h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi Karen

Just read your post about skint eating and you mentioned your NVQ in diet. That sounds really interesting. I hope you don't mind me messaging you about that. And I hope you don't mind me boring you with my life history where food is concerned. (yawn) But you have obviously worked with food for some years so I think you might be able to give me some advice.

When I was 14 at school in 1984 all I wanted to do was become a chef. But at the same time the vegan society came to our food & nutrition class one day and showed us a shock horror video about abbatoirs and the dairy industry and made me turn vegan, much to my mum's horror! When I went to college to sign up on the City & Guilds chef course they wouldn't accept me because I was vegan! Why oh why did I tell them! Anyway, I landed up working in an accounts office and that's what I have done for the past 20 years. I gave it up 3 years ago and worked briefly in a kitchen, actually ended up running the shop because the owner was a drunk and a druggie, wasn't paying me my wages, and I could do a better job than she could. I quit after a month and went back to office work but while I was there I used to spend my two days off a week planning the specials board and texting details of ingredients I needed to my boss, only for her to turn up with half of what I needed!!!! I didn't leave because I didn't enjoy it. I loved it, I just couldn't afford to work for someone without a steady wage coming in. Now I am at a point in life (I'll be 40 in August) where I really need to work out where my life is going. I applied to join the police force a year ago, and I have passed all my interviews and assessments, but they are cutting back due to the recession and keep moving my start date, which is really annoying. And I feel like my heart is really in cooking.

SO! Now that you know pretty much everything there is to know about me foodie and career wise, if you were me, hating my office job, longing for a career in food, what would you do? Yesterday me and OH went for a snowy walk in Bedfordshire and ended up at a pub called The Black Horse in a village called Ireland. I would post a link to the website but it wasn't working last time I tried. I asked the manager if they have any jobs going in their kitchen. He told me not at the moment but he gave me a business card and asked me to phone him in 3 months. I am tempted to send my CV round to local eateries, see if I can pick up catering work that way. I know you work in a care home. How easy is it to get into that line of work? I have thought about doing that myself, or working as a cook in a school. I just don't know where to start looking and am going mad! Also, your NVQ started me thinking about how could I study and learn new stuff while I am getting myself into a foodie career?

I have all these things swimming around in my head and need to sort something out as soon as I can before I drive OH mad!

Are you qualified as a chef by the way?

Anyway, I know we haven't met, but I do feel as though I know you through our posts, and hope to join in on one of the foodie meets planned in 2010! In the meantime would appreciate any advice you can give on working in the food industry and studying such an interesting subject.

Just going to watch Hell's Kitchen US with OH. He is munching on a shop bought trifle while I am going to chomp some cold leftover Bird's custard (complete with a skin, I hope, sorry!) Hope you are keeping warm by the way, take care

Teresa

hiya teresa, i went into catering when i was 16 and if i had my time again i would not do, i am now 47,i would not advise anyone to go into it(sorry about your post) unlessi was under decent circumtances, karen

teresa, i am sorry about previous post, but i still say if i had my time again i would not do catering as a career, i hope you haven,t took offence, and if you decide to go into it you will have my full support, i can be contacted if you wish on here, or on 07986095062, you are a lovely person, i am priviliged to know you love karen

Hi Karen

Just logged on and seen your message. Greetings from my sofa where me and Sooty are having a snuggle.

I didn't take offence to your post and I hope you don't mind me asking but how come you wouldn't go into catering again if given the chance? I know it is hard work and not very good pay, but I found it very rewarding when I did a stint at it. Is it something you wanted to do as an ambition or did you just fall into it? It was all I ever wanted to do from around about the age of four! I remember begging my mum to show me how to scramble eggs when I was that young and stood up on a chair by the stove while she showed me.

Me and a friend at work both dream about moving up to Scotland and running a B&B. We have talked about nothing else today, let alone do any work! I made a rhubarb and custard cake and took it into work today. It was gone by half past ten. Everybody was asking me what I am doing working in accounts when I should be doing something in catering.

Sorry for the long posts. Because of my job (office/computer based) I could type for Britain! x