Stations

Claire Raposo
May 25
The dynamic in the kitchen is getting odder by the day but I don’t really mind it. Chef has been out a lot lately working on a new restaurant he’s opening down the street, so I’ve spent a lot of time with the sous chef, who has a very interesting business cooking fancy marijuana infused dinner parties, which he partly runs out of the Townshend for prep work. I cut a ton of bread circles with a biscuit cutter for his tea sandwiches. I’ve also learned that basically all chefs drink if not all the time then at least when they’re working and most are high a good bit of the time too. Maybe this is because they have such a hard job with little pay and long hours, but it’s a bit odd. The kitchen staff has mostly turned over since I arrived a month ago, with a lot of people who had been there for years leaving. The sous chef says you can’t work in one kitchen for more than three years because you get burnt out (haha) and your work becomes sloppy. I think that’s probably what’s been happening because a couple of the people who left seemed to be in that spot. However, because they’re short staffed, I’ve been able to take on more responsibility. I’ve been making donuts, working the garnish station alone which is really fun and includes frying, salads, etc. I really like doing that but it’s very high stress I think which is why I like baking more. It’s quiet and separated but the end result is something everyone loves.