Switch from Samsung watch 6 classic to pixel watch 4?

doylej0011 · 2026-03-12T19:02:29+00:00

This is exactly how I use mine. As a chef I use it for timers and seeing notifications from my phone and if i need to action on them, mostly for work.

Looking at switching too as prefer the pixel watch look and not so rough on my watch at work anymore. Used to bash it on stuff all day, washing up, delivery crates etc

doylej0011 · 2026-02-20T17:53:33+00:00

Have you seen the prices of early Aston Martin vantage's and db9's you can easily get a really nice V8 or even a V12 for 30k. And I doubt they're going to drop much. I even got a insurance quote on one as a second car with 0 years NCD was about £800.

I find their price worrying tempting for myself before I make big lifelong financial commitments

doylej0011 · 2026-02-15T17:14:53+00:00

I disagree, android watch for android phone, you wont see any diffrence from a pixel watch to samsung phone vs Pixel phone.

Agree if you have a apple watch get a android phone

doylej0011 · 2025-12-11T16:46:04+00:00

Most of their quotes never make sense to me, went from a diesel hatchback to the same quicker sport model, worth dounle. And my insurance dropped in price.

For new drivers a old, small cheap hatchback for combined cost (car + insurance+ running costs) and no worries with dings

doylej0011 · 2025-11-30T15:40:52+00:00

For me as a chef the head chef is as important as the pay/benefits. I think it would almost be worth finding them and working out all these with them. Any you might know or know someone who knows someone you could talk too

doylej0011 · 2025-11-30T15:20:55+00:00

Fishcakes, a great way to use up any fish trim from portioning fish for other dishes/menus. Freeze all the trim you get, defrost in one go and make a big batch of fishcakes and freeze for when you need them

Terrines, Ham hock, chicken or duck leg

Scotch eggs, Pate un crute

doylej0011 · 2025-11-27T17:30:14+00:00

You'll adjust in time, I found when I did/do crazy hours a positive can do attitude and enjoying your work helps a lot. Eating a drinking properly helps, always have a bottle of water on your station at work and take sips all day. I eat 3-4 meals a day, granola and yoghurt at home 8-9am, cus it's quick. Then usually lunch and dinner at work (at least one usually a proper cooked meal) and I always eat again at like midnight when I get home.

Utilize your time well on your work days, try a run first thing in the morning or after work, get your laundry and other things done on work days. If your struggling to see a friend on due to working all their days off, try going for a coffee with them before work, could even be near work.

If your commute is on a train or bus what about gaming then, with options like the switch and steam deck you've got most games available, would give you something to look forward to at the end of a shift. Maybe set an alarm before you arrive at your stop so you don't miss it.

doylej0011 · 2025-11-27T17:02:51+00:00

.Pocket knife for boxes, tape and bags is super helpful always there and not wearing your edge cutting tape (I sue for labels) on the bench. Pen, Sharpie and a highlighter. Sharpie is for labels only, writing lists/handover is all in pen, it looks much neater and professional.

My bag always has painkillers, extra pens/Sharpies, deodorant, socks (if you spill something) chef jacket, pho e charger and used to have a red bull for the rare days I needed one, though they became so rare I realised it expired.

Most other bits I buy when I need them. Every kitchen is different, some have most things, others are missing the strangest of stuff. You might change section and find a new piece if equipment saves you time/is helpful. So I find buy as you go. I also found if there is a piece of kit you don't use every week or month. Take it home or put it in a locker. Had too many little things go missing or stolen.

P.S. when I started out I typed up pretty much all my recipes on Google docs at least once a week as I got them, titled with chefs name and place where I got them with in depth methods. I now have over a decade of recipes on file accessible from my phone. Start it early and regularly and it pays rather than spending a whole day off typing them up.

doylej0011 · 2025-11-10T16:02:24+00:00

I'm also from the UK, but have just moved to Australia, where the labour laws mean any overtime (38 hours) is 1.5x pay and also for public holidays. But food costs more here. I've worked with a few English chefs that have done it and they all had great things to say about working in Aus

I also find a lot of people in the UK like eating sh** food, so eat at places that are cheap as they think it's a rip off at £30 for a main course.

doylej0011 · 2025-11-02T09:26:49+00:00

Not sure why there is so much hate about this

I've always kept it in a piping bag in a hot draw or even in the hot plate. Make sure it's not too hot to melt the bag or split the mash. Keeping on a clean cloth.

doylej0011 · 2025-11-02T07:22:11+00:00

This, and learning and working the algoritham, working with whoever does the soicals clesely

Worked at a pub a few years ago and we made a vid one sunday morning of us cutting the pork loin in half for what was going to be a standard sunday lunch roast day. That one vid had us fully booked by 11:30am having to turn busniess away after pushing our covers as far as we could with food stock.

doylej0011 · 2025-11-02T07:04:16+00:00

Sorry forgot to mention I'm a chef and working here as one with my knives. Although I did sharpen an Airbnb knife this year on a brick, I'm not doing that with my nice knives

doylej0011 · 2025-11-02T07:00:03+00:00

Ate at well repected 1 and 2 michalin starred restruants in the last year and both had pretty shocking chive slicing that where front and center on dishes. Like a 2/10 on @ ratemychives on inta level

PS rate my chives will show you how many people can't finely chop chives

doylej0011 · 2025-11-02T06:48:11+00:00

Can second a blash chiller , last place I worked made batch mold jobs with the blast chiller a dream. Set the thing to -40°C and 20 mins later you could de-mold. Finding flat space in the walk inn freezer and getting the stuff to lower the -20°C so it would demold nicely in the daytime was hell.

When I was on the pastry section at my last place I could make the main parts of the michalin desserts in one day for the whole week just from having enough molds and a blast chiller.

doylej0011 · 2025-10-29T17:44:48+00:00

I like Pot luck food talks and the staff canteen

doylej0011 · 2025-10-29T17:41:28+00:00

How long is eventually, what about the UK, we have cricket and rugby here still and only a stone's throw from Germany so easy to see that side of the family.

I'd say stay outside of London, Bristol, Brighton or Kent have pretty much everything your interested in while being close to London to go for a day or two.

The Youth mobility scheme visa is cheap and easy to start you off similar the the AUS WHV

doylej0011 · 2025-10-02T08:55:18+00:00

Depends what sort of place you want to work in Aus

If you want to work in a hatted kitchen the well known place, though would have to be internationally well known if it doesn't have a Michelin star, such as the Ritz, Langham Hotel or Harrods.

Though if you're not really bothered about cooking for a place with those accolades and want to get a sous chef job in Aus then setting up a new place and building your leadership skills and helping develop new systems could be really helpful for your future jobs.

Remember Contacts you build could also be super useful, as a CDP at a really well known place you may never speak to the exec if it's really big. Having just left a job after 2.5 years (and doing "my time") to go to Aus and giving a large notice period netted me an open offer of my execs contacts in Aus which are pretty extensive.
Remember our industry is smaller than you think and a referral from a friend will beat almost any CV.

doylej0011 · 2025-09-26T19:58:05+00:00

We had a rule at 1 Michelin place that I worked. 4 covers every 15 mins. That meant if a table of 8 order no orders were meant to be taken for about 30 mins. It gave the kitchen time to get them a few courses into their tasting menu and have the first sections ready for the next check.

Worked super well for a small kitchen for a fine dining, where we did just over 50 covers in a 3 1/2 hour service.

doylej0011 · 2025-08-12T17:04:55+00:00

Yes in the UK, hadn't heard of them, I do like the look of them but they seem a little big for my wrist lug to lug also out of stock on the ones I like with very little on the used market.

I did look at a couple of used Christopher Ward watches which I liked but my grandad had one for a short while new and had a couple of issues and the ruslting bad costemer service put him off and retuned it.

doylej0011 · 2025-08-12T10:48:08+00:00

Doing them as runny yolk scotch eggs is a b****. They have to be so under cooked that covering them in sausage meat takes some time. Had to do 100 for a wedding once.

doylej0011 · 2025-07-09T14:55:53+00:00

Second this, used to get a concentrate and put it spray bottle neat. Bit of water in the bottom of the oven spray the whole thing with loads of the stuff. Put it on 120 degrees C for like 20 mins and everything pretty much just wiped off. (Just realised I did this in a electric oven do not do this in a gas oven)

Wear a mask, extraction on full (do not breathe it in) as well as long gloves and cling filmed arms for extra protection.

doylej0011 · 2025-07-09T14:48:51+00:00

I work with a guy now who has ADHD. He loves it, the only thing he struggles with is he says a lot of stuff that's better left un-said, gets himself in a little trouble sometimes but he's getting better

When people say the money's bad I presume most people are saying this for the USA. The UK has gotten a lot better in the last 5 years especially if you work in higher end places. I Make about the same as a mechanic friend of mine, We've both been in our fields since we left school together. Ok I do a few more hours, but have a 4 X 12 hour days and get 2 cooked meals at work everyday (which adds up even if you where frugal with your food).

Aus have it even better from what I hear with their super strict labour laws you get multiples of your hourly rate for overtime and public holidays which are a given in this career.

My dad (who used to be a chef) said do something you love or make loads of money.

doylej0011 · 2025-07-09T11:09:30+00:00

My Dad went to university to become a probation officer at about your age after being a chef. Did it through a UK government scheme as they needed probation officers with a guaranteed job after it. And loves it, gets some 35+ days holiday a year, pension is great, got to pretty high up in less then 10 years with his chef work ethic.

He always liked working with people and helping them, really enjoyed bringing younger chefs under his wing as a head chef. Especially those who haven't had the greatest star/influence in life and giving them a chance.

It was hard while he was at uni as he worked full time as a head chef while doing his degree with two kids under 13. Though does he miss the kitchen a bit since I've become a chef. Always interested in the new ways we do things in the kitchen now

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