Wherever you are – actively preparing to return to work, or still contemplating life after lockdown – you will have noticed that our thoughts are now future-focussed. But let us make sure that we take with us powerful lessons: the
Go lateral
You get to choose the direction you want your creative sabbatical to take. You can further your professional development, or you can choose to go lateral: explore a completely different field to yours. I encourage you to choose the latter,
Creative sabbaticals for chefs
What really counts as a creative sabbatical in our industry? For sure, closing your restaurant to run experiments six months per year. Even a single day spent with your team cooking for a good cause counts. Anything that interrupts the
Fireside Chat 3: Creative sabbatical
Earlier this year, I posted a series on creativity that looked at, amongst other things, creative sabbaticals. Now I extend an invitation to you to join me in crafting your own mini creative sabbatical for the month of May, chef.
The Need to be Useful
Empty space is always rich with potential. This is the same for the breaks during our shifts and also unexpected breaks in our careers like this lockdown. What will you use this precious time for? Do you have to use
Time to lean
Our culture informs how we view our service: some of our beliefs imply that a chef can only add value to the kitchen by keeping busy. How we relate to productivity could possibly be both the cause and the effect
Pause
It is only natural to miss your work or to encounter boredom during this lockdown – you are simply adjusting to a very disruptive change in routine. What is a little more difficult to reconcile with is not feeling useful
Cooking is alchemy
Cooking is, amongst other things, alchemy. By nature, chefs are predisposed to taking base ingredients and creating something better out of them. The past few weeks, we have all witnessed food businesses transform their service to benefit so many who
Reminder: Fireside Chat this Monday
Here is everything you need to know about our first Fireside Chat on Monday: What: These Fireside Chats are informal 30-minute sessions for us to gather together and connect with our work When/Where: We meet on Zoom (which is free
The Essence of our Service
Join me, chefs, on Monday, the 6th of April at 3pm London (UK) time for our first Fireside Chat. Next week’s theme is The Essence of our Service In an instant, our work has been stripped down to its essence.