Back-2-Front Blog

There are many things to consider when choosing a wedding venue, not just beauty and romance…

Are you having the ceremony and reception at the same place or will you have to consider two venues… you may be getting married in a church, synogogue, mosque etc…

Cost is a big thing, what is your budget and how many guests can the venue accommodate, therefore is it too large or too small.

Décor, does the place fit in with what you had in mind…i.e. a traditional style or are you having a more modern affair… and will it match your colours, if you are having pink as one of your colours you will need to make sure the carpet in the reception room is not bright orange.

Catering, can you choose your own cater or will the venue do everything for you, the venue may even come with a wedding planner.

Staffing, does the venue come with staff or will you have to hire your own.. we can help you with this of course.. you may want to organise it all yourself to save some money for your honeymoon.

Drink and be merry.. Does the venue have an alcohol licence and bar facilities or will you need to organise your own bar and licence holder.

D.I.S.C.O – do they have their own in-house entertainment or do you want to hire your own DJ?

If you need help with any of the above- we can't supply the vicar though!!… then call Chloe Cann on 0117 904 1001 or email chloe.cann@back-2-front.co.uk

Today I’m going to talk about Kitchen Porters in a professional Kitchen

Kitchen Porters probably have the hardest job in the Kitchen unfortunately it’s the hardest section, its mind numbing and it’s the lowest paid position in the Kitchen. A good Kitchen porter needs to be well organised, hard working and efficient.

Kitchen porters generally start a couple of hours after the chefs but can be there for hours after the Chefs have left. When they arrive the wash up areas can generally be stacked high with burnt pots and trays, for Kitchen Porters it’s hard for them to see light at the end of the tunnel with a mountain of dirty dishes in front of them.

If you have a good Kitchen Porter here are some points you may want to adhere to in the Kitchen in order to keep them happy –

·         Keep their section organised – just like you want your section to be treated ensure that trays are stacked together, burnt pots are left steeping etc

·         Hot trays – always warn the Kitchen porter if a tray is hot so they won’t scald themselves when they pick it up, in college you’re trained to sprinkle flour on hot trays.

·         Don’t put knives in a sink of water – Chefs should wash their own knives placing knives in a sink of water could result in a nasty unnecessary accident.

·         Waiting staff – Scrap all plates, place cutlery in a bucket of hot soapy water, neatly stack dirty plates to ensure less breakages

By ensuring all these points are adhered to your Kitchen Porter will feel happier in their place of work.

If you need a Kitchen Porter to help you out on your Kitchen  please contact our Back of House Recruitment Consultant Orla Murphy at Back 2 Front on 0117 9041001 or visit our Chef Agency Bristol or Chef Agency Bath or Hospitality Staff Bristol and Bath pages

Recently at Back-2-Front Chef Agency we have been receiving a number of enquiries for CRB checked Chefs and catering Assistants.

In Bristol and Bath there are numerous establishments that would require all of their staff to be CRB checked, whether they are the Executive Chef, House Manager or even the Kitchen Porter.

An enhanced CRB check is a registered body with the Criminal Records Bureau. It gives prescribed details of every conviction which includes; caution, warning and reprimand. An enhanced CRB involves greater contact with children and vulnerable adults in Schools, Nursing Homes or Nurseries.

A CRB can take up to 6 weeks to be completed on a new employee so it is often advantageous to use a Hospitality Agency to cover the position whilst you are waiting to receive the relevant paperwork.

If you'd like to book a CRB checked chef or catering assistant please contact Pete Cann at Back 2 Front on 0117 904 1001 or visit our Chef Agency Bristol, Chef Agency Bath or Hospitality Staff - Bristol and Bath pages.

Today I’m going to talk about Veg section in a professional kitchen.

Veg section in a Professional Kitchen is a section that is generally run by a Commis Chef. It can be a tedious section but if it’s executed properly a Commis Chef can feel just as much satisfaction from Veg section as they would another section.

 Potatoes and Vegetables are an important part of a meal not only do they finish off a well balanced meal but they also provide the colour on the plate. A good Chef will be aware of having different colours of veg available on a daily basis. Although greens are good for you in a Restaurant having two green vegetables on a plate wouldn’t be very appealing to look at – after all we do eat with our eyes.

Key points to be aware of when cooking Potatoes and Vegetables are:

·         Don’t overcook – there is nothing worse than    looking at limp opaque looking vegetables

·         Colour – Make sure you use different colours of  vegetables

·         Varity – especially in hotels where you have  guests eating for a few days or more make sure  they have different vegetables on a daily basis.

·         Versatility – potatoes and vegetables are such  versatile ingredients you can let you imagination  go wild with so many different recipes to try

·         Seasoning – this is key especially with potato  dishes such as Gratin Dauphinoise.

Veg section is a good section for Commis Chefs to learn all the French term in the Kitchen the main ones being the Cuts of Veg which include:

·         Brunoise – which mean small diced vegetables

·         Macedoine – which means large diced vegetables

·         Julienne – which is thin strips of vegetables

·         Jardiniere – which is batons of vegetables

·         Paysanne – which is thin shapes such as circles, triangles and squares usually found in Minestrone

·         Mirepoix – which mean roughly chopped vegetables mainly used for stocks and soups.

Veg section is probably the most forgotten section in a Kitchen but it plays a very important part of the kitchen.

If you need a Commis Chef to help you out on your Veg sections  please contact our Back of House Recruitment Consultant Orla Murphy at Back 2 Front on 0117 9041001 or visit our Chef Agency Bristol or Chef Agency Bath or Hospitality Staff Bristol and Bath pages

The term "Michelin Star" is a hallmark of fine dining quality – this is pretty funny considering that Michelin is, in fact, a tire company. However the Michelin Company launched its first guide book in 1900 to encourage holiday makers to drive across France, in 1926 Michelin began to anonymously review the restaurants on the routes by means of a three-star system.

Michelin awards 0-3 stars based on the reviews of anonymous inspections. The reviewers are supposed to focus on the quality, mastery of technique, and consistency of the food, not on décor or service received by the waiting staff.

As stated in the Michelin Guide each star is defined as follows.

·    One star: A very good restaurant in its category.

·    Two stars: Excellent cooking and worth a detour. First class cuisine of its type.

·    Three stars: Exceptional cuisine and worth a special journey. Often extremely expensive, and with an extensive wine list.

In Bristol and North Somerset there are 2 restaurants who have been awarded a Michelin star, The Pony & Trap and Casamia. Back-2-Front Chef agency have helped supply both of these venues with Chefs and waiting staff since its inception.

If you'd like to book a professional chef or hospitality staff with the skills and knowledge to work within a Michelin star kitchen please contact Pete Cann at Back 2 Front on 0117 904 1001 or visit our Chef Agency Bristol, Chef Agency Bath or Hospitality Staff - Bristol and Bath pages.