
Andrew Heffernan
Private Chef
“You can learn the theory, but you have to be able to put it into practice.”
“You can learn the theory, but you have to be able to put it into practice.”
Private Chef
As a private chef, I handle all things that deal with food for a particular client.
The days vary. Most days you’ll hit the shop in the morning to get your fresh ingredients and then get to cooking for your employer. You clean the kitchen, you set the table, you wait on the guests dining. It could be in the middle of the day and you could be told, “We’re having eight people over for dinner and want three or four courses.” As a private chef, you may be consecutively working for three weeks straight. It all depends on the client.
Here's the first step for everyone
If you’re going to get into the chef trade, you need to be a sponge. You’re starting from scratch. The kitchen is a practical place. It’s hands-on. It’s different from the real world. You’re not a student, you’re a chef. Be open minded and willing to take constructive criticism. And be willing to work, work, work. You get what you give. And it happens fast.
"You’re awful, you’re useless, you’re not good at your job, you shouldn’t be here, you have no right to be here."