Chef Kamil completes training with a Faire du Stage at the Waterside Inn sponsored by Jeff’s Way CIC Limited
“My experience at the Waterside Inn was truly incredible. The staff were always willing to share their tips and tricks for the tasks I was performing. If I was working slowly, they would instruct me on how to do it more efficiently and effectively. My days were well-planned, with each one placing me in a different station. I started with vegetable prep for the meat and fish dishes, then moved on to fish and meat prep, starter prep and assembly, vegetable prep again with pastry and baking, and ended with canapés assembly on the final day.
The accommodation took a couple of days to get used to, but the delicious breakfasts were a great start to each day. The staff were incredibly friendly and always ready to help, even delivering milk for a quick oatmeal lunch.
Learning was my main goal when I arrived at the Waterside Inn, and I’m happy to say I exceeded that goal. I learned to perform simple tasks like removing scallops from their shells and French trimming lamb racks. Vegetable prep involved many small, time-consuming tasks, such as scoring baby peppers for around an hour and a half or simply peeling, trimming, shaping, and cleaning baby carrots to make them presentable. These are the kinds of tasks you’d expect in a Michelin-starred restaurant, and I consider myself lucky to have had the opportunity to contribute to and compose all the elements of these wonderful dishes.
All the chefs, waiters, cleaners, and other staff were incredibly friendly, helpful, and welcoming. I managed to talk with almost all of the 20 or so chefs, the four kitchen porters, and some of the waiters. However, since I spent most of my time in the kitchen, there was little interaction between us chefs and the front-of-house staff, apart from handing over the exquisite creations.
I settled in very comfortably on the first day, and by day two, I felt confident with the team and the kitchen layout. It was such a welcoming and professional environment that it will be hard to top. The only stressful part of my stage was assembling some of the dishes, as the specific ways of placing the 3-10 ingredients on the plate had to be perfect. Any mistake meant redoing the dish, which could cause a loss to the establishment. Despite this, my excitement overshadowed any other feelings I might have had. Returning to the Waterside Inn is definitely something I plan to do in the future, but for now, staying closer to home is a more viable option.
To conclude, this was a 100/10 experience that taught me many valuable skills I will definitely use in the near future!
Many, many thanks to the Patrons of Jeff’s Way and Professor David Foskett OBE for their support in making this program possible, giving so many students access to these incredible establishments.
Kind regards,
Kamil”