Soup, Soup, Soup and more Soup

I know that we have lots of prep and plenty of soup ready for the odd occasion, but that is not what this post is really about.

A booking for 6 at 6pm. A lady arrives, we are only 3 now, can we sit by the window? She asked. O.k we will allow you to have the table for four by the window. Two other ladies join the table and chat.

Next time we look they have upped and moved table and they are four ladies sat there. On a table in the middle of the room!!!

Now get this, are you ready?

The waiter returns from the table and asks,
Is the pumpkin soup thick or thin chef?
I reply, thick.



In comes the order
Entree
2 Ciabatta Bread
Main
3 main size soups and 1 entree soup.

Are you for real!!!!

Then it will not surprise you to find out they ONLY drank tap water for the two plus hours they sat and talked.

So a total bill of less than $80- the only positive was it was a Tuesday night. WTF....Why some people even bother going out I don't know.

Then you get those that share a pizza and breads on a Saturday night, prime time and wallow over a can of soft drink. Better leave that for another time......

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False Advertising

Here is another classic advertisement.

Advertising can be very effective if done in the right places, and the correct way.

For me word of mouth is the best form of advertising, definitely not inflated, self opinionated advertising.

This brings me to write this post.

I rarely get a newspaper, basically because I can find all that I want over the net. But just the other day a friend of mine had this paper and showed me an article about respect. A very apt column and one that we both agreed on, I mentioned that I had read something very interesting the last weekend whilst having a coffee in town, about peoples professions and how others outside of their professions knew better, go figure.

Anyway after bringing the paper home and having lie around for a few days I began to thumb through it, only to stumble at the first page.

Right there in big full colour was some advertisement for a place that serves food and drink, it has a name but that's 'the secret'.
This ad would have cost a bit as it took up a third of the page.
It had the normal, place name, opening times, where it is, and a slogan of the establishment "yeah right", a picture and then the detailed stuff.
Now all the above is fine, because it is generally true fact, I mean your not going to put in a false address or telephone number are you!

But what got me again, is many over inflated establishments that need to drum up business, over exaggerate their ability, or lack of should I say. Just like a lot of people do themselves. Lets not go there right now.....

The right to state that you are, or have the biggest and the best...........in CQ (you fill in the gap) is down right bullshit and false advertising. How do you know that it is true? Have you been to every eatery in CQ and tried and tested them, I don't fucking think so.

Next CQ's FAMOUS..............once again fill in the gap. How does something become famous? Recognition and accolades, over a period of time famous, not just in your little shoe box.

Then how about this 'Award Winning Chefs', here I just have to laugh. Maybe they do have awards, like apprentice of the year, a big well done, or a culinary award from the Brisbane food expo, or some competition for best young chef in Queensland, they are awards. Not some piece of shit plaque that you won at the fucking show or fair, or maybe a cook off in the shopping centre.

The point is, lets not get carried away with this awards hype, the proof is in the pudding as the saying goes. Not some certificate that says you have the best or highly commended what ever in the region, voted or judged by the region. What the fuck! Stop all this I'll vote for you if you vote for me bullshit. Wake up to yourselves.

I have awards, but do I publish them or use them as advertising!? My fellow chef has more awards, does he do the same? No. If you have a real award well congratulations and very well done for participating, but cut the crap.

Awards and certificates are given out too easily by organisations with little or no depth within the industry. That's OK, but lets not over inflate them. An award from the Good Food Guide Australia or something like that well that's different. It's almost like saying you worked for Gordon Ramsay, when you only lasted half a day!!

On that note, lets move on hey.........

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Communication And Commitment Or Lack There Of.

OK so it has been a long while since I was in the hospitality industry and I am told so many things have changed, with that said I am truly dumbfounded how so many things have stayed the same. Customers still to be pleased and everyone is to still keep happy, to the point where its almost impossible to find where you start and the bull-shit waiter begins. Which brings me to my point..

Was I ever as shit at my job, as the new people coming through the industry are?. I think to myself, was I ever as green as the new kid? Does everyone truly have to start from somewhere? Does being able to talk your way ‘out of’ or ‘into’ almost every situation this industry presents, come naturally to some, or is it something that has to be learnt?.

For those that do not know me I have been out of the industry for quite some time, Vowing the day I left I would never return. However opportunities to travel arose and extra cash is needed to do so (that and I do miss it from time to time). So I find myself back working nights on a regular basis at one of the best restaurants my small town has to offer. For a place that prides itself on a high quality of service, it baffles me that we allow new people that barely…”have a heartbeat” able to work within it (although I could hardly call it work at times). The unbearable truth, that is finally starting to dawn is that pickings are slim and we all have to take what we are giving (as hard as it is to swallow). Why is this so??

When I left there were a number of completely different ways of operation; most have changed for the better but one sadly has not, and has changed for the up most worse. Communication… granted I have only worked in 3 different venues, The Railway hotel, Beaches Restaurant and the Plaza hotel. After that I worked as a sales rep for a local food distributor for a long period of time, having the opportunity to witness some truly amazing kitchens, chefs and waiters all over Queensland. I know what a fully functional venue looks like and sadly ones that are not.

I hate to sound like I enjoy blowing my own trumpet like a lot of people do, but if there is a restaurant from Rockhampton to Winton… I have been in it. A claim that any “lasting” member of this particular food distributor can boast. The one constant factor that always shined through for these successful establishments was communication. Weather it be between the wait staff and the chefs or the Executive chef to his single minded apprentice. Weather it be a restaurant supervisor to his/her wait staff.

Gone are the days of everyone getting along joking, having a good time getting along and still providing great service, when all one needed was a nod or a glance and it was known exactly what was needed. Why is it everyone can not all sit down at the end of the night and have a drink and be mates? Are we really that different from each other? Do we not all try to be the best we can be (trained or untrained)? Granted there are some people suffice it to say that just generally wont get along, However I do consider myself a pretty good judge of character and find the staff and the establishment in which I work to be a great bunch of people (all of them). Lets lean from each other and make it work and I think the customer will notice it.

That is as upbeat as I can muster the strength to conger regarding communication. I can not believe the commitment that some staff put into an establishment. I feel like an outsider looking in at times because this industry in so many ways is a hobby, passion and extra pay cheque for me at the end of the week. If I didn't give a 100% at every second of my waking moment there I would bow out gracefully and retreat to another industry. Maybe its work ethic or maybe it’s the love of the industry that drives me to get in the shower after a 9 hr day and make my way to do another 4-6 hrs. I don’t know really what it is, but I do know if I am asked or required to work I am there … If I am told that is how its done…. I do it. Those that are giving it a half arsed effort move the fuck over and give someone the opportunity to experience the opportunity to become a valued member within the industry…. Major wastes of spaces could be better filled with something or someone, in this instance, of value.

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