You can tell a lot about a person’s profession by figuring out the kind of space he or she wishes to establish. Artists aspire to have their own studios. Fitness junkies would do push-ups and crunches for days in order to get their ultimate dream gym playground. And we also have entrepreneurs who would stop at nothing until they get their own office HQs. Chefs are no different. We dream of having our own restaurants. Working in someone else’s will never satisfy us. It’s just how our creative and crazy minds work. We crave to create and are possessive over the means on how the creating is done. The journey from farm to food becomes even sweeter if the lease to the building is in our name and everything from the curtains you don’t notice to the table napkin you often abuse on your lap is of our own choosing. But times have changed. We are the same crazy, creative and quirky individuals that make magic with seemingly unrelated ingredients. We are the same ambitious people craving for the status of culinary gods as we try to perfect our craft. However, we are no longer the same people that are just satisfied with a 24/7 breakfast-lunch-and-dinner service. Yes, we are now aspiring for more. Test Kitchens are becoming all the rage nowadays. The nature of such a space lends to its charm and appeal. It’s a place where madness and genius meet to create recipes that just make you want to weep with joy. This space has flexibility, versatility and its own personality. No two test kitchens are alike in the same way that no two restaurants - unless they are franchises - are the same. As a chef and a founder of my own test kitchen for two years now, I can personally attest to the joy that having such a space and service gives to me. In celebration of my two years so far in this fun test kitchen journey, I want to share with you three tips on how you can run your own test kitchen too. TIP 1: Be organized Having your own test kitchen doesn’t mean that you live and breathe hot kitchen air all the time. I, personally, don’t spent all my time in there. There’s a lot of admin stuff that needs to be done too. You’ve got to learn how to organise folders upon folders filled with recipes. You’ve got to learn how to keep track of client information. You’ve got to learn how to keep track of your expenses because trust me, you’ll be buying lots of ingredients, serving platters, and even photoshoot decorations. TIP 2: Do lots of research & apply what you learn Learning doesn’t end, even if you graduate from culinary school as a chef. The culinary and food world is always changing and forever dynamic. What’s on trend today may fade and may be forgotten in old archives of magazines containing “hot and not” lists. I have to do lots of research work through online surfing, buying actual books, and going on trade checks. This is one of the least glamorous parts in owning a test kitchen but doing the research and being able to apply what you learn is an integral part of running the show. TIP 3: Keep clients happy People can make or break your test kitchen. That’s why it is so important to make sure that they are happy with you, your food, and the services that you have promised to give to them. Build a test kitchen that is trust worthy and that people can keep coming back to for cheffing and culinary services. It’s not enough to simply treat people as customers anymore. You’ve got to see them as partners. In that way, your test kitchen will truly flourish and rise. There you go! Those are my 3 tips. In terms of the basic steps one has to take to actually “set-up” a test kitchen, that’s a post reserved for another time. Stay tuned for most blog posts in this series called “Peach & Co. Test Kitchen: Behind the Scenes.”
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AuthorIm Chef Peach and it's obvious that I love food. In fact, I love food so much that I decided to make it my profession. You know what's ironic, I was a Finance graduate! Archives
January 2021
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