The Ice-rink, where I played Space Invaders in 1980, where I went round the clock at Space Invaders in 1980, whilst others Curled or skated. The Ice-rink, where I stole a box of cheese and onion crisps. I drive past it now, not quite seeking redemption, but with no feeling of pride. The Squash Courts will never offer redemption.
Down into the town, where for so much of the last quarter of a century there has been guilt and anger for many, much more so than for me. Those who have faced death, those from around the world and in Lockerbie. The town has been painted black by the death from Pan Am flight 103 on that December day in 1988. I can write as I was there.
Down into the town, where there are now seven sheep. The “Seven Sheep of Lockerbie” to symbolise what was once a thriving market town. One of the busiest in Scotland. Perhaps, The “Seven sheep of Lockerbie” can stand for hope.
I was down in Lockerbie today at the Opticians. I then drove down to my parents’ house and sat with my father, the man beside whom I stood on the River Annan late at night as he fished for trout and salmon, although never as successfully as we had fished on the River Deveron in October 1974 when he caught five salmon one day, including two bonny five pound grilse with consecutive casts. I sat with my dad, the man who I played golf with on Lamb’s Hill at Lockerbie and the other teachers watched as I almost drove to the top of the first.
I don’t think that I have ever felt more proud to be associated with Lockerbie than today.
Yesterday, David Murdoch, a man, aged 35, from farming stock, took his moment, after previous trials and tribulations and played his shot at the Winter Olympics, played another shot with no scope for error. A Man with other young Men. He is now in the Olympic finals playing for a Gold Medal. You can do it David Murdoch. A Lockerbie Man.
Today, it was the ladies who played out for a bronze, two young ladies from Lockerbie. Anna Sloan and Claire Hamilton. The skip Eve Muirhead, out of Pitlochry, born on the 22nd of April 1990, my father’s 50th birthday.
Three Olympic Medalists from Lockerbie….guaranteed .
What colour? Gold please David. You can do it.
out and about
Six weeks off the stove, six weeks in the office.
I'm Mark the new ops manager here at Chefs In Scotland, enjoying getting stuck into a new side of the business. I have very much enjoyed speaking to many of the chefs and hoteliers that I have worked with or for in 4 years out on the circuit as a relief chef or as a seasonal head chef.
Relief is picking up pace slowly, amongst folks I know from round the way there's Sharon Shearer just back fro a successful few weeks at Scalloway in Shetland, Phil Smith a week into his stint at the Auchrannie on Arran. Sean Angus is away to Knockomie and Mark Bellingham is close to home at the Cairndale in Dumfries.
It has also been great to meet or speak to a couple of Chefs In Scotland stalwarts also out and about just now, Paul Waters at Dryfesdale and Gordon Smillie on his way down to Balcary Bay after a couple of days at Knockendarroch.
We're regularly meeting chefs in the offices here in Moffat many of whom are or we hope soon will be out on the relief circuit.
Michael is placing permanent chefs regularly, and I'm learning the art of into sous and chef de partie recruitment.
The nights are drawing out and spring will soon be coming. Looking forward to a busy season
14th February
They seek him there, they seek him here.
A good, solid, hard working, reliable head chef with a flair for cooking.
What comes first?
Without a couple of attributes, the head chef is nothing.
An ability to cook, this can be learned, although I do feel that some have a more natural flair and take on cooking than others. For seasoning, for the use of herbs and spices. When to put in and when to leave out.
Reliability. Again, without this the head chef is nothing. An ability to pitch up week in week out, work away and get the food out. Coping when others fall by the way, when you are a body down in the kitchen.
Numbers. We see them on the TV cooking for three or four and it is in contrast to the life of your jobbing head chef in a busy hotel or restaurant. Ten checks on, five checks on, or one check on. An ability to organise and deal with numbers. To get the food out within a decent amount of time. To move through and take more customers. To make the business money.
Leadership. A tough one this, working in a busy kitchen and leading, directing the other chefs, the junior chefs, the kitchen porter. Liaising with front of house staff. Directing front of house staff if need be. Working closely with a good front of house person can be such a boon.
Mathematical skills. Ordering, gauging how busy the hotel or restaurant will be. Costing, how much to sell a dish for to get the margins but will it still sell. Don’t want any wastage or to run out of veg on a busy Saturday night or worse, Sunday evening.
Kitchen cleanliness. This seems to get harder from what I gather, temperature charts, paperwork, different colour boards.
Keeping up with cooking trends, trying to have a life, a family.
An easy job.
Maybe. Maybe a vocation…for some.
Should have been a plumber Will.
Wednesday 5th February 2014
Business is brisk.
We had our first ever board meeting last Thursday and covered what needed to be covered in one hour.
Colin Fraser chairs the meetings and Mark Wildman, Operations Manager and myself attend.
The next board meeting is on Thursday 27th of February at 6.30pm. Thereafter, we will hold the meetings on the last Thursday of each month. If anyone wants to have a question or topic that pertains to our business brought up please email over to:
Well into double figures for adverts for the week and we have several substantial head chef positions on our books which we are recruiting for also.
We are still struggling to get enough sous and CDP candidates for rural rosette establishments. For non-rosette establishments there are some decent candidates coming through.
Mark is dealing with chef de partie and sous chef recruitment, working with myself
Johanna who has now been working here in the Moffat offices for almost four years continues as relief chef manageress working with Mark and myself.
Mark has worked at mainly hotels in rural Scotland over the last three years and has been a chef for over twenty years after his studies in Lancaster.
For commis chef positions, we will encourage adverts applying directly but should be able, between the three of us, to do some permanent recruitment also.
Out and About
I have a rare venture out of Dumfriesshire at the week-end for Paul Burnside’s surprise 50th birthday party at The Classroom in Nairn, which was very busy with the hands on owner Willie Lean keeping himself very busy working hard and keeping the show on the road. Paul himself, was looking well for his half century and was surrounded by his two young children, and Jordan who is in his thirties, wife Agnieska and many family and friends including his brother Mark who organised the whole event. I left about half ten keen to get a good sleep back in Inverness before getting the train back down in time for some office time on Sunday to catch up. Inverness was looking well and I hope to get back up soon and perhaps have some more time there to meet up with old friends.
Number 1 himself, Paul Waters, was in past for a visit yesterday checking to see how we were getting on. Paul seems to be fairly ageless and has been a constant in this business going back fifteen years, keeping us straight, asking questions and going about his work in a solid, professional manner and bringing nothing but credit to us and to himself. It is appropriate that Paul has got in the first question to be raised at the next committee meeting.
Steven Cameron is back at Castle Hotel Huntly on relief, Mark Wildman’s first ever relief placement last week and one which the owners were more than happy with having had Steve work there for more than five years after one relief job placement.
Sara-Jayne Moffat is a young lady who we have not met, but who has been excellent on the couple of short term jobs that she has done. Sarah-Jayne has taken a month’s work at Ingram Wynd in Glasgow and the feedback is very very hard working chef. Many thanks and all the best at your seasonal job on the Royal Scotsman Train.
Douglas “Denzil” Gillies is back up for a stint on Shetland along with other notables including Roger Brown, Michael Njoroge and Vytis Baltrunas spent a good couple of weeks at Brae Hotel whilst we recruited a new head and sous chef.
OK, that will do for this week; I will get this up on our website and Facebook along with all the other recruiters. I hope there will still be a couple of chefs on the tools for what is shaping up to be our busiest ever year.
Many thanks for your continued support and patience
Michael in Moffat
Friday 24th January
January is a five week month on our system. Five Fridays to work, this is the fourth one and one more to do.
Work has been sticky, a bit like treacle this week, making a few pushes forward then a couple back and ever increasing competition.
We have set our stall out for an increase in turnover of 20% this year.
How are we going to achieve that?
By turning up and working away. By taking on a new Operations Manager Mark Wildman who is working away well, 2pm and back onto “Arranging Interviews” then hopefully get some more relevant applicants out along with some phone calls and new adverts this afternoon. Mark is settling in well and enjoying himself I think and touching base with those that he has worked with in his few years working the circuit in Scotland.
Phil Smith who has been over on relief at the Oban Caledonian for about eight months now, finishing up shortly and heading off for some sunshine in Abu Dhabi and then hopefully another good season of work.
Sean Angus who worked up in Tongue for a month last year on relief before spending a good amount of time in Oban as well at The Queens Hotel. The Queens have had one of Scotland’s best known chefs in there for a few months and hopefully will have his name up in lights soon.
Andy Mill who is over on Mull and still working away there.
The phone call came in from The Three AA Rosette Michelin Star chef Marcello Tully this morning regarding a chef who Mark had put over and Mark instantly knew what it was all about. Mark worked at eilean iarmain over on Skye next to Kinloch Lodge where Marcello is the chef director. Hopefully a placement may be made.
Out and About
Whilst we are kept more than busy with permanent recruitment, it is currently quiet on relief as is to be expected for January, although I do expect it to pick up next week as there is an ever growing list of sous chef jobs which are not being filled instantly.
Down in Lockerbie Frank McDonald is working at The Dryfedale since last week before being joined next week by Number 1 himself Paul Waters who has completed a good stint in the Scottish Borders at Collingwood.
David Ironside “Boss” as his mate Darren Spence likes to call him is working just over the Border in Carlisle. I hope that 2014 is a great year for you David and all the best. Darren and David were up in Glasgow before New Year at The Status Quo concert head banging away. Hopefully no permanent damage was done and I am still due David and Jason Keenan a pint in Kirkcudbright if I can make it over that far and they are both at home.
Jason is on his second stint with us at Auchrannie on Arran and is having his job extended, like he did in the first job. Cheers Jason.
Up on Shetland Sharon Shearer is working away at Scalloway Hotel. Sharon was down at Oban before and over New Year and has an excellent record on both relief and permanent.
Kevin Eassingwood has completed his week at Glensander Quarry by Oban and is now back to his full-time job at Fortingall Hotel in Perthshire. (CIS placement of course)
Kenny Black is working away in Montrose at the Links Hotel whilst they undertake permanent recruitment. Alongside Glenn Richards home from the North Sea for a few weeks and Peter Firth, down from Skye.
OK half past two, time to get this up and get back to hunting through the databases and try to get a couple of chefs placed.
Many thanks for your continued support and patience
Michael
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