jon Fell
Role: Executive Chef
Place of work: Sella Park Country House Hotel, Cumbria
Bio: Jon Fell is the Executive Head Chef of Sella Park Country House Hotel, Cumbria which is part of the Muncaster Castle Estate where he has held his position for four years.
Jon Fell takes us through his personal experiences whilst being in the Culinary Industry. These key skills that young Chefs and industry professionals learn as part of their basic training.
Top tips:
My advice to anyone starting out as a Chef would be:
1. Soak up all the knowledge you can, however trivial you first think it maybe
2. To be the best, work with the best, listen and learn
3. Give 100% and you'll get that back tenfold
4. Forget what you've seen on TV! It is never going to be like that! EVER!
5. Read cook books, own a copy of La Rousse, Le Repitoire, they are the "bibles" of our industry
Don't expect to be a Head Chef by the time you are 21, it is never going to be. Turn up to work on time, listen and take in what I say, show me that you WANT to be a Chef, work hard and in return you'll get 200% back from me. I’ll teach you all I can, give you all the time I can to make you into the Chef you want to be.
I’ll get the stages you need in the establishments required to push yourself, so finally, when you think you are able, you will, go and get that Sous Chef job, you deserve, and no one will be happier than me to see you do it.
I started out at 14, as a spotty faced pot wash, not even wanting to be a Chef! I moved onto starters and then onto desserts. At 16 I decided "I WANT TO BE A CHEF" little realising the amount of blood, sweat and tears I would endure for the next few years, but it was worth it.
I was 25, quite old really before I became a Junior Sous but I wanted to learn as much as I could, and I was 30 before I was a Head Chef.
I never stop reading cookery books, never, I learn something new every day also use social media to interact with other Chefs and you’ll gain lifelong friends and gain an instant online encyclopaedia.
Experience:
If you want to be the best, you have to learn from the best, be that, Simon Rogan, Michael Caines, Nathan Outlaw or Gordon Ramsey, etc etc. Experience is a fantastic foundation for any young Chef it gives you the grounding, the drive and passion that you need to survive in this industry.
However, I'm just as happy to take someone with no experience at all, as long as they show a willingness to learn, show up on time, don't give me any hassle, listen to what I say and understand the reasons and methods as to why we do things in a certain way. They could go onto be equally as good a Chef as anyone else, CV's are just a platform to "show your wares" it's what's inside the head and heart that counts; show me passion, not a piece of paper and we'll go far.
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