Blue Collar Chef, White Collar Job - Essay

       Under my desk are two pairs of shoes; one set of worn black kitchen clogs and a pair of polished dress shoes.  It’s Wednesday, 9am and I am flipping through power point slides making corrections and adjustments.  I slip off my running shoes and into my “office” shoes. 

Today is no different than dozens of other workdays this year:

• A morning-stop at one of the restaurants to check on food prep for an afternoon presentation, then over to the office. 
• 10 minutes shooting the shit with my buddy in purchasing, then down to the finance department to grab the latest numbers on lunch sales. 
• A quick call to my chef to make sure we’re all set for Thursday’s photo shoot. 

The day will continue like this, back and forth between the boardroom and the kitchen; from tasting sauces and razzing a cook about Brazil’s (soccer team) recent loss to standing firm on my direction with a group of greying C-level executives. 

Rewind 17 years and this looks nothing like how my life as a chef started.

In 1996 on any given Wednesday, I would stroll downtown in shorts, clogs and a sweatshirt with a coffee in hand.  Arrive at my restaurant around 8am, greeted by empty trash barrels and the bread delivery.  The day would unfold with me scarcely leaving my small kitchen.  At 23 I had no idea what lay ahead and not much concern about it either.  Life was good, surrounded by friends, good food and a successful restaurant.  Everyday was a battle against the clock, service begins at 5pm ready or not and the prep list never seemed to get any shorter.  Physically demanding and totally repetitive my work was rewarded by smiling guests, and a blossoming reputation.

Then life’s journey took hold and through a series of job changes and opportunities my life and work changed.  There is still a ticking clock and not enough time to complete my tasks but my job looks unrecognizable from where I started.

When asked what I do for a living, I say the following: “I’m a corporate chef for a restaurant company”.  This is usually followed by one of three questions: 

• “So, do you actually cook anymore?”
•  “Um, so are you like in charge of the menu?”  Or my favorite...
•   “Oh, I know that place, which one do you work at?”

I make decisions that affect 12 million people a year.  My food choices touch the lips of complete strangers in towns I’ve never heard of and cooked by people I will never meet.  I’m a blue-collar craftsman making executive level decisions. 

Behind most large restaurant companies, food manufacturers, hotel chains or football stadiums is someone like me.  Well, somewhat like me any way.

We are “Corporate Chefs”, Directors of R&D, Vice Presidents of Culinary Development, even Chief Innovation Officers.  We all started in the trenches, learning the craft, cooking for one guest at a time - now we're busy changing the face of an industry and affecting the lives of millions.