Dawn's Experience working at Pichet

• What was it like working with Chef Stephen Gibson?
• I met with the chef Stephen Gibson the week before my placement and he said it would be better if I came in for lunch service because that meant he would be there and be able to spend some time with me. He introduced me to everybody and came over to me to make sure that I was OK which was really nice.
• What was it like working with the Pichet crew?
• There was a lovely atmosphere in the kitchen. There was no shouting. Even though it was really busy, it was still relaxed. The staff were more than happy to tell you things. They would tell me what each of the ingredients I was prepping for them was being used for and how they would all be brought together.
• What was a personal highlight during your stage placement at Pichet?
• All the staff could slot into every job. It was very interchangeable. The pastry chef would do prep work in the morning and go back to check on the pastry station in between. One day someone would be doing service and the next day they’d be doing prep so they could all move around – it was a very versatile kitchen. The kitchen ran like clockwork. Everyone knew their place and what do and got everything done.
• What is a stand-out lesson you will take away from this experience?
• To see how a kitchen runs, how busy it is, even the way everything is set up was really interesting. It’s completely different to anything you would have seen if you hadn’t been in a professional kitchen. It was a really good eye opener. It showed me the importance of having everything prepped in advance of service.

Above Picture: One of Chef Stephen Gibson's beautiful creations.