Chefs at every level of the industry face injuries and health problems due to the nature of their work. These issues range from problems caused by the job itself – such as back pain and arthritis – to problems caused by the unavoidable lifestyle that comes with being a chef.
Physical toll
As a chef, you're likely on your feet much of the day, cooking and preparing food. You may experience some physical stress and get tired or uncomfortable during the workday.
Chefs and head cooks risk injury in kitchens, which are usually crowded and potentially dangerous. Common hazards include burns from hot ovens, falls on slippery floors, and cuts from knives and other sharp objects, but these injuries are seldom serious.
Is Being a Chef Stressful? Yes! A career in the culinary profession is a stressful endeavor that can lead to chef burnout – a real problem in the culinary workplace today. Psychologists define burnout as a syndrome resulting from unmanageable stress, exhaustion and negativism related to one's job.
These high-stress levels are due to working in a hot, chaotic, busy and demanding kitchen where you are expected to cook orders to perfection and as fast as you can. You'll spill hot liquid and misplace knives, sometimes even on your own skin. It's all part and parcel of being in the food industry, even for top chefs.
Respiratory problems more common
Earlier studies also suggest that chefs are plagued more by respiratory issues than most people. These include disorders like asthma, emphysema and rhinitis, which is a chronic inflammation of the nasal mucosa.
For sure, you'll need to accept that long hours and hard work are still the norm when working as a chef Down Under. But as a trained chef there's real opportunity to make a good living at the same time as progressing the career plan. After all, Australia enjoys the highest minimum wage in the world.
Head culinary chefs will spend the time before dinner delegating key menu items and overseeing mise en place. Throughout the course of the dinner service, chefs will find their roles vary significantly as they coordinate kitchen staff, oversee quality and production speeds and assist with cooking.
It's quite possible to cook well and stay in shape. We've seen it in every cartoon and movie involving a restaurant — the head chef with a love for food and a belly to prove it. But that isn't always the case in the food industry — chefs can stay fit, too.
Passion: A great chef has to be passionate about food and cooking. They have to genuinely enjoy the whole process of procuring, preparing, cooking and serving food and have to be able to design menus too. Stamina: An essential quality of a true chef is stamina.
A chef's job is physically demanding and often stressful. Chefs work long hours, often in uncomfortable conditions. But most are passionate individuals who love food, and what they do for a living.
But, a chef possesses a higher level of experience and education that the role requires. Because of this key difference, chefs earn higher salaries and perform different levels of functions. Chefs are often higher in the kitchen hierarchy because of the training and it is reflected in their pay.
There is little question that working in a busy kitchen can be very stressful. The demands of time (never enough), consistent execution, business volume, multi-tasking, the uncertainty of order pace and the need to protect very tight profit margins weighs heavy.
Yes. You can become a successful chef without going to culinary school. There is no special degree or certification that makes someone a chef. The title is earned through hard work and experience.
The average chef salary in Australia is $65,000 per year or $33.33 per hour. Entry-level positions start at $58,000 per year, while most experienced workers make up to $85,000 per year.
For a chef job in a restaurant, expect to work 7 days a week for 12 to 14 hours each shift. And that's pretty much the industry standard. No matter the level you are at in the kitchen, you can expect to work a minimum of 50 hours a week.
The best Executive Chef jobs can pay up to $120,000 per year. An executive chef is the head of the entire kitchen operation of a restaurant.
But the truth is, the restaurant industry has some of the highest rates of mental illness. In a recent survey conducted by Chefs with Issues and the Heirloom Foundation, 73% of participating chefs reported that they suffer from multiple mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and substance abuse.
That is why we are growing increasingly concerned about the number of chefs struggling with mental health issues. For example, a 2017 survey found that 51% of chefs struggle with 'debilitating' stress levels. While 51% is already too high, a more recent UK-based survey found that it has increased to a shocking 81%.
Back pain is a common injury suffered by chefs. Being on your feet for long hours at a time and lifting heavy pots puts immense strain on your back.
Chefs are nearly twice as likely to be addicted to alcohol and drugs as the wider population and 9% more vulnerable to suicide.
Dealing with unexpected emergencies is one of the most stressful things about being a chef. If you are fortunate, you'll have the training, experience, and support of a good team that allow you to anticipate and deal with the emergency without missing a beat.