The pandemic opened our eyes to a lot of truths about Hospitality. Many of us in this industry – whether restaurant owners or employees – began to ask: “What was it all for?”. The endless sacrifice, putting others first, saying no to what we needed.
Unfortunately, this is the journey that faces every martyr. They give, give, give, and at some point, begin to resent the people they served. The only difference is that in this industry, we collectively bought into the myth that to be a chef is to sacrifice self.
But as individuals, we can question whether you should take that idea at face value, or put your own spin on it. You might discover that you need ____ to function at your best as a chef. The blank might be an hour for yourself on your day off to read a book. Or an hour in your office where you are not disturbed, so you can catch up with the paperwork for running your kitchen.
It will not be easy to step into this new way of being. But I invite you to sit with that question: at first, on your day off. Then keep returning to it as and when you can. And of course, it goes without saying, do the things that you are guided to, chef!