Chef -Respect or Arrogance?

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Before I retired one of the companies I was a director of sponsored a premier league soccer team, we had a table for lunch before the game, the 2 Michelin starred chef Paul Heathcote was a regular, we talked about women, soccer, women, women and womens netball never about food his job or mine. He like a lot of restrant owners is having a hard time because of the economy and has sold or closed about 7 of his groupHeathcotes
 
I think you have some clues here to his 'personality', as he's insisting on the "Chef" appellation in front of people he knows and went to school with, so add egotism and inflated self-importance to the arrogance accusations.
Usually in this type of scenario, it'll only take one or two people, seen to be laughing at him before the pretension is reduced to embarrassment. In 'extreme' cases, that means the restaurant would lose a customer...and suspect that occurrence would be listed under the heading of "aw shucks"!
 
This reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where Elaine was dating the Maestro who insisted on being called Maestro.
 
Friends of my parents, this man (and his wife), invited us to dinner at his place. He was the most humble man, so sweet, never put on airs, turns out they were pretty weathy (with no need to flaunt it), he was one of the best cooks/chefs I knew (as his hobby). I miss him since he passed away. He is the kind of person that makes the difference between an amazing person (and chef) and a truly annoying one.


GB said:
Who are you? How did you get in here?
I'm a locksmith and I'm a locksmith.
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GB, I'm having a slow morning, what does it mean, I'm a locksmith and I'm a locksmith? Help me!
 
I was a professional chef for 25 years and never used my title or thought I'd be treated any differently. In fact, it used to irk me when a server would announce they had a "VIP" because I tried to cook and present my best food with every plate. When you cook with love, there are no real worries. He just has low self esteem, is poaching quality servers, or is bragging and get a date with you ;)
 
It is fairly common for chefs to colloquially call each other "chef."

But insisting that he be referred to as "Chef BFD" when he is booking a reservation suggests maturity and self confidence issues.
 
Out of curiousity, is there an actual ranking (besides stars, triangles and wedges in guide books and reviews), say a test you have to take, a standard, etc to "earn" the title of chef, or can, say, the head cook at my favorite restaurant, or the owner of the restaurant (who, yes, did start it and cook in it, but no longer does), etc .... who can claim the title. For example, a PhD has earned the title of doctor, a person of military rank (exception: Kentucky Colonel), has had to go before a review board, go before congress or take tests (depending on rank), teaching has standards for Professorial status. Do chefs have any objective standards?

Just curious.
 
Claire said:
Out of curiousity, is there an actual ranking (besides stars, triangles and wedges in guide books and reviews), say a test you have to take, a standard, etc to "earn" the title of chef, or can, say, the head cook at my favorite restaurant, or the owner of the restaurant (who, yes, did start it and cook in it, but no longer does), etc .... who can claim the title. For example, a PhD has earned the title of doctor, a person of military rank (exception: Kentucky Colonel), has had to go before a review board, go before congress or take tests (depending on rank), teaching has standards for Professorial status. Do chefs have any objective standards?

Just curious.
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A friend of mine's mother was a chef. She had to renew her Ontario chef's license every 10 years.
 
Chef basically means "Chief - the guy who runs the kitchen". That includes hiring and firing, planning, ordering, directing the staff and everything else.

There are subordinate chefs such as sous chef, pastry chef, fry chef, etc. They all report to the head chef.
 
The only actual ranking that is tested and judged is Master Chef. It is a tough program requiring knowledge, experience and skill. Not many actually achieve it.
 
Arrogance runs high in the restaurant business, he must have a hard time seperating work from personal.
 
Claire said:
Out of curiousity, is there an actual ranking (besides stars, triangles and wedges in guide books and reviews), say a test you have to take, a standard, etc to "earn" the title of chef, or can, say, the head cook at my favorite restaurant, or the owner of the restaurant (who, yes, did start it and cook in it, but no longer does), etc .... who can claim the title. For example, a PhD has earned the title of doctor, a person of military rank (exception: Kentucky Colonel), has had to go before a review board, go before congress or take tests (depending on rank), teaching has standards for Professorial status. Do chefs have any objective standards?

Just curious.
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That's a complex question, claire, will try to give an overview.
First of all, legally speaking, there are no 'chef police' who will go after individuals calling themselves chefs, so as to your question, anybody can call themselves a chef if they have qualifications or not.
The largest organization in the U.S. for pro chefs is the ACF, the American Culinary Federation, with several thousand members and chapters all over the States. They do "certify" chefs and provide continuing education and competitions. There are many pro chefs who won't join the ACF because they feel they're too insular with a high degree of political infighting.
The other well-known organization that 'recognizes' pro chefs for their merits and awards them, is the James Beard Foundation, out of New York.
There are other organizations, domestic and international, who run certification programs so there are many ways career chefs can add to their resumes.
Still, anybody can, and often do, call themselves "chefs" without formal training or certification, and can do it with impunity.
 
The best Chef Police are the public they take action with their feet, food critics hold massive sway as well.
 
I have a Cerified Cook Certificate. I am liscenced by the Provincial Board of Trades. I needed 2000 hours work and to pass a test with over a 75% mark. If I wanted I could go for my Chefs certification. I think I would have to have 5000 work hours(which I surpassed years ago) and have to do a couple of exams, practical and written. I walked in off the street and paid my 60 dollars to write the exam. My certification is equivilent to anybody who graduates from a two year, full time course in community college in this country. Which seems like a bit of a racket to me.

I never bothered. Instead I just bought my own restaurant in '94. I had worked under many Chefs before and their lifestyle didn't look like it was my cup of tea. And I knew it wasn't going to be the way I wanted to go with my future.
I managed a kitchen after closing my place 4 years ago and the owner always called me chef. It bothered me because it sounded a bit pretentious. But, I also think he did it because he could never remember my name. lol!!
 
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Bolas De Fraile said:
That is because we are mere morsels:)
Ps how did the tests go?
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I am so relived that I am not diabetic:)....My cholesterol is to high as well as my trigliserides. I am very commited to my lifestyle change. I have lost 12 pounds. I need to lose about 90 more, but hopefully next year at this time I will achieve my goal.
Thank you so much for your support & wealth of information that you have shared with me. I am very grateful.
 
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