Kitchen Discipline Quotes

Slaves were taught to be fine chefs, but they endangered their lives if they made a mistake or served an ill-prepared dish. Rather than being reprimanded, they were often hauled into the dining room and flogged in the presence of the guests.

Very early in my culinary career, while helping another cook prepare the staff meal, I stirred some chopped raw garlic and herbs into a bowl of leftover lentils. The atonement for this sin was so extreme that I've never repeated it: After being chastised, I spent the next 20 minutes fishing out the minuscule pieces of garlic.

The military taught me discipline, how to problem solve, teamwork and loyalty, a perfect parallel to the kitchen. If we could take that and bottle it, it would be a amazing thing.

If there's something in the kitchen I like, it must be eaten. I try not to leave any snacks I wouldn't want to eat on a daily basis in the cupboard.

Gastronomy is the French Foreign Legion. You don't need any qualifications. Just walk through the door and keep your head down. Be respectful - "Yes chef!" - and you'll be given a trade. One day you'll be in a position where you can put a roof over your children's heads, you can put food on their table, create security for them.

You have to be disciplined about being in the kitchen.

I'm a chef, I own restaurants, and there's a behavior in the kitchen you have to have.

The pressure on young chefs today is far greater than ever before in terms of social skills, marketing skills, cooking skills, personality and, more importantly, delivering on the plate. So you need to be strong. Physically fit. So my chefs get weighed every time they come into the kitchen.

Kitchens are hard environments and they form incredibly strong characters.

As young cook, especially in France, they're very tough in the kitchen. The idea is to make you humble and learn fast.

My mum doesn't enjoy sometimes listening to me tell staff off, and I say to my mum, it's a kitchen, not a hair-dressing salon.