#3 will surprise your non-hospo friends!
Whenever we talk to Aussie chefs, we are always surprised by the hilarious quirks unique to the foodservice industry. The language, the culture, even the fashion. But the one that comes up again and again, is the most-coveted and therefore most-stolen items back of house. We’re talking about the small things. The bits and bobs that are there one second, and gone the moment you need them most. And they’re not always the most obvious chef tools like knives (because people would be mad to touch your knife!) but the small everyday items that your non-hospo friends certainly wouldn’t think of. We’ve put together a shortlist.
#1 Sharpies
Sharpies aren’t the first thing that come to mind when you think of back of house tools. But they are a hot commodity in the kitchen. All cooks will tell you the same, a pack of sharpies will last a week. Max. If you’re going to pocket one (shame on you!) just make sure you take it out before washing day…
#2 Tea Towels
You’ll put down your tea towel for just one second (that one you’ve had tucked away all shift because it is clean and absorbent) and snap, it’s gone!
#3 Lighters
It doesn’t matter if you’re a non-smoker, if you’re a chef you’ll go through lighters like never before and never really be sure why. Be wary of crafty wait staff, they’ll beg and plead for a light before conveniently forgetting they’ve borrowed one.
#4 Tongs
We know it’s hard to get judgemental about tongs but when you find a pair that has the right spring tensions, length and opening width you don’t want to lose it! But you will…
#5 Teaspoons
You’re going to need a lot of teaspoons. More than you’ll ever imagine. Tasting spoons are one of the most used items in the kitchen. If you’re not using them, you need to take a good hard look at yourself.
What have we missed? What do you always seem to lose when your shift rolls around? Or are you the culprit and you only realise when you empty out your jacket or knife roll at the end of a shift?
