Role: Chef/Proprietor
Company: The Old Schoolhouse
Track Record:
DAY IN THE LIFE
07:00
I get up at 7 and head up to the Breakfast kitchen where I check the Breakfast service is going to plan and make sure our guests had a comfortable stay in our 8 bedrooms. There’s nothing better in the morning than the smell of fresh coffee and happy guests.
08:30
I go down to my kitchen where I have a meeting with my brigade of chefs. On the agenda is the bookings for lunch service and evening service, what fresh produce is available to us on that day etc, menu’s and staffing.
09:00
Our phone lines open for reservations and our front of house team arrive.
10:00
My team and I are in full flight producing our prep for the day ahead – preparing new dishes, our pastry section is churning our fresh ice-creams, our baker is baking the first batch of bread for that day. The bread is freshly made prior to our first lunch and evening services.
11:00
I leave the kitchen to go and deal with front of house matters as I am not just the Chef at The Schoolhouse, I am also the Proprietor. I like to take interest in every aspect of the business e.g. wine selection for the menu, are the front of house happy, are our 8 bedrooms up to standard after their daily service, is the gardener on top of things, is our accounts department dealing with certain situations. I also answer my emails for the day and take any phone calls as I am too busy the rest of the day.
12:00
Our lunch service begins, we set up each section in the kitchen so that we are ready for a busy lunch ahead. Our front of house makes sure that everything is clean and tidy. I check all of my chefs work to see that they have produced the best product for the dish. I am constantly striving to better myself as a chef and improve
The Schoolhouse day to day as I only want one thing and that is for us to be here in 30 years time.
12:30
The checks start coming in for lunch service, it is a very busy kitchen. For me, as a chef, I find lunch services more difficult than the evening because it is a faster and more demanding environment as people pop in on their lunch break and then they return to work.
15:00
Lunch service finishes, I go out and speak to customers to meet and greet them and make sure that they know the owner, Will Brown, is in the kitchen cooking. I like to be there every service, 7 days a week, lunch and dinner to make sure that everything is running smoothly. I then come back into the kitchen where we discuss the situation that has just unfolded infront of us. We talk about what we produced well and what needs improving such as does our new fish dish need more sauce, is the ice cream sweet enough, does the bread need proved for a little bit longer. My team and I are constantly finding ways to improve The Schoolhouse.
15:30
My team cleans down the whole kitchen to make sure it is spotless for the next service. After a busy lunch service I enjoy taking 5, having a break and something nice to eat.
16:00
The kitchen is back into full flow, getting ready for the evening ahead. I am designing new dishes with the best produce in Northern Ireland , I am lucky enough to be surrounded with some of the best suppliers in the country within a small radius.
18:00
Service begins again, the checks start coming in. Evening services are a totally different environment, for me as a chef. There is the choice of 2 menu’s – Schoolhouse Classics which is very simple food, with big flavours at a reasonable price, and also we have A La Carte menu which I am very proud of. This menu is a result of me working with some of the best chefs in Europe, I spent 5 years in London and I am lucky to be able to bring my experience back to the shores of Strangford Lough. In my opinion, the Classics menu, that is new to The Schoolhouse after our 2 month refurbishment is the most well priced in the country.
21:00
Dessert checks start rolling in to our pastry section where it can be a very tough and demanding stage of my day. We have Raspberry Soufflé cooking in 1 oven, Apple Tart Tatin caramelising on the stove; we also have Petit Fours and room service all going on at the same time. I go out to see my guests after they have finished their meal to say hello and make sure they had an enjoyable evening. I go into our new bar/lounge and chat to some of our residents who are staying with us.
2300
My day comes to an end in the kitchen where my sous chef and I discuss the orders for the next day. I sit down with my Maitre D’ and talk about the day we have just had and make sure the team are happy.
00:00
I head back to the house, put my feet up and have a beer. Well deserved I think!