Skills of a Chef

Being able to cook and prepare food is just one part of being a chef. In fact, I see it as the tip of the iceberg! The ability to multitask well in many areas is a skill that is taught over time, with the conscious becoming unconscious as autonomy is embedded in the brain.

Forage and Feast

You're regularly required to use skills in areas such as maths; science; art/design; people/interpersonal skills, teamwork and lone-working; spacial awareness, working productively in high-pressure environments; accomplished use of fine and gross motor skills; intuitive and critical thinking; being flexible and adaptable; logistics and statistician; stamina and resilience; hospitality; influencer and educator; mentoring, leadership and tutor; executive function and time keeping control; environmental and sustainability awareness; amongst many other vital skills to simply put food on the table.

It is often underestimated and misunderstood how big a part a chef plays in our modern-day eating lifestyles too. Whether they influence your decision on what to cook for tea, how you perceive your food and nutrition, or who starts trends in eating patterns that sweep across the nation, which impacts economies, bodies and farmers on what/how/why they grow and produce their offerings. Chefs know how to keep you safe and satisfied when you consume their food and to skillfully manipulate time, heat and ingredients, to create an edible masterpiece when required. Highly skilled chefs dedicate their passion, and sometimes life's work, to producing food that pushes boundaries in sustainability, taste, processing and aesthetics. What an honour it is for me to step into this exciting world of food with these professionals.

I view my current position within the food/hospitality industry as someone to encourage, inspire and build excitement around our nutritious local offerings, supporting a healthy body, mind and soul. If we understand our place in the eco-system, which is one of balance and respect, we learn to give back to the land in which we often take. Embracing our seasons is a beautiful place to start, as is investing in our local farmers, producers and suppliers, giving these people our hard-earned money in exchange for our necessary food sources. These people are often passionate about their work and we can learn an awful lot from them.

Your local chefs have a responsibility to represent these people and products in their menus and in the food put in front of you when you eat out or browse online. Look for cafes, restaurants and eateries that work with their local producers, nurturing good relationships which create a thriving socio-economic community of well-fed and inspired tummies.

Here is Nicola Celtic Herbs - Healing Power and I running our first Forage & Feast event last year; what a blast it was to forage, create and eat together. Something I will be doing a lot in my lifetime I am sure, as it embodies this message of eating well, from a balanced and diverse menu.

Let's build a strong and healthy community, invest in ourselves and promote good, wholesome food as one of our vital needs that comes before all else. Without nutritious sustenance, we find ourselves at a disadvantage in terms of a healthy body, mind and soul. My new podcast is out in which I am exploring the world of food, and my ambition to work with children and our local communities is steadily becoming a reality as my network and education grow.

Photo: Linzi Lou Photography