Every Kitchen Is The Same: A Safe Space For Lost Souls
Presented by Chef Life Radio
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By Erin Shepherd
Different paths lead one to work in a kitchen, from a kid’s first job to a person recently released from prison. Some of us, myself included, returned to kitchens no matter what path we chose. Always back on the line. Always grinding.
Many times over the last two decades the kitchen was the only constant I had. The chaos of the busy restaurant, the almost perfectly choreographed dance in the back of the house. No matter what life dealt, highs and lows, challenges and victories, I always had the kitchen.
We surround ourselves with those who understand, live, breath, and bleed the industry. Though our families, friends, or spouses often don’t understand ‘why we do it.’ I’ve asked myself this over the years. It certainly wasn’t for the money.
The restaurant scene is brutal. It gives little to no recognition or reward. Aside from friendships you forge and skills you gain, it’s a delicate balance of finding a place that challenges you, and a team that you can grow with.
Having a team that leans on each other when the world beyond is such a nightmare, can be the only reason you even get out of bed is because the crew needs you. With three turns of dinner service, you are a piece of the machine.
In the wake of the pandemic, there have been some great changes in workplace culture. But we’re coming out of a time when HR has not been as involved, when you could have plates thrown at your head for the smallest mistake, where industry workers are not seen as humans. Still, we live to cook and serve. We do this not because we have to, but because we want to. It is how we are wired.
When the world went upside down, all anyone wanted was a piece of normalcy. Even just a familiar crumb would suffice. Comfort comes in many forms, with food being one of them. We still ordered in, had zoom dinners with those we missed. This was a scary and weird time for those of us who lost jobs, closed our restaurant doors, or lost everything.
I had just opened a restaurant as Chef de Cuisine, and was to transition to chef-owner by the end of year. Having to pull the crew together and tell them we were out of a job after being open for just a month was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever been forced to do.
Not knowing what was going to happen, some of us volunteered and fed communities, some started their own business, and some have yet to return to the industry. Almost two years later, we are yet to have another wave of the virus and shutdowns.
The pandemic led me from Denver to Vail to Aspen. Now, I have left the restaurant scene and have been enjoying this thing called work-life balance.
The way people view industry workers is shifting. There is positive change happening in terms of wages, the culture, and the overall mental health of employees. We have a new chance.
I’m hopeful that we all can find the places we need to feel safe. We have to create the places. Better places than we had before. Let’s live outside the kitchen, and create inside the kitchen.
Chef Life Radio - the podcast assisting culinary professionals to become their best selves, personally and professionally
Erin Shepherd is a Private Chef in Aspen, Colorado, from San Jose, California.
Find more of Erin’s work on @erinshepherd719 on Instagram.
Opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Best Served. To achieve our mission of bringing more voices to the table, we are committed to sharing a variety of viewpoints across the industry.
