Should we ban swearing in the kitchen?

By banning swearing in the kitchen, will this help with the recruitment and retention of millennial staff? You had your say!

• Read the original article on The Telegraph
• Is there an issue with mental health in the hospitality industry?
• How are three Cornish chefs winning the battle against no shows?

Swearing in the kitchen? It’s part and parcel of chef life, isn’t it? Not according to a recent news piece in The Telegraph who have reported that ‘chefs are banning swearing in the kitchen' in order to overcome an on-going struggle of recruiting and retaining Millennials.

Whilst it is perceived that much of chef Ramsey’s ‘angry chef’ persona is enhanced for the purpose of entertainment, many critics believe that his aggressive style is symptomatic of an outdated restaurant kitchen culture that is causing people to leave the industry as well as putting people off from entering it in the first instance.

Ryan Simpson who is a chef at the Henley-on-Thames based restaurant Orwells, is one of the chefs who is aiming to eliminate swearing from the kitchen saying that: "We try to stay away from swearing completely - you don't get the best out of your kitchen by shouting and swearing. If you cook, you cook for the love of it.”

Whilst there is no place for aggression and bullying in the kitchen or indeed any workplace environment, swearing in the kitchen doesn’t seem to be of a huge concern to the vast majority of chefs who have shared their thoughts when we posted the original article on The Staff Canteen Facebook.

Jay Mifflin says that the idea of banning swearing is a ‘joke’ and eluded that the bigger problem was the lifestyle aspect often associated with of being a chef – working long hours and receiving low wages.

Jay Gormley agrees with this and asks if the reason millennials aren’t joining or indeed staying within the hospitality industry is due to ‘working 70 hour weeks for poor pay’.

Stirling Webb commended the idea of curtailing aggressive behaviour in the kitchen but likened swearing and shouting to ‘salt and pepper in a kitchen’.

Jamie Snell says the reason kitchens are facing a shortage is not down to swearing, but due to a ‘lack of mentality’

Christopher Gill believes that there is a distinction between swearing and bullying and thinks that ‘if you swear you care.

Could unrealistic expectations be the reason for youngsters entering the kitchen for the first time? Katie Elizabeth Offenbacker thinks so.

Of course, it is all about context, swearing in frustration because you have burned the turbot is one thing but calling a colleague a 'f***** c***' whilst screaming in their face is something completely different. As chefs, we expect a resounding bollocking when we mess up, but on a continual basis, this can be disheartening and counterproductive. But when it comes to swearing, the odd 'bollocks' is not going to do any long-term harm to you and your brigade, is it?

Do you have an opinion of whether swearing should be banned in the kitchen? Is this outdated or do you feel that it is part of every-day kitchen life? Let us know your thoughts below.