From head chef to culinary director – toward fairer, more equitable working conditions in our industry
We’ve done away with the head chef position. From now on, we will refer to Micha Schäfer as our creative culinary director.
But worry not, we’ll continue to satisfy your cravings for radishes in lovage cream or smoked butter breadcrumb-topped baby kohlrabi in exactly the way that you’re used to. Micha will continue to create our menus, develop new signature dishes, work closely with our fantastic producers and mentor our trainees.
So what’s the difference?
Well, it’s a matter of communication and transparency. By changing Micha’s title, we are trying to convey a more accurate picture of what actually happens in our kitchen. In doing so, we hope to show greater appreciation towards our team and Micha both. And, most of all, we are hoping to pave the way towards fairer and more equitable working conditions in our sector.
In the end, this reflects what has long been a reality at Nobelhart & Schmutzig and many other restaurants besides: the actual work of cooking and preparation rests on many shoulders. Even if Micha has always had and will continue to have creative and conceptual control over Nobelhart’s cuisine, operational responsibility lies with other people in the team–people who so far have not been named or publicly recognised.
It is both common and convenient to conceal this state of affairs through use of the catchy term “head chef.” We, too, took this on rather unthinkingly, because everyone does it that way. However, over the past three years we’ve taken a good hard look at what it might take to actually create equitable and good jobs in gastronomy: with great working conditions, a decent salary, an appreciative environment. (Check out our Guide of Conduct if you’re curious.)
As part of this we also conducted an analysis of our job descriptions vis-à-vis the actual division of labour in our kitchen. What we found is this: the fact that we had taken on the traditional designations of roles and responsibilities was detrimental not just to one, but two parties. It did not adequately honour our hard-working and highly skilled kitchen team. And nor was it fair to our then-head chef Micha.
The first point is an obvious one. Every day, our kitchen team keep the proverbial shop running. They handle everything from the mise-en-place to the evening service and ensure that you have a great time with us. Micha doesn’t have to be there for every step of the way, and very often is not, precisely because our team know how to translate his creative vision into seamless operations. And this, we feel, deserves recognition, which we would like to express more clearly from now on. The three people in charge of operations are, right now, Alexander Jordt and Aljoscha Füting
But how does the new title benefit The Artist Formerly Known as Head Chef ?
Micha now gets to concentrate fully on his creative vision, the very thing that makes him unique and irreplaceable – without a job description demanding he also have his fingers in the daily operations pie.
In fact, we consider this to be one of the biggest systemic issues in our industry. The demands traditionally associated with the role of “head chef” are, by definition, excessive. There is no way any one person can handle all of that on both the creative and operational sides, or at least only at terrible cost. This may in fact be one of the root causes of “toxic” working conditions in the kitchen, symbolised by the infamous screaming, coke-snorting head chef.
Micha isn’t the type to raise his voice or put things up his nose–he’s more the kind of guy who shuts down and implodes. Nonetheless, we feel it’s time we finally confronted this issue as an industry. The conceptual and creative work of a chef can easily fill upwards of 50 hours a week. Expecting them to handle every mise-en-place, manage the evening service, personally check HACCP plans and waste disposal, order cleaning products, coordinate with contractors, write rosters and conduct staff meetings simply is not realistic. With this kind of pressure, it is no wonder that chefs drink and lash out; the need for that sort of regulation in the face of persistent overwhelm is practically in the job description.
Micha’s new title and reassigned responsibilities will give him an opportunity to expand creatively, refining and developing his inimitable style. We are delighted that he is now also to be found outside our own kitchen, exploring new collaborations and creative outlets. All of this makes for inspiration and insight that he’s bringing back to us at Friedrichstraße.
Above all, however, we are grateful to have such an amazing team that is able to step up and take full operational responsibility to make sure you have a great evening with us. We are more than happy to finally give them the recognition they’ve always deserved
From head chef to culinary director – toward fairer, more equitable working conditions in our industry
We’ve done away with the head chef position. From now on, we will refer to Micha Schäfer as our creative culinary director.
But worry not, we’ll continue to satisfy your cravings for radishes in lovage cream or smoked butter breadcrumb-topped baby kohlrabi in exactly the way that you’re used to. Micha will continue to create our menus, develop new signature dishes, work closely with our fantastic producers and mentor our trainees.
So what’s the difference?
Well, it’s a matter of communication and transparency. By changing Micha’s title, we are trying to convey a more accurate picture of what actually happens in our kitchen. In doing so, we hope to show greater appreciation towards our team and Micha both. And, most of all, we are hoping to pave the way towards fairer and more equitable working conditions in our sector.
In the end, this reflects what has long been a reality at Nobelhart & Schmutzig and many other restaurants besides: the actual work of cooking and preparation rests on many shoulders. Even if Micha has always had and will continue to have creative and conceptual control over Nobelhart’s cuisine, operational responsibility lies with other people in the team–people who so far have not been named or publicly recognised.
It is both common and convenient to conceal this state of affairs through use of the catchy term “head chef.” We, too, took this on rather unthinkingly, because everyone does it that way. However, over the past three years we’ve taken a good hard look at what it might take to actually create equitable and good jobs in gastronomy: with great working conditions, a decent salary, an appreciative environment. (Check out our Guide of Conduct if you’re curious.)
As part of this we also conducted an analysis of our job descriptions vis-à-vis the actual division of labour in our kitchen. What we found is this: the fact that we had taken on the traditional designations of roles and responsibilities was detrimental not just to one, but two parties. It did not adequately honour our hard-working and highly skilled kitchen team. And nor was it fair to our then-head chef Micha.
The first point is an obvious one. Every day, our kitchen team keep the proverbial shop running. They handle everything from the mise-en-place to the evening service and ensure that you have a great time with us. Micha doesn’t have to be there for every step of the way, and very often is not, precisely because our team know how to translate his creative vision into seamless operations. And this, we feel, deserves recognition, which we would like to express more clearly from now on. The three people in charge of operations are, right now, Alexander Jordt and Aljoscha Füting
But how does the new title benefit The Artist Formerly Known as Head Chef ?
Micha now gets to concentrate fully on his creative vision, the very thing that makes him unique and irreplaceable – without a job description demanding he also have his fingers in the daily operations pie.
In fact, we consider this to be one of the biggest systemic issues in our industry. The demands traditionally associated with the role of “head chef” are, by definition, excessive. There is no way any one person can handle all of that on both the creative and operational sides, or at least only at terrible cost. This may in fact be one of the root causes of “toxic” working conditions in the kitchen, symbolised by the infamous screaming, coke-snorting head chef.
Micha isn’t the type to raise his voice or put things up his nose–he’s more the kind of guy who shuts down and implodes. Nonetheless, we feel it’s time we finally confronted this issue as an industry. The conceptual and creative work of a chef can easily fill upwards of 50 hours a week. Expecting them to handle every mise-en-place, manage the evening service, personally check HACCP plans and waste disposal, order cleaning products, coordinate with contractors, write rosters and conduct staff meetings simply is not realistic. With this kind of pressure, it is no wonder that chefs drink and lash out; the need for that sort of regulation in the face of persistent overwhelm is practically in the job description.
Micha’s new title and reassigned responsibilities will give him an opportunity to expand creatively, refining and developing his inimitable style. We are delighted that he is now also to be found outside our own kitchen, exploring new collaborations and creative outlets. All of this makes for inspiration and insight that he’s bringing back to us at Friedrichstraße.
Above all, however, we are grateful to have such an amazing team that is able to step up and take full operational responsibility to make sure you have a great evening with us. We are more than happy to finally give them the recognition they’ve always deserved