WORK IT LIKE A EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS

Turning Up The Heat In The Kitchen

I had never been in a professional kitchen before and it was interesting to learn the difference between the facilities we have here at school and a commercial kitchen We follow the same food hygiene and safety regulations which was good to see in action when catering for real customers. We were able to see how their organisation worked in terms of schedule and maintaining a safe working environment in the kitchen throughout service

On arrival we had a tour of the restaurant, kitchens and a safety briefing Then, we got changed into our chef whites and aprons and were paired with a professional chef We helped with the preparation process of the food before service, for example cutting vegetables, weighing out ingredients and preparing cupcakes for the birthday occasion of one of the guests After this, we were able to listen in to the waiters' briefing 10 minutes before service, where the owner, Dan, talked through the day's menu and information about the guests coming for lunch

All members of staff kept very calm in the morning during preparation as they all knew the jobs that needed to be done When lunch service started, the stress levels did increase from everyone, however the head chef was good at keeping everyone on track and ordering the other chefs to carry out certain tasks We all kept on schedule and were able to serve every customer on time to a high standard When someone had to follow orders from the head chef they would shout ‘Yes Chef!’ and they would get the job done immediately

We were able to build on our existing skills, working swiftly and efficiently making sure we were following all health and safety regulations, plating food with guidance to ensure it was presented professionally We can now take this knowledge back into our practical exam and make sure the food looks appealing The restaurant has lots of complex equipment helping them to produce the best quality food possible and we learnt how these worked

I really enjoyed being able to work collaboratively with an experienced chef and find out what it was like to work under pressure I also enjoyed plating all the food and seeing the elements we had prepared a few hours before turn into delicious meals that were served to the guests I would consider a future career in professional high end hospitality because I feel it is quite a rewarding job to offer such good service to the public The atmosphere of the restaurant was exceptional and all the staff seemed so kind Although the chefs were under pressure they still were able to create excellent dishes and it gave me lots to think about for my career planning

HUGE THANKS TO THE GREYHOUND FOR GIVING OUR STUDENTS SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE!

TIMEMANAGEMENTistheprocess oforganisingandplanninghowto divideyourtimebetweendifferent activitiesGetitright,andyou'llend upworkingsmarter,notharder,to getmoredoneinlesstime–even whentimeistightandpressuresare high.Thehighestachieversmanage theirtimeexceptionallywell.

Youallalreadyusetimemanagement togettasksdonelikejuggling homeworkandextra-curricularclubs andactivities,sokeepworkingon thisskillatschoolandwhenyouget touniversityandintotheworkplace youwillbeajeditimemaster!

5Tipstoimproveyourtime management:

Prioritisewhatneedstobedone

Giveeachtaskatimelimit

Createadailyplanner-andstick toit!

Blockoutdistractions

Establishroutine