10 year itch !

Meldon Park is the only kitchen I have worked where you can get a horse pass by the window while making pastry !

Its hard to believe that in May it will be 10 years ago that I decided to change careers and train to be a cook. It's been a journey of many highs and sometimes some lows but am I glad I made the switch ? Its fair to say working as a photographer I earned good money. Now as a cook it could take me a week to earn what I could earn in a day on a photo shoot and even then it would take a 55 to 60 hour working week to reach those dizzy wages. As a photographer working weekends were rare except when covering a fun Motocross event on a Sunday. Now as a cook most weekends are spent working.

It doesn't sound good does it ? Why would you want to work in a kitchen is a question I get asked a lot especially if they know I used to be a Photographer and regular readers of this blog (Thank you) know that during the last 12 months I have done a lot of sole searching on that front myself !

Its funny but I dont have an answer despite all this time thinking about it. The fact is I had a great career as a photographer and now after 10 years I have had a great career as a cook as well.

It was only at the weekend while working at Meldon Park Kitchen garden Cafe that I truly realised how many kitchen skills I have learned in this time and how many recipes I have learned.

In the kitchen last weekend I made everything from Scones, Cupcakes and Ginger and date sponge to Soups, Stilton and Spinach tarts and ended the weekend with Slow roast Shoulder of Lamb, Shallot puree and Pomme Rissolees. Add to that a bit of basic Butchery and Its not hard to see how much the cooking experience has taught me over the years !

So whats next ? I have a few ideas so watch this space but for the time being I love the craft of cooking for people. My world is complete when the Waiting on staff bring back clean plates and comments such as "The food was delicious " It can be a tough environment some days but as a job it challenges you every time you go to work and gives you a tremendous sense of achievement at the end of each shift knowing you survived another one. Its not for everyone and news reached me the other day that two people I knew who I considered to be very good chefs were packing it in because in their words they were "Sick". It was sad as they were both very good at it but it was interesting that they were making the career decisions I made ten years ago. Good luck to them and if their new chosen careers don't work out then there will always be spaces to fill in Britain's kitchens. 

Pastry Skills !

Cheese Scone skills !

This is the cheese that dropped of the scones and set on the cooking tray it was on ! I love eating these little babies !  

The Spice mix that goes into our Pulled Shoulder of Pork Bun that we make ! The start of the Alchemy process !

Pulled Pork !

"Garlic Mushrooms !"

Slow roast prep of Beef Brisket, served this week with Wild Garlic from the Garden and a Fresh Thyme Jus !

Making sure instructions are followed.

Lamb with Shallot Puree !

Soup !

From one of my little recipe Black books ! Ginger and Date Pudding ! Wish my little black book of women contacts was as thick ! ha ha !

Whisk me !

Chuck Steak and Ale stew.

Big Homemade Chips, although they weren't made at home !

Turn up the I Pod and escape into potato peeling heaven !

Bit of butchering !

Watching someone else wash dishes ! ha ha !