No conversation on work-life balance in the industry would be complete without addressing what could be possible if more employers took the chance of building work-life balance into the team culture. For this, once again I turn to Ben Shewry’s talk at MAD6. It’s a conversation that’s very much worth listening to.

At 37:30, he completely dismisses the commonly-accepted fallacy that you have to work long hours to prove your worth as a chef. At his acclaimed restaurant Attica, a 4-day, 48-hour week maximum for chefs and 45 hours for FOH has brought tremendous success. The staff get 3 days off each week and are even turned away if they show up early for a shift. His team are happier and more productive than ever, and it shows up in the quality of their food.

This is only one small example of how he has designed his culture to put people at the top of the agenda. What would our industry be like if this was the commonly-accepted norm, instead of one shining example?

#BetterCheflife: Culture

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