Gordon Stott’s 6 Top Tips for Trainee Chefs

Gordan Scott's 6 Top Tips for Trainee Chefs

Chef Skills

Gordon Stott of the 2 AA Rosette and Bib Gourmand pub, The Sun Inn shares his top tips for trainee Chefs.

1. Start small, think big: Get a job in a smaller kitchen where you can learn the ropes quickly and gain experience across many aspects. In larger hotel kitchens you could end up picking spinach for a year (been there done that!), and while you may become an expert in this area, you could be missing out by not throwing yourself in at the deep end.

2. Be on time: Reputation is everything and you’ll want to make sure you get a good reference for your next job. Make sure you are always on time and turn up ready to work.

3. Be positive: Yes, the hours are long and you may be wondering when your next ‘break’ will be, but a positive attitude will not only get you through the long days, it will also make you a popular member of the time, and impress your boss!

4. Learn from others: Make sure you’re always learning from the people around you. If this stops happening, or you feel like there’s nothing new to learn, move on! Find your next challenge and continue to push yourself to widen your knowledge, experience and capability.

5. Don’t get bogged down with qualifications: this may sound controversial, but while it’s good to have formal qualifications, they’re not the most important thing. Job experience and on-site training can be just as good. So if sitting in a classroom all day isn’t your thing, get out there and get your hands dirty. You’ll be amazed at what you pick up in a short amount of time.

6. Put the job before the money: it’s so easy to take a job because the money’s good, but my advice is: look at the bigger picture. Make sure the place is right for you. Think about whether your passion can be nurtured at the place you’re moving too, and not just going through the motions. The money will come in time but a good opportunity may not.

Follow Gordon on Twitter: @GordonstottChef

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