The Importance of Confidence and Communication in the Kitchen

When it comes to cooking, there's no one-size-fits-all approach. What works for one kitchen may not work for another. However, there are certain principles that can be applied universally. One such principle is the importance of confidence and communication in the kitchen.

A key element in creating a successful menu is trust and respect among team members. This can be achieved by giving each member a clear role and responsibilities, allowing them to take ownership of their tasks and work together towards a common goal. In this case, Tim Grant, the head chef, recognized that his sous chef, Lee, needed more confidence in his abilities and decided to pass some decision-making back to him.

"I want you both to think of something really simple menu-wise," Tim said. "Three starters, three main courses, and three puddings. What do you think?" By giving Lee the opportunity to contribute and make decisions, Tim aimed to build up Lee's confidence and install pride in his food. This approach would help Lee develop a sense of ownership and responsibility for the menu, leading to improved communication and collaboration with Tim.

However, it soon became apparent that this new approach was met with resistance from both team members. "Why don't you swap the rolls around tomorrow?" Tim asked, but there was no response. When Tim suggested becoming the sous chef and Lee taking on the role of head chef for the next night, the reaction was equally lukewarm. It seemed that Tim's new approach to teamwork had not yet taken hold.

Undeterred, Tim decided to try a different tactic. He asked the team to think about simple menu ideas and offered guidance from their own experiences. "What did we used to have at school? What did we like at school?" he asked. By drawing on personal memories and preferences, the team began to come up with ideas that were both familiar and exciting.

One of the first ideas to emerge was a simple soup course, with several options available. "I'm gonna go on a tomato soup," Tim said, followed by a request for rustic tomato soup as well. The addition of cheese to each option added an extra layer of complexity, but also created opportunities for creativity and innovation.

As the team continued to brainstorm, it became clear that their collective ideas were building on one another. By sharing their thoughts and experiences, they were able to create a menu that was both cohesive and varied. This collaborative approach would help them tackle the challenges of cooking in a busy restaurant environment.

One of the key principles of this new approach is the emphasis on tasting and feedback. "Everything we do in this kitchen has to be tasted," Tim said firmly. By ensuring that every dish is thoroughly tested, the team could identify areas for improvement and make adjustments as needed.

However, even with this focus on quality, there were still challenges to overcome. The first test of their new menu was a blindfolded tasting exercise, designed to assess the team's ability to accurately describe flavors and textures. While it may seem simple, this exercise required a great deal of trust and confidence among the team members.

"We're gonna go now," Tim announced, followed by a request for volunteers to participate in the tasting exercise. The outcome was not surprising: none of the team members were able to accurately describe the flavors and textures of the dishes they had been asked to taste.

However, rather than viewing this as a failure, Tim used it as an opportunity to teach his team about the importance of palate development. "You don't you don't realize," he said with a chuckle. By acknowledging the limitations of their own palates, the team was able to approach future challenges with a fresh perspective and a renewed commitment to quality.

In conclusion, the importance of confidence and communication in the kitchen cannot be overstated. By building trust and respect among team members, providing opportunities for growth and development, and focusing on quality through tasting and feedback, any kitchen can achieve success.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enwhen someone's been told off first thing you do in a kitchen is come back at 100 mile an hour and this guy disintegrates every time you tell each other he just disappears into Oblivion and loses all sense of concentration that little short span that he has why don't you swap the rolls around tomorrow why don't you become the sous chef and Lee becomes the head chef for tomorrow night no answer whatever you want to do guys it's your kitchen you're supposed to say bollocks no I'm the Chef my name's Tim Grant it's me on the menu no yes or no yes oh maybe it's me I should try the softly softly approach we've got a big night Saturday night it's full I think the first time since you've both been here that the place is full okay and whilst I'm here you're not shafting me as well at the same time you know that yeah we're gonna work together over the next 15-20 minutes I want you both to think of something really simple menu wise three starters three main courses and three puddings what do you think Lee soup Yeah by passing some of the decision-making back to Tim I'm hoping to build up his confidence and install some pride in his food it's hard to write a simple menu when you've had your head up your ass for so long doing trying to make fancy silly food that's the kind of stuff we're going for in it so what have they come up with land classes liver and onions mashed potato macaroni cheese fish and chips mushroom peas like a shot what language are Hot Pot that sounds nice and you come with the ideas together yeah we'll just flip through some books and thought what simple and um you know I basically thought what did we used to have at school what did we like at school and not forgetting where are we we're in Yorkshire forgetting that we get in there in devising this new menu I'm aiming to take most of the pressure off Tim and Lee during service 90 of the food can be prepared and perfected a day in advance that's good see if you show me you can handle two plans at once as long as it's made well they can't fail to be a hit with the customers there should be 15 things going on there all the same time coordination understanding medium pink is it Well Done onions roasted bang in short bonaparte's new Bistro menu is designed to be idiot proof yeah definitely identify them as vegetarians yeah let's go so far Tim's attitude towards soon has been that of a stroppy teenager rather than a respectful and supportive employee I'm gonna go on a tomato soup and rustic tomato soup yeah yeah some little uh cheese that's probably a first is actually come to us I've had to run down and Chase all the time but uh crush them up today seems a lot better I don't know what he's been doing to him down there but he's certainly improving in the week I've been here I've hardly seen Tim only sample or season anything they've made no wonder their tasteless food is failing to woo their customers everything we do in this kitchen has to be tasted I don't care if it's a bread roll a lemon meringue pie or chicken kiev you have got to start tasting things from now on bland is off the menu and to teach these to a lesson they'll never forget I'm resorting to dirty tactics you know what a medium steak tastes like yes Does that taste like a sirloin T-bone steak or is it a rump steak sirloin sirloin it tastes like solo you know here we go now open up okay tell me whether it's medium or is that well done medium and well look well done none of you got that right yes yes oh talk I'm lamb you now you don't you don't realize and so someone blindfolds and feed you like your palate so not active could have been worse could have been chicken that we wouldn't look like idiotswhen someone's been told off first thing you do in a kitchen is come back at 100 mile an hour and this guy disintegrates every time you tell each other he just disappears into Oblivion and loses all sense of concentration that little short span that he has why don't you swap the rolls around tomorrow why don't you become the sous chef and Lee becomes the head chef for tomorrow night no answer whatever you want to do guys it's your kitchen you're supposed to say bollocks no I'm the Chef my name's Tim Grant it's me on the menu no yes or no yes oh maybe it's me I should try the softly softly approach we've got a big night Saturday night it's full I think the first time since you've both been here that the place is full okay and whilst I'm here you're not shafting me as well at the same time you know that yeah we're gonna work together over the next 15-20 minutes I want you both to think of something really simple menu wise three starters three main courses and three puddings what do you think Lee soup Yeah by passing some of the decision-making back to Tim I'm hoping to build up his confidence and install some pride in his food it's hard to write a simple menu when you've had your head up your ass for so long doing trying to make fancy silly food that's the kind of stuff we're going for in it so what have they come up with land classes liver and onions mashed potato macaroni cheese fish and chips mushroom peas like a shot what language are Hot Pot that sounds nice and you come with the ideas together yeah we'll just flip through some books and thought what simple and um you know I basically thought what did we used to have at school what did we like at school and not forgetting where are we we're in Yorkshire forgetting that we get in there in devising this new menu I'm aiming to take most of the pressure off Tim and Lee during service 90 of the food can be prepared and perfected a day in advance that's good see if you show me you can handle two plans at once as long as it's made well they can't fail to be a hit with the customers there should be 15 things going on there all the same time coordination understanding medium pink is it Well Done onions roasted bang in short bonaparte's new Bistro menu is designed to be idiot proof yeah definitely identify them as vegetarians yeah let's go so far Tim's attitude towards soon has been that of a stroppy teenager rather than a respectful and supportive employee I'm gonna go on a tomato soup and rustic tomato soup yeah yeah some little uh cheese that's probably a first is actually come to us I've had to run down and Chase all the time but uh crush them up today seems a lot better I don't know what he's been doing to him down there but he's certainly improving in the week I've been here I've hardly seen Tim only sample or season anything they've made no wonder their tasteless food is failing to woo their customers everything we do in this kitchen has to be tasted I don't care if it's a bread roll a lemon meringue pie or chicken kiev you have got to start tasting things from now on bland is off the menu and to teach these to a lesson they'll never forget I'm resorting to dirty tactics you know what a medium steak tastes like yes Does that taste like a sirloin T-bone steak or is it a rump steak sirloin sirloin it tastes like solo you know here we go now open up okay tell me whether it's medium or is that well done medium and well look well done none of you got that right yes yes oh talk I'm lamb you now you don't you don't realize and so someone blindfolds and feed you like your palate so not active could have been worse could have been chicken that we wouldn't look like idiots\n"