Friday 25th of October
Two months shy of Christmas the demand for good chefs remains constant. We are enjoying our busiest year since 2008, our last full year on Skye, just before our move to Moffat.
I am concerned that the demand for chefs, particularly on relief and for head and sous chefs for rural parts of Scotland, in 2014 will exceed the supply.
Tourism in Scotland is enjoying resurgence, most hoteliers that I speak too are saying how the season is going on longer and numbers are remaining high. With the Commonwealth Games hitting Glasgow followed by The Ryder Cup at Gleneagles in September, It looks increasingly likely that the shortage of chefs will be pronounced from May 2014 through to November 2014.
I am off to the south of Spain in late November for a few days and perhaps I should think about placing some adverts and interviewing and recruiting for chefs to come and work in Scotland. Perhaps, I can find an agency to deal with already in Spain.
For relief chefs in 2014, I expect the rates to rise.
Longer Term
We are still seeing requests from established companies, many of them large concerns with shareholders and available to buy on Uk stock exchanges, for junior chefs who are expected to work up to 60 hours per week for a wage of £16,000 or so.
Group financial controllers will see the wages ratios on their analysis and be pleased.
Does this make the industry a long term attractive career? Working off-shore, as many good Scottish based chefs have chosen to, provides a good wage and a three week on, three week off system. Can Scottish Hospitality learn anything from this system? Can it afford to? Can it afford not to? What are Scottish Tourism leaders and politicians doing about these challenges facing our industry?
Out and About
I am writing this on my rota day off from over in the Stewartry in Dumfries-shire, in between defrosting a fridge and listening to Radio 2 with a cup of tea.
Number 1, Paul Waters, was in past for a brief visit on Wednesday afternoon before starting at Auchencastle for a stint. We chatted and stuck coloured pins up on the map of Scotland to indicate where we have relief placements that we are still charging for (up to 8 weeks within a nine month period of day one of employment)
Some four or so up on Shetland where Michael Njoroge and Roger Brown are now at The Queens in Lerwick. Roger, himself, popped in on his way up on Wednesday for a catch up. Roger has a couple of lovely children and is working away, two months on Shetland. Michael Njoroge (the N is silent) himself a very staunch family man, is likewise up for a two month stint on Shetland.
Denzil Gillies is into his fifth week at The Shetland Hotel. The Care homes in Lanarkshire not having materialised just yet.
Who else on Shetland? Billy Steel, Billy Gibson and I am sure a few more.
Perhaps 20 or so in Aberdeenshire. Frank McDonald, John Graham and a couple of others working at Palm Court with Sebastian Schoeder (spelling and not at my computer)
We joke often about www.chefsinbanchory.co.uk and yes plenty of chefs working away, Steve Cameron, Michael Hobbins, Paddy Farren, some more also. I pushed on a bit with head chef recruitment and will hopefully make some progress in the coming week.
Again, four or so in Dumfriesshire. One at Springkell, one at Auchencastle.
Not so many chefs working on the West coast, a few up in Torridon and a couple over on Mull.
Plenty of permanent positions which we are trying to recruit for and a huge amount of adverts going on the new website which is going well.
OK, back to get the fridge cleaned and the floor mopped, then maybe off to the gym in Castle Douglas.
Many thanks for your continued support and patience
Michael, somewhere in Dumfriesshire.
Tuesday 16th October 2013
Times passes.
We held the tenth annual golf competition on Saturday past, sponsored by Chefs In Scotland. The weather stayed dry for perhaps the 4th year on the trot and I think that a good day was had by all the sixteen participants. A mixture of chefs, members at The Moffat Golf Club and assorted friends.
Winners were as last year, Ian Paul and Stuart Yeamans. The local Limetree restaurant owner, Rob Ash, was good enough to supply some nice wine for winners of the longest drive (Colin Fraser again) and Stuart Yeamans, who playing off 20, had a great day out.
We supped some beer and played some pool but no fights broke out this year and no cups were reported missing.
OK
We are a chef recruitment company and not a forum for my stories about my middle aged golfing prowess or lack of.
Out and About
Hot on the tails of all the minions of cyber recruiters who now exist on facebook, we have put up a Chefs In Scotland group which is so new (yesterday) that it doesn’t have a logo up yet, (job for the graduate) https://www.facebook.com/groups/350208565115100/
We will be delighted to take on new members and to see familiar faces.
Right, to the point:
Relief work has eased off a little this week as would be expected as the autumn leaves turn brown.
We can still take on new people for relief, perhaps those who have finished up a seasonal job at a west coast golf club or the like. We will be offering work to those ladies and men who have been on our books the longest though.
Kevin Eassingwood got on well at the Classroom in Nairn as did Mark Murray who has taken a job on trial. Feedback was excellent.
Jason Keenan from Kirkcudbright, is a new name and his first outing via us is up in Montrose at the Links hotel with the super duper kitchen range, working alongside Lillian Clarkson who will be passing on the stories of life on the circuit. Many thanks Jason and hopefully, we can get you a few new jobs.
It has been brought to my attention that sometimes, it says “paid weekly” on a relief confirmation and it turns out that payment is weekly in arrears. We are looking into ways of avoiding this as the chef should be paid for work done promptly.
Kenneth Black received an all excellent reference from Inverurie up in Aberdeenshire and we wish Kenneth the very best for his trial for a permanent job this week and would like to thank you for your relief work over the last couple of months, leaving with grade enhanced.
Michael Hobbins, who we have dealt with many times over the years is on his first or perhaps second job via us on relief, this one is up in Banchory at Tor Na Coille and feedback is excellent from Phillip, the General Manager, as I would expect, many thanks Michael.
Up in Shetland
Well up in Shetland Denzil Gillies is still working away at the Shetland hotel (C IS carehomes has yet to make a strong breakthrough in the central belt) Many thanks Denzil.
I await the invite to the wedding from Billy Gibson who is back at Saxa Vord and engaged into the bargain. I did have a wee dram with your sparring partner Bruce Robertson at Sligachan a week past Saturday when up for the 100th anniversary of the hotel being owned by the Campbell family, an excellent buffet as well.
Ian McGhie has taken a full time position at The Classroom after being up there on relief, a good placement having got Ian back via word of mouth.
Peter Snelgar took on 3 relief jobs via us this summer, at Burts Hotel in Melrose, at Habitat Café in Aberfeldy and then a month at Darroch Learg in Ballater. After a six year placement for permanent position at Dryburgh Abbey, he is now a successful relief chef to go with his excellent permanent pedigree. All the best with the new job Peter and thanks again.
We are only as good as the chefs that we place and trial and error over the last fifteen years has enabled us to make many good placements throughout Scotland.
OK, on that cheerful note, I am going to post this up and move on.
A few interviews to be arranged and still some work to be done, as ever.
Many thanks for your continued support and patience
Michael
Monday 30th September
The month draws to a close and we remain fairly busy, 41 relief chefs out working as of Saturday for whom we are still charging for, many more that we have stopped after the allotted 8 weeks.
It is good to see more competition in the world of Scottish chef recruitment, hopefully there will still be a few guys on the tools out there now that we are all mostly internet savvy and big brother is watching us all as we watch out in return.
October
I expect relief work to remain quite steady for the next four weeks, judging against previous years and good chefs well known to us can expect to be kept busy.
We still have a good amount of permanent positions for head, sous and junior chefs. Scott Hilton is looking after the junior positions, a good name for a chef recruiter, although is background was studying at Perth, music production.
Johanna is on holiday for a couple of weeks, so Scott and myself are manning the office.
We will be recruiting over the winter for a number 2, Operations Manager. The Special projects Director is working on job specifications with me this week and we will be advertising soon. The job will be based at our offices here in Moffat and may allow me more time to interview in the major Scottish cities. Hopefully, there will be sufficient work for us to become four in the office.
Out and About
Number 1, Paul Waters, himself has finished up at the Burnett Arms over in Banchory and has had an excellent summer, as usual, many thanks Paul. 13 and a half years is a long time.
Everyone was glad to know that Billy Gibson is alive and well on Shetland after giving us all a few moments of concern.
There are a few new names on our books.
Neil Hawthorne up working at The Torridon and an excellent reference came back from a large hotel in Ayrshire which I will not name (company policy) but thanks for the Executive Chef for taking the time, much appreciated.
Mark Murray has completed a few jobs via us now, some ten years after we used to organise Ping and others to head down or up to Ballachulish. Currently up at the Classroom with Chefs In Scotland stalwart Will Furlong; wouldn’t it be nice if he became Sir William Furlong, a knighthood for a career spent working hard in Scottish kitchens whilst bringing up a family cannot have been easy. Many thanks Will.
Rosie Robertson continues to do occasional week-ends at the Waterside in Peterhead, our resident Superstar, will have to give her a call for a blether.
Please excuse that there have been no writings since returning from holiday in Spain.
Unfortunately, my beloved Berry, the six year old Jack Russell and my best friend, was killed by a car or possibly a lorry late on Thursday the 19th of September. It knocked the stuffing out of me and I have been fortunate to have the work here to keep busy with. She was a great wee dog and is missed.
OK, many thanks for your continued support and patience.
Michael
Monday evening the the week's holiday in the soufh of Spain in Nerja is going quickly, too quickly. Mid October to mid December might be a good time to spend out here, working. Clouds is the computer stuff we need to get databases onto the internet and spreadsheets and four hours a day from 10am to 2pm and half an hour before seven, before hitting the town for a small glass of wine and some Tapas.
"Dos Vinos blancos grande per favor" My spanish is coming along nicely and an ability to drink cheap wine for 2 Euros a glass or so has been there for some time.
Angela has a pretty pink dress on to match her brown tan and painted finger nails, so i put on my white jacket and blue shirt and sit the 3 euro sun glasses at a jaunty angle on my fore head. We walk out in the town; perhaps not a bad looking couple?
Photos, not quite got that done yet.
11pm and we find ourselves at Los Buccaneros, a heavy metal run tapas bar just across from our appartment in Edificio Corona, 5 minutes back from the beach.
Two wines and the long haired Spanish speaking patron, brings us four slices of bread with tomato paste and a nice carved ham. Good. Will we be charged? I don know and don't overly care. We settle down against the night, content after a simple day spent walking, a little shopping and some swimming in the beautiful blue Mediterranean sea. Had thought to take a trip to Gibraltar today, but out of season. Manana or maybe next time.
Two more wines and two skewers with pork are brought. "You like Tapas" says our bearded smiling friend while Lynyrd Skynyrd play Sweet Home Alamaba and a young couple sit with their two dogs and enjoy the evening.
The piece de resistance is the smoking pigs, two small chorizo sausages which I turn in between taking sips of vinos blancos.
"Quanto Costa per favor?" Fifteen euros for six glasses of large wine and Tapas is free, a little nibble to go with the drink at no charge, the Spanish way. I understand now, some 17 or 18 years after Catriona Coghill at Sligachan tried to introduce us to Tapas to sell in Seamus bar.
My friend Iain Campbell of Sligachan who i travelled with much would have approved.
Maybe one more for the road.
Gracias Amigo.
This is the 3rd September that Angela and myself have visited Nerja in the South of Spain in September.
We find ourselves quite comfortable here. Sunday is a late, lazy day, surfacing at almost ten am and drinking a cup of tea and looking out into the quite Sunday streets from Edificio Corona, a large quite ugly building custom built for the tourist industry from which this town makes much of its income. There is a smattering of life, some middle aged couples with dogs out for a stroll and young ladies with prams.
Corona is four minutes walk from Torrecila beach, a beach with which we are familiar and walking down with a couple of deck chairs and a bag with sun glasses, towels and bottled water. I have my book by Gerald Brenan, an English author who spend much of his life in Spain travelling and writing, before and after the 2nd World War and during much of the reign of Franco.
On the beach, we sit close to the stone wall, a hundred metres back from the Mediterranean sea. The sun is hot, perhaps twenty six degrees celsius, perhaps more. I am first in to the sea, walking past the Germans and French, past the Spaniards and the English, down over small stones and feeling the cool water on my legs before ducking down and striking out, a few poor strokes attempted at crawl, maybe ten before touching my feet on the soft sand and feeling alive. Forty eight, middle aged with thus far good health and in Nerja in September. Angela tops up her sun tan and smokes the 2 euro pack of cigarettes which looks like a cigar and I tease her.
Gerald Brenan writes of great and extreme poverty in the time on 1950 as he travels from Malaga and into the Andulusian hill towns, such as Arcos de la Frontera named when the Spanish Christains were trying for centuries to regain their land from the Moors.
He writes of ladies aged thirty with threadbare worn out shirts and of no income or work, of working men earning twelve pasetas per day, enough for a large loaf of bread and the landowners keeping work to a minimum.
In today's Spain, there is a large recession and as many as twenty per cent of the Spanish work force is unemployed. We, in Britain, escaped lightly, so far.
We eat lunch at one of the many friendly and cheap restaurants, Two beers, dos cerveza per favor. Mixta salada de casa, a large plate of leaves, tomatoes, peppers, onions, tuna, olives, cucumber, sweetcorn and grated carrot. It sounds and is simple and none the worse for that.
Ten minutes past four and I will buy a hat to look after my hat, practise from Spanish and purchase Angela a packet of cigarettes they debate my choices. Back to the beach for a swim or back to the appartment for a siesta.
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