8 months and 4 days off me "Tree...house "

The trades men's entrance !

After 8 months and 4 days I finished my last shift at the Treehouse restaurant at Alnwick Castle's gardens last week. The home of The Duke of Northumberland and his lass plus Mr Potter has been my workplace for many a month now. Its one of the longest Agency jobs I have had but apart from the month of December that I can only describe as "Dark" it has been an absolutely brilliant place to work. Its one of the hardest assignments I have had but its certainly been one of the most enjoyable.
Kelvin Gallagher the head Chef has certainly inspired me to develop my cooking skills further when I thought I was destined to at 42 retire and become a dinner lady !! ha ha !
It has been a privilege for me to work under his guidance. I have been very lucky for him to impart some of his culinary skills and knowledge my way and I will leave a much better chef then when I arrived. Kelvin not only has a wide knowledge of ingredients and flavour combinations but he knows why things work and in my case sometimes why they have not ! ha ha !
So thank you Kelvin I am most grateful.
Mark the senior Sous Chef is also someone who has taught me a lot to. I have never met a more laid back chef. He lives in Ashington as well as me and hopefully we will drink our selfs silly soon ! ha ha !
Richard "White lighting", French Fred, and trainee Wayne who are 3 top lads I have been lucky to meet. Billy the winner of this blogs very first "Cowbe" award  (and certainly not his last) was someone who I worked with When I went on this cooking adventure 8 years ago at the Anglers Arms near Rothbury in Northumberland. He certainly is a character my memories of him are numerous but my favourite was him sitting on the washing machine in the out house smoking a tab while the potato rubbler would turn potatoes into marbles ! Although sometimes Billy and I sang from different pages on the hymn sheet what happens in the kitchen stays in the kitchen and I am still found of the bloke.
To Gemma, David and Linz who run front of house thank you !
To all the beautiful waitress at the Treehouse who made me so welcome when I arrived in April thank you as well ! But I don't thank you when I used to say to them "if I was 10 years younger I would be chatting you girls up !" to which they would reply "Try 20 years younger Kev !"  Ha ha maybe I am not a mini Brad Pitt anymore ! Ha Ha !
To Dave and Lee the two Kitchen porters thanks for being top mates and emptying my bin..Well Lee did ! ha ha love you both.
I wish everyone at the Treehouse all the best for 2012 and once again thank you its been a blast !

Hanging up my treehouse apron !

And me... well I am going to have 3 weeks off now and recharge my culinary batteries after what has been a great but hard 2011 in time to start something new at the end of the month !