Over the Christmas season, you’re resigned to the fact that your chef life is thrown even more out of balance than usual. That much-needed rest can wait for a few weeks.
But that shouldn’t keep you from gaining small wins even during mammoth shifts. What helps is really knowing yourself. What truly refreshes you? I don’t mean your usual fuels, like a cup of coffee or offcuts from the pastry kitchen. It’s something with a feeling quality. The quietness of an empty mind. The cold air outside that wakes you up. The sense of lightness from sharing a joke with colleagues. For me, it’s the connection that comes from giving someone a big smile.
Tap into whatever it is, chef. It’ll energise you more than any break will on those 16-hour days.
What refreshes you?