Wednesday 10^th March

10.14am and the sun lightly shines down from a blue spring March sky. A little misunderstanding if two guys Stewart and Graeme who both bide in Dunfermline but don’t know each other are heading down tomorrow morning to Lasswade to a garden centre or up to The Granite city of Aberdeen to the Lang Stracht to a garden centre. It is in the middle of being resolved and Aberdeen it is!

The job on Moffat is back on our books after a no show on Monday morning, ouch on our own door-step as well, I am hoping that the job may not been confirmed properly rather than the other option that the chef just didn’t bother turning up, he had a good reputation. That is life though in the murky and inconsistent world of chef recruitment so not going to dwell upon that, more going to have a check and confirm that we went through the whole month of February with 100% track record for relief chefs turning up and completing their jobs.

Starting out with Paul Mair who has forsaken his customary rosetted routes for helping out in Cullen at Lythe Care Home, initially for two days and then back again and he is still there a month plus down the line.

Stuart MacColl had his rotats changed in Perthshire before heading back for a second time to Loch Rannoch to help out there. Little fear of failing to complete a job from Stuart, Mr 100% himself.

Michal Kitson has been spending much time in Milngavie training and organising young commis chefs there and I am hopeful that the next cheque (not check) will not bounce along picking up £4 charges to the Royal Bank of Scotland as it merrily goes. Fantastic logic there, a small business has a check; sorry cheque bounced on it and is charged for the privilege. Never mind, Michael was there ready and willing. Three out of Three.

Ben Sutcliffe, was there ever a smoother, more charming man on our circuit than young Ben who has moved down from the family region of Inverness-shire to Dundee and was up in Meldrum by Inverurie helping out, initially for a week which turned into 3 and a couple days. Enjoy the fishing and home decorating Ben, you have the right idea.

Jamie Greenhorn was out and running up to the Spittal of Glenshee after too lengthy a lay off over the winter and after more than a month is finishing up on Sunday and will be hoping to get out soon.

Andy Westwood, before heading back over to Harris Hotel where they know how to keep their chefs, spent just under a month in Pitlochry at Scotland’s Hotel, I have not seen a reference form coming back but I know Andy faired well as he does wherever he goes. A very good Chef.

John McDonald has helped out many times over the years in the winter when on leave from his full-time position as head chef at Glengarry Castle, north of Fort William. John was up for a couple of weeks to The Courtyard in Kenmore and with a hint at a reference form from Jake, he did a fantastic job, putting himself on the line and knocking out the numbers.

10.52am and Emma will be in soon with the envious task of putting a new computer together as one went kaput yesterday and we have a new one from Comet in Dumfries.

I will check emails to see if everything is ready to be resolved with the Aberdeen / Edinburgh garden centre mini saga. Before moving on into February so see who else was 100% for the month.

Nothing back so, Chris Wright, who I may or may not have met. I certainly worked with his father Joseph from Islay back at Portsonachan hotel on the side of Loch Awe in Argyll in 1997 where the bouncing cheques (I checked quite regularly) inclined me to give my week’s notice and move back up to Skye with Prince Kenneth McKinnon at The Harbourview in Portree. Where ever Chris goes, he gets excellent references, Balcary Bay, Auchrannie, Peebles Hydro or The Craw Inn. 4 out of 4 and now up at The Swallow Hotel in Glasgow on Paisley Road West. 100%

We get to know the guys and girls over the years and there is now a strong core of very competent and reliable chefs well known to me and our systems tried and tested over the years.

In the current climate, this does make it harder for new relief chefs to get a start with us until the crazy season starts which can be…..it was mid April last year before we got up to 18 jobs out on relief for the week. It also makes it a little harder for those chefs who have fallen down our grading system by a point or two for whatever reason to get a quick phone call. This can change if many more jobs come in and I do have sympathy for those relief chefs down in England who did good relief jobs last year with 100% completion and don’t get a call. But if I have someone available in Scotland with a 100% completion record and I have met them, they are going to get the call first.

Paul Waters went back to Boo (Bridge of Orchy) and remains there yet, now with former sparring partner and golfing buddy Top Dog Graham Smith as a work colleague. The stories from Boo are legendary and it is amazing to think that almost ten years to the day since our first advert in Caterer and Hotelkeeper (8^th March 2000) we still have guys in there on relief.

Martain Irvine spent a couple of weeks helping out with Billy Brodrick at Isle Ornsay on Skye, glad to get back into the swing of things after a couple of quiet months on Skye.

Paul Gorgon, not met him either but Mr consistency in Aberdeenshire and having just moved to Fraserburgh a job in Peterhead was a simple choice to make. Paul has an excellent and exceptionally good track record on relief going back a good few years now.

Chris Roberti off to Mull before taking one of his older jobs back for a while later on in March.

Mark Bellingham who I have met and bought a pint of Guinness and a curry for and with two good years under his belt at Skibo Castle and waiting to start his permanent position on the Isle of Barra a logical choice for work at The Cuillin Hills.

Phil Smith a week at Boo before heading back up to Harris and then down to St Andrews.

No no shows on relief in February, 100%. Into March we have to get some an outing and so Bruce heads to Pitlochry and is still there yet.

OK, no Out and About

Court tomorrow in Dumfries and there is work to do elsewhere as the phone rings again.

Many thanks for your continued support and patience

Michael, Emma and Jojo in Moffat