For the past two years, I’ve run the Chefs at Christmas campaign during the busy season. Once again, Love Letters to Chefs will accompany you for the next five weeks with simple suggestions on how you can take care of yourself.
#BetterCheflife: Last words
The #BetterCheflife campaign has now ended and will resume in the New Year. I’d personally like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all of you who supported me with interviews, spread word about the workshop and calls and or shared your own stories and
#BetterChefife: Choosing what matters
This week the Guardian featured the family who run the Checkers restaurant in Wales – they’ve returned their Michelin star because business was overtaking their family life. Kathryn Francis, who runs it together with her sister Sarah and her partner found the success difficult to balance with caring for
#BetterCheflife: Communication
Something to think about, chefs: what are your communication skills like? Because closely linked to work-life balance is your ability to communicate your needs and requests. Because at some point or the other we all need to negotiate time off, politely decline a
#BetterCheflife: Ripple effect
When our industry culture doesn’t prompt us to pay attention to our work-life balance, it can take courage to take a stand for your own wellbeing. And it’s probable that you’ll face resistance or criticism when you do. But in that moment, you’re not only doing a
#BetterCheflife: Resourcefulness
This week’s work-life balance share comes from Tessa and Elliott, owners of Box-E in Bristol, who seem to have lots of creative solutions (their restaurant is housed in a shipping container). They balance the demands of running the restaurant alongside bringing up young
#BetterCheflife: Beingness
When you honour your need to find balance in your life, it not only feeds back into your work, but t also changes who you are as a person. We seldom look at it this way, but we choose goals that make
#BetterCheflife: Start where you are
Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can – Arthur Ashe Here’s a little reminder that you don’t have to wait for a big shift in your circumstances (like a new job or a promotion) to enjoy a better work-life balance,
#BetterCheflife: Presence
A few weeks ago, a member of this community shared how difficult it was for chefs to relax outside of work. Although this wasn’t the case for me, I know I’m more restless as a result of working in the industry.
#BetterCheflife: Look out for each other
Today I’m thrilled to share a simple, but ingenious hack to honour your work-life balance from Chef Keith Rudolf, Team Chef of the Philadelphia Phillies. In the past, he and his Sous Chef would look out for each other. If either of them