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Head Chef Mike

“ I’ve cooked for a lot of celebrities - from rock stars to royalty. ”

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Who?

Mike Smith, 40

My job: I'm Head Chef in the restaurant that is closest to the Olympic Park
Do you regret not going further in school?: No, I made the right choice for me. I was fully trained and earning by the time I was 20. Now I’ve got a nice house, a lovely family, I’ve travelled the world and I got all of that through cooking.

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My best bits

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It's great atmosphere in the kitchen during the World Cup- we've got guys working here from all over the world so there's always someone looking nervous!
sun, 27 jun 10
The Olympic Park is coming along so fast now, it seems like there's a new stadium cropping up every time I turn around!
fri, 18 jun 10
If you're looking for chef work, check out sites like Gumtree for jobs you can do in the summer holidays.
thu, 17 jun 10
I'm menu planning which means I'll be eating well today!
mon, 12 apr 10
It's the weekend! Chefs work hard but we play hard too!
fri, 02 apr 10
I love driving into work and seeing the Olympic stadium being built - especially when the sun's shining!
fri, 12 mar 10
My passion is taking ingredients and turning them into something amazing.
mon, 08 mar 10
I got into cheffing because I wanted to travel, that's how I came over here from Australia.
tue, 09 feb 10
Things got heated in the kitchen today with my team. It's cool though. You’ve got to have the fire and passion to be inspired.
mon, 08 feb 10

My career path:

Pot Washer
You have to start at the bottom but the kitchen experience is spot on.
Food Certificates
These are essential courses to take as you gain experience.
Commis Chef
This is an apprentice chef role and all the best cooks have been on one once!

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My updates

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Previous month

May

April's menu is planned and it's a corker!

tue, 01 mar 2011

Do you have any pastry chef jobs available for 2012? (Caitlin) Hi Caitlin! Good to see you getting out there asking for work - that's the best way to get into a kitchen, I say. We will be recruiting later in the year, we will need a huge number of recruits for the Olympic period and this will be THE place to be to be serving the VIPs!

mon, 28 feb 2011

West Ham held their press conference here to announce they will be taking over the Olympic stadium after the Games have finished. The place was a real buzz with media and celebs. They all like good grub!

wed, 23 feb 2011

The events' space is full of footballers...

tue, 22 feb 2011

Photographing this month's dishes to pop onto the recipe cards I make for all my chefs. It helps make sure all the dishes go out looking just the way I want them. I'm a perfectionist!

thu, 17 feb 2011

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Mike Smith, 40

When did you decide a practical career was for you?: I got to year 12 in school, did two weeks and decided it wasn’t for me. I’d already been offered an apprenticeship and getting that was a big thing. I knew then I was sorted for the rest of my life and I had a career behind me.
Do you regret not going further in school?: No, I made the right choice for me. I was fully trained and earning by the time I was 20. Now I’ve got a nice house, a lovely family, I’ve travelled the world and I got all of that through cooking.
Why be a chef?: I always had a passion for food. I knew that if I got a cheffing position once I’d qualified I’d be able to travel with it, hence I’m over here in England now.
Worked in any cool places?: I’ve worked in brilliant places; all around Australia. I’ve worked on ships, I spent a couple of years in Indonesia cooking at a casino and in the UK I’ve cheffed at amazing hotels and now here at this beautiful new restaurant.
You don't need to go to University to be a chef do you?: Not at all. You don’t have to be academic to make a good chef.
What is the best thing about on-the-job learning?: You can pick up something different from everyone you work with. Recipes change from chef to chef.
Restaurants seem like a great place to learn hands on – is that true?: During a busy service it can get pretty heated in the kitchen but if you take on board what’s said to you, you can come on a long way, quickly.
What does it feel like to be part of the London Olympics and Paralympic Games 2012?: Our restaurant is just a stone’s throw away from the Olympic Park and in 2012 the whole world will be coming past our front door. This will be the pinnacle of my career.
Why would you recommend your job to someone?: It’s never mundane. Everything is always changing, some days you are cooking for 50 people, another day it’s 250. The banter in the kitchen is always different and it’s a good laugh.
University isn’t the be all and end all is it?: Not at all. I thought it was going to be and I never got there. Unless you know you want to be a doctor or a lawyer, there are plenty of other careers out there.

Mike Smith, 40

What’s the toughest challenge you’ve faced so far and how did you deal with it? Tom, 16: The hours can be hard. When I was training I missed out on my mates’ 18th and 21st birthday parties because I was working weekends. That’s the industry - if you are willing to sacrifice a few things the rewards are there in the end.
What advice would you give to a teenager like me who’d like to follow in your footsteps? Jessica, Birmingham: Have a passion for food Jessica. Do the best you can at school, you don’t have to get ‘A’s. Knock on the doors of restaurants you think you might like to work in and ask if they need any help.

How I got here

Head Chef Mike

Mike Smith, 40

My best bits

My career path:

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Useful links for practical careers

My friends

Mike Smith, 40

Mike Smith, 40

How I got here

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