Can we talk about how line cooks have changed in the last 8 years

I've been running the same kitchen in Portland for over a decade now. Back around 2016, most of my line cooks came in with some基本功 from culinary school or at least a year of prep work somewhere else. They knew how to handle a knife, they understood the pace, and they could take a correction without getting defensive. Fast forward to this year, and I'm spending my first two weeks with every new hire just teaching basic knife cuts and how to read a ticket. I'm not blaming anyone, the pool is just different now. A lot of places closed during the pandemic and never reopened, so we're pulling from people who never would have considered kitchen work before. The upside is they bring a different energy and they actually want to learn. But man, I miss the days when I could hire a kid who already knew how to julienne a bell pepper. Any other chefs seeing this shift in their hiring pipeline?

3 comments

3 Comments

shane_bell3d agoMost Upvoted

Yeah, I feel you on this. We've been seeing the same thing here in Austin, it's like half the line is people who just decided to give cooking a shot because their old industry never came back. The first few weeks are rough but honestly some of them end up being way more dedicated than the old school guys once they get the basics down.

betty_perry243d agoTop Commenter

Wait, @shane_bell, you're saying they actually stuck with it after the first few weeks? That's wild, most new people I've seen in Dallas bail after the first Friday night rush. I mean, maybe it's just the heat here, but seeing them actually get serious sounds like a whole different breed of new cook.

morgan.jason3d ago

Seeing them actually get serious" is real, it's the only thing keeping me from losing my mind with the new hires.

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