F & B : LIFE IN THE KITCHEN
Laura Bartholomew , chef de cuisine at
Florida ’ s Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort , Golf Club & Spa , says she loves the range of opportunities a hotel kitchen presents , from prepping for a 600-person banquet to cooking at action stations on the beach .
COOKING AND BEYOND
Many chefs are choosing to work in hotel kitchens because of the diversity of experiences and the chance to be part of a bigger team .
by ANN BAGEL STORCK , MANAGING EDITOR
Today ’ s young culinary talent can explore more potential career paths than ever before , but plenty are finding the perfect fit in hotel kitchens . Take Dean Crews , who recently took over as executive chef at The Charing Cross Hotel in London . Crews has cooked for more than 15 years at numerous Michelin-star level establishments , even cooking for the Queen and Prince Philip at a special luncheon , but Crews made a conscious choice to work in a hotel setting .
“ I like the diversity and ever-changing challenges of hotel environments ,” Crews says . “ Independent kitchens are great , but they can be quite formulaic , and sometimes they don ’ t have the same pace as a hotel kitchen .”
“ I love the always-changing atmosphere ,” agrees Laura Bartholomew , chef de cuisine at Florida ’ s Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort , Golf Club & Spa . “ We are always trialing new recipes , dishes , methods and techniques . There is no such thing as routine !”
Jeffrey Russell , executive chef at Sanderling Resort in Duck , North Carolina , regularly works 10- to 14-hour days during the summer high season , and in the offseason , he does jobs ranging from line cook to dishwasher . Nevertheless , he sees a range of benefits . “ I love the structure of working for a hotel company ,” Russell says . “ You get to be part of something bigger . You have a lot of support systems right at hand — your laundry department cleaning your linens right there in house , engineering that can work on your equipment minutes after it breaks . You can learn banquets , pastry , restaurants — it ’ s a great training ground . It ’ s like school times five .”
To that end , Russell hires cooks for externships and helps them set five goals he guarantees they will meet before they complete the program . Russell says that level of caring can help keep the hotel industry an attractive option for young culinary talent going forward . “ I offer an education to get people to come here — it ’ s not just a job ,” Russell explains . “ I care about their career . We don ’ t hire people who just want to be cooks . We hire cooks who want to be chefs . That ’ s extremely important .”
www . hotelsmag . com November 2013 HOTELS 51