It was probably the call into the office for a telling off that confirmed it for me.
35 years old, 17 years since I entered the restaurant world as a Potwash, five years into a sous chef job for a wedding venue that had been a major part of my chef career. Five years of ball busting work transforming the food, from brought in cheesecake with a zig zag of coulis to food people held parallels of rosette quality.
Now Im standing there with the nostalgic feeling of being called into the headteachers office for disrupting the class.
During service I had apparently given the venue manager “a look”. I was told I didn’t show her respect and if I didn’t like the company vision I could find something new.
To be perfectly honest I’m still not sure what that “look” was. And to be perfectly honest I’m not sure I care if my face has annoyed someone. That’s just my face.
So what’s the point of this blog rather than to rant.
It was my moment of epiphany. It was the moment that changed it all. That night my resignation went in. Now this wasn’t me having a pout or stomping my foot. This was me realising I needed to take a chance, this was me realising life is about taking risks and this was me realising that if I didn’t get out of my comfort zone I was destined to be a sous chef on repeat until Id wake up old, broken and full of regret.
Tony Robbins puts it best when he says “people without goals work for people who do!”
Well my goal for far too many years has been to have my own street food van, to cook the food I want to cook, to be my own boss.
Like many people I’ve made excuses that the time hasn’t been right, that I’ll do it next summer but by scaring myself and introducing some urgency I’ve done more towards it in a month than I have in the last five years.
I’ve wasted five years of an emerging street food scene!
But that is what it is, hopefully you will save yourself five years by learning from my mistake.
I’m not advocating putting in your notice, flipping your boss or taking a steamer on your bosses desk. What I am saying is do NOT put those goals on hold with excuses, if you have a goal work towards it every day. It’s exciting and makes you feel alive
So with time to make up, I am pushing forward to my dream. I may not be there yet but my journey has just begun and I plan to enjoy the ride. I’ll keep updating how I’m doing and keep it honest. And one day soon the van will open with a little, bald and happy chef in the hatch but I reassure you I will be full of respect for my customers, followers and the industry no matter what my face looks like.
It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.
FOOD ANARCHY 