Young chefs today

The fresh lockdowns of recent weeks have underscored the uncertain nature of work in today’s foodservice sector. Is the industry still appealing to young chefs, and how supported do they feel in their efforts? We spoke to two well-known young chefs to get their take on the state of play – Australian Culinary Olympic Youth Team Captain and Youth Chef Ambassador to the World Association of Chef’s Societies Billy Fox, and President of the Australian Culinary Federation’s Young Chefs Jarrod Everett.

Optimistic about the ongoing appeal to young chefs

Billy Fox has been working in foodservice for almost a decade, having begun his apprenticeship in 2012, and is currently based in Wollongong on the NSW South Coast. He’s optimistic about the industry’s ongoing appeal for young chefs, emphasising it’s important to recognise just how many opportunities foodservice encompasses.

“Sometimes it seems like every young chef in Australia has set their sights on fine dining because it’s cool and fun, but I do think people need to dial it back and realise that there’s so much more.

“That sector of the industry’s taken a hit from Covid, but more and more consumers are now looking to go out on a Friday and Saturday night and have a casual meal with friends rather than spend $200. Packaged meals are also growing hugely, clubs and pubs are doing really well – so there’s plenty of range in the industry as a whole for people coming in to look at.”

He adds that foodservice’s adaptability in moving to high volume takeaway and home delivery has been inspiring. “The industry prides itself on constantly changing and evolving and you have to roll with the punches to a point – I know a lot of people who are doing small delivered private dining experiences, so new opportunities are opening up.

“Of course the reality is a lot of people are out of work, but it seems that outside of the lockdown hotspots much of Australia is doing pretty well. Young chefs need to realise that to be part of this industry you need to be fluid about how you work and how you react.

“And most employers I know have been pretty supportive – my employer, for instance, has been super-accommodating, they’ve been paying me to do a whole bunch of courses and although I haven’t been in the kitchen it’s been a great way to keep the mind focused. It does depend on who you’re working for, but I haven’t heard any horror stories – I think we’ve banded together as a community and chefs and employers have been trying to help out where they can.”

Nervous about their future

21 year old Jarrod Everett, who is based in the Northern Territory and has spent the last six years working at Berry Springs Tavern 40 minutes out of Darwin, has the sense that young chefs are nervous about their future: “I honestly think there’s a feeling that because of the pandemic the industry can be shut down in hours after one press conference, and young chefs in particular are scared about job security – will their position still be there after lockdown? I know some businesses up here that have closed permanently, the owners have simply given up and gone on to do something else.

“It’s also the case that casuals who were let go during lockdown went on to earn more money doing something else, or just went onto Jobseeker payments. We were initially shortstaffed when we reopened – now we’re back up to a full team because those who wanted to come back did, and the others who went on to government support don’t have anything now it’s gone, so it was a bit short-sighted of them really.”

Jarrod agrees with Billy that employers have generally been giving good support to staff including their younger workers.

“There’s also a lot of support out there via organisations like ACF Young Chefs – if anyone messages me I’m happy to talk to them and always try to reach out if I know they’re not in a good headspace.

“Sometimes it can be that work’s becoming too much, or they feel unsafe or are struggling financially – the answer is always to reach out because help is out there. For example, I hear of businesses who are looking for staff so I’m able to put people in touch with employers who I know are going to look after them.

“But there’s nothing I can do unless you reach out to me – the ACF is just a message away, Young Chefs is just a message away. I know sometimes it can be hard to have that conversation, because you might feel like you’re taking liberties or you don’t want to bug someone, but it’s definitely worth everyone’s time and effort to help each other.”

The importance of mentoring

Mentoring has always been important for young chefs and there’s no shortage of older chefs willing to take on this role.

Billy Fox says, “There’s some really stellar mentors out there – in Sydney alone I know of some guys who are going above and beyond right now to make sure young chefs get what they need, whether it’s just someone to talk to or even help in getting their gear together such as uniforms.

“You just need to find the right mentor that you click with – it’s very much a personal relationship. I’ve had some really brilliant ones in my career – people like Adam Moore, Karen Doyle, Shane Keighley and Patrick O’Brien who have done a lot for me personally.” 

Jarrod likewise emphasises the value of good mentoring: “My head chef has been a terrific mentor to me personally – this is pretty much my first job in the industry, I started in work experience through my school and then was offered a job as a kitchenhand, and within 10 months he pulled me aside and asked if I wanted an apprenticeship. I said yes straight away and I haven’t looked back since – and he’s been a great help to me. He grew up in England and worked at a couple of Jamie Oliver restaurants so it’s been fantastic to be able to learn from him.”

He adds that for young chefs seeking mentors, the ACF is full of talented chefs always ready to help. “We have wonderful mentors like Karen Doyle, Martin Bouchier, Andre Kropp and Julio Azzarello, and there’s a lot of older classically trained chefs out there who are only too willing to lend their time and assistance to anyone and everyone who puts their hand up.”

Is uncertainty dissuading young people from foodservice?

As to whether the lockdown-inspired uncertainty is dissuading young people from choosing foodservice as a career, Billy Fox remains unconvinced: “People who want to go into cooking generally have a passion for it, and as I said the industry is so multifaceted today that you don’t have to be a chef all your life but it’s certainly a great place to start – that skillset really sets you up for going into production, food safety and so many other areas.

“That’s only going to be beneficial to everyone in the longterm so I’m sure the industry as a whole is going to keep on keeping on and keep drawing young people in.”

Jarrod takes a similar view: “I think as long as you have the passion and work ethic, you can find your niche in foodservice, but if you don’t have those things it’s probably not the right industry for you. If you want to do it you’ll find a way regardless of the situation. Obviously you can’t do much about your workplace shutting down, but other than that you can certainly stay involved and keep learning. Organisations like ACF Young Chefs are a great way to do that – even though we’ve had to curtail our face to face interactions due to Covid, we’ve been able to move into the virtual space. I’m really looking forward to being able to get back to travelling and networking with our young chefs once that’s possible again.”

Competing a great way to get your foot in the door

Billy was President of ACF Young Chefs prior to Jarrod taking the reins and says it’s still not as well known as it deserves to be. “They’re doing a lot of cool things for young chefs and I certainly benefited from it when I was coming up, in the formative years of my career. I know a lot of young people who’d say the same – it’s a good way to get to know other young chefs around Australia, especially if you’re working with an older team you sometimes just want to chat to a chef of similar age to you.”

Both Jarrod and Billy are also keen proponents of the value of chefs’ competitions. “Competing is a great way to get your foot in the door,” is how Jarrod puts it. “Even if you don’t win, you’ve put yourself out there and the judges will see what you’ve done, what your potential is. How you plate up a meal shows a lot about the way you think about food and what your capabilities are. You definitely also gain more confidence by competing – you feel as though you’ve accomplished something, and once you’ve done a few your profile gets a boost and you become a bit better known in the industry.

“The ACF plays a part in almost every culinary competition in Australia, and as a byproduct of that young chefs are always involved.”

So what does the future hold for these two young chefs? Jarrod says, “I’d like to eventually end up doing modern dining, travelling and learning – I’d like to work overseas at some point, I don’t know where but just so I can see how things are done differently over there. I’m also optimistic about Darwin’s potential as a major food destination.”

Billy says, “I’ll probably hang around kitchens for a good couple of years yet, but longterm I’d like to go into training, whether it’s teaching in TAFE or something similar – but I’m only 24 so that’s a while down the track.”

For more information about ACF Young Chefs visit www.austculinary.com.au/young-chefs