By Johanna Watson
Alan Baird who we recently met here at our office in Moffat. he first went out last year to The Queens Hotel, Burts Hotel in Melrose, Falls of Feugh and The Western Isles Hotel where he stayed for a few months. He has now come back to us and is working down in Silloth at the Golf Hotel where he is getting on very well.
Another chef who we met this week Paul Hackland he is working down at The Dryfesdale Hotel in Lockerbie for 4 weeks where Lillian Clarkson is starting for 7 days stint tomorrow.
Craig McEnhill has been out to The Tongue Hotel, Falls of Dochart Hotel, Kintail Lodge, Ardvasar Hotel, Saplinbrae Hotel and has just finished a short stint at The Moorings Hotel in Fort William he has already be assigned his next job up in Montrose at The Park Hotel.
Tim Morris was working up at The Tongue Hotel as head chef and is now over in the Borders at the Wheatsheaf as sous chef and has been asked to stay for another few weeks.
New guy Russell Munro is out working at the Victoria Hotel on Bute where William Sillars will be joining him tomorrow for 4 weeks.
Maria Sullivan who has done a lot of relief work over the past few years is loving her stint at the Kenmore hotel.
Nick Nozeman is out at Loch Fyne Oyster over in Cairndow for 1 week and getting on well.
Douglas “denzil” Gillies is back working at The Onich Hotel with Dieter Hoffmann.
Thanks again guys and gals for your continued support
By Johanna Watson
Patrick O’Donnell after staying on an extra few weeks at the newly opened Skippers Bar & Bistro in Inverary he is now off to Ben Nevis Hotel in Fort William.
Kai Stutzkeitz is back up in Stornoway at The Cabarfeidh Hotel as Sous Chef.
Will Furlong and Davy Brown both working a 4 week stint up at The Albert Hotel in Kirkwall, Orkney.
John Ferguson and Mark Bellingham getting on well up on Shetland at The Lerwick Hotel and The Shetland Hotel with another couple of months left.
Sean Angus at Forss House as Sous Chef getting on well and staying longer.
Max Hogg doing well at Darroch Learg Hotel and giving good support to head chef John.
Eric Day after finishing at Poppies Hotel in Stirling he is now Head Chef at Park Hotel in Montrose working with Tony Carroll.
Martain Irvine is now off to The Falls of Lora after a wee stint with Graeme Kennedy and Philippe Alamichel at The Green Hotel in Kinross.
Phillip Blackburn is working locally at The Townhouse Melrose as Sous chef.
Steven Chandler getting on very well at Loch Melfort Hotel.
Alan Kaye is staying put at The Boat Inn at Aboyne where owner Eileen Hayward is singing his praises.
Steve Moffat has been at MacDonald Loch Rannoch Hotel, Park Hotel in Montrose and is now over at Loch Lomond at The Rowardennan Hotel.
Well done again guys and thanks for your continued support.
If you do not like the relief job you are in please do not criticise the establishment on Facebook. Please just get your head down complete your booking, thank the establishment and move on.
We get work in through a good reputation which we then give to you who do the good work.
Availability of chefs
Relief is very tight and changes by the day. Generally more chefs than jobs and expect this to remain so for next two to three months.
Perm head chef jobs.
For decent head chef jobs paying about £28,000 to £30,000 per year and particularly in central areas, there are quite a few decent, good head chefs about looking for positions, up to 2AA Rosette.
In more rural areas, you will have to provide accommodation, would suggest at no charge for the chef.
Perm Sous Chef
There are some chefs coming through, albeit the quality is a bit mixed. Would suggest paying £22,000 upwards will get some candidates. Would advise offering live in with overtime payable above 48 hours per week. Easier to get candidates in central areas. Particularly tight in Aberdeen, Shetland, and the Western Isles and the highlands.
Chef de parties
Good chef de parties are scarce. Suggest being innovative in your recruitment, ie pay by the hour, offer regular week-ends off. IE one in three. Suggest £7.50 to £10 per hour will get applicants, live-in.
Commis chefs
There are a few bodies about keen to come into the industry. Suggest paying minimum wage and giving a structured training programme.
Out and About 19th June 2014
The big out and about news this week is that Johanna is out and about in Cyprus missing the best weather we’ve had here this year which leaves yours truly having a full time shot at relief for the first time.
Successful stint at the Golf Hotel by new boy Davy Brown who is now on his way up to Orkney as is Will Furlong.
Fellow new boy Phil Blackburn has found his feet nicely, stints at the Auchrannie and Crianlarich Hotel completed.
Excellent reference just back from the Tongue Hotel for Shaun Lee who is now off to pastures new. CIS stalwart Tim Morris is up there to take over.
Phil Smith still doing well at Onich after a successful stint at Craigellachie.
Andy Mill professional as ever still in situ at Dowans, Jonny Lewis asked to stay on at Oban Caledonian.
Phillipe ALamichel went in as Chef D but is now leading a team mainly made up of Chefs In Scotland relief guys as the Green Hotel continue recruiting a new permanent team.
So, around 60 out at the moment and a fantastic effort by everybody. What fall downs we do have are generaly from new guys who haven’t quite grasped what being away from home living in not always the best accommodation and working in unfamiliar kitchens will actually feel like.
To the battle hardened CIS relief team..we salute you!
Working on an Island
From Bute to Shetland, Arran to Orkney there are always a good few island jobs at all levels knocking around.. and that’s me only mentioning some of the ones I’ve worked on. What’s clear is that while some chefs love the island life others feel a bit trapped, it can certainly make things difficult if you’ve a family crisis or similar to deal with.
I’ve found my island placements amongst the most welcoming that I’ve done, great craic with the locals in the bar and often a good tune, especially on Skye and Orkney. A fairly high alcohol tolerance level can also help it has to be said.
The first relief job I ever did in Scotland was on Arran, a month as head chef in Lamlash, hadn’t seen too much of Scotland until then, and there it was laid out in miniature in the Firth of Clyde. Early start but a nice 5 hour split gave me plenty of time to explore and it whetted my appetite for more.
Now I take a daily virtual tour from my desk here at CIS and it’s nice to be able to conjure up a picture of the places I’ve been.
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