Shout out to hospitality workers.

Iggypoppin' · 22-08-2012, 02:01 AM

Who here works in hospitality? Kitchens, bars, pokie rooms, catering companies, anything hospitality orientated.
How do you find the long hours/split 12-14 hour days? I find I thrive on it, especially when it's busy and you have to really push yourself to get food out. I just quit my job at spargos restaurant to work at hogs breath cafe at glenelg. It's not my ideal establishment but it pays well and is much better for hours than spargos, which was far too up and down (some weeks 50+ others 8-12???).
I've worked at a lot of restaurants/hotels: the Brighton metro hotel, the Avoca hotel, the duke of Brunswick, the grand junction pub, the Moana surf life saving club, spargos cafe and now hogs breath.
So, who's given up their weekends to work 12 hour shifts, who's dealt with drunk idiots behind a bar, who's had to deal with food complaints in a busy kitchen, who's had to remove patrons for rowdiness?
Come on all you hospitality workers!

AGS302 · 22-08-2012, 01:14 PM

Chef here.
Currently working the mining camps. 10hr days here 2/1 roster. Been out here 7 years and couldn't go back to a restaurant job. Having a week off every 3rd week is great.

Archilino · 22-08-2012, 05:09 PM

Used to work in a fine dining restaurant in melbourne for over a decade before leaving a few of years ago, being a newlywed back then and leaving the wife home alone for 6 nights a week took its toll in the end.

Although the hours were long and it sucked working every major event there certainly were some characters around, customers and colleagues. Never forget working at a hotel where there was a major brawl in the pub involving 20+ guys, got called in to deal with it from the cafe (simply called the cops and waited) the owner the next day asked me whilst we were looking at CCTV footage "why didn't you break it up?" to which I replied, Boss you don't pay me enough to take on 20 drunks sorry...ah the good old days.

AU Mont · 22-08-2012, 05:48 PM

my mum has worked as a cook/chef last 20 years, and currently works at Hogs Breath, and she's had enough of this job, and the food industry, heres why....

at hog's she had to bargain her wages as they thought a qualified head chef should be paid same rates as the 16year old part timer.

Split shifts are the dumbest idea ever invented....... the couple hour break in the middle doesnt count for jack, when in reality from the time youve jumped in the car to go to work to the time you can come home and put your feet up and keep them up !!! is 15 hours and your only getting paid for 8-9hrs.

Then youve got every kitchenhand/cook constantly looking for ways to make their job easier by pushing everything onto the honest hardworking head chef. On top of that, the tightasrse owner hires few amount of people as humanely possible, basically putting the weight of the world onto the head chef to single handedly save the company.

etc. etc. etc.

creative · 22-08-2012, 05:49 PM

15 years in the trade here.

Started working for my dad when i was 14 in his pub and stuck with it. Full licensee in the uk and a pub couldnt open without me being on site etc... Come over here and my qualification in it meant squat! So i sacked it off and changed career.

Do i miss it? Sometimes. The best time i had was 3 years running a cocktail bar in sheffield, uk. Sheffield has 2 uni's..... Need I say more!

Been in some serious situations where i thought i would get my head kicked in, stood upto football hooligans, turned celebs away as they do the " do you know who i am" line, met some great people and had many many laughs. It cost me my relationship on more than one occasion due to the hours i put in but i wouldnt of changed it.

Run pubs, city center bars, nightclubs, restaurants and hotels.... The only thing that was left for me to do was buy my own...

Miss_XR6 · 23-08-2012, 03:37 PM

Not me but my man is a chef works 12-14 hour days up to 6 days a week and works both sat and sun
I feel for anyone working in the industy as I have seen its not easy...

robbyj · 27-08-2012, 09:02 PM

worked in a restaurant, cafe, pub, as just a kitchen hand.

got offered an apprenticeship for a chef at the pub im currently working part time in while attending uni.

My response was, No thanks!

while many chefs i have known are great people and i do enjoy cooking.

The hours and $$ is not a lifestyle i want to live.

AGS302 · 28-08-2012, 01:08 AM

It not all bad money and hours, I do 14 ten hour shift then have 7 days off. I get $80k/year. I also get meals and accommodation provided whilst on shift. All I gotta do is be away from home for 2 weeks at a time. I'm single so this is no worries. There's good jobs out there, you just gotta find em.

Iggypoppin' · 28-08-2012, 01:52 AM

Just did shift 3 on the new job. So far it's easy as, mainly working a deep frier and plating up small side meals. The Hogs Breath steak is another thing altogether and something I'll learn later. Seems easy enough. I long for the double shifts though! Something about me loves long hours over and over, I can't seem to function without a good 12 hour straight working day. The beer I drink afterwards feels more deserved after a long shift like that

Iggypoppin' · 28-08-2012, 01:53 AM

Where do you work ags302? Mines?

TheSneakiness · 28-08-2012, 08:56 AM

My mum is a qualified chef of roughly 30 years.

I used to work in her restaurant when I was a teenager as a dishpig.

Would I want a career in hospitality. Eff no. I vowed after I left McDonalds after a year of unhappy work there that I would never, EVER work in that industry again.

**ebxr8240** · 28-08-2012, 05:03 PM

The rest of my family is.. When I have weekends off..
They are at work,,, When I get home the Mrs is leaving for work !!!

XR6Runner · 28-08-2012, 05:14 PM

Doorman at an irish pub here. Love the job, wouldn't trade it for anything!

MWTB · 28-08-2012, 05:42 PM

You should definitely leak me the secret of the hogs breath steak once you learn it!

I've got mates in hospitality, and as much as I love and am (in my, and my friends opinions) an above average cook (especially as a 21 year old bloke) I could never do it as a job. Give me 12 hours hard labour, but I couldn't do 12 hours of cooking and having some ***** send his steak back because it wasn't rare enough.

Iggypoppin' · 28-08-2012, 09:15 PM

We actually had a big laugh tonight about the secret steak preparation; there's not much to it and honestly it could nearly be replicated at home but I doubt anyone has the particular oven needed to slow cook the steak for 18 hours. Just pay for it haha

I can't wait for summer time, I work in the Adelaide hot spot Glenelg(jetty road) and it will be great to finish work and be in the atmosphere of it all.

MWTB · 28-08-2012, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iggypoppin'

We actually had a big laugh tonight about the secret steak preparation; there's not much to it and honestly it could nearly be replicated at home but I doubt anyone has the particular oven needed to slow cook the steak for 18 hours. Just pay for it haha

I can't wait for summer time, I work in the Adelaide hot spot Glenelg(jetty road) and it will be great to finish work and be in the atmosphere of it all.

Damn. I love hogs breath steak so much :(